This is a video that “PrimeGhost Gaming” uploaded to youtube and showyou.com. It demonstrates what more customization options *could* look like for the User Interface (UI) on the Xbox One!
Be sure to watch until the very end!
Month: April 2014
Amazing Spider-Man 2 Game Delayed But Not Delayed
I can’t make this stuff up. Earlier this month, it was rumored that the Xbox One version of the Amazing Spider-Man 2 Game (based on the new movie released in theaters this weekend) would be delayed. Then, it was rumored that it was cancelled completely, and there would only be versions for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PS4 consoles.
With a bizarre twist only a super-villain could think up, not only is the game NOT delayed, it is available NOW – digitally only – on the Xbox One and Xbox 360, along with physical copies available for other systems. The physical copies for the Xbox One are rumored to still be delayed…until…July 1st?!
Personally, I prefer waiting until AFTER I’ve watched a movie before playing the accompanying game, but waiting until July 1st is truly bizarre.
Assassin’s Creed Franchise Success Story
The Assassin’s Creed Franchise has sold over 73 MILLION units.
Developer/Publisher Ubisoft previously claimed their franchise had sold 60 million copies, but that was before they recently published the sales of the latest iteration, “Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.” Doing the math, that title alone must account for 13 million copies sold!
In related news, Ubisoft revealed that they will be releasing TWO Assassin’s Creed games at the end of the year. “Comet” will be available for “current” generation consoles (PS3 and Xbox 360) and “Unity” will be available for “next gen” consoles (PS4 and Xbox One) and PC.
Mega Bits
Here are some interesting news bits from Wednesday, April 16th, 2014:
Marty O’Donnell has been fired from Bungie. Marty was the sound director/composer for the Halo franchise, and was working on the sound for Bungie’s newest game, Destiny. He worked for Bungie for 14 years. For the Destiny soundtrack, Marty was even working with the legendary Sir Paul McCartney.
Call of Duty fans will soon be able to download “voice packs” for $2.99 that will change the in-game announcer’s voice. The first pack features Snoop Dogg. A voice pack featuring R. Lee Ermey is also planned. These voice packs will be available first on Xbox 360 and Xbox One on April 22nd, release dates for other platforms are coming soon.
Indy PopCon
eBash is excited to announce a major event as part of their partnership with Indy PopCon. Call of Duty Ghost players on Xbox 360 will be able to compete for a chance to travel to PopCon the weekend of May 30 – June 1 and play for a share of $5,000 in cash!
There will be four qualifying events held over the next two months to decide the four teams invited to the finals. Those four teams will be guaranteed to win one of the following cash prize amounts: 1st – $2000, 2nd – $1200, 3rd – $1000, 4th – $800. Tickets to Indy PopCon will also be provided for all four members of each qualifying team.
The first of four events is called “Ghosts Tuesdays” and is an 8 week, online-only event. Fourteen teams total will participate in online matches, hosted by machines at eBash Indianapolis. For more information, and to register your team, click this link.
Titanfall Private Matches
Respawn Studios released a really nice feature with their free update yesterday: the capability to set up private matches in Titanfall. Curiously missing since the game launched last month, the new game studio promised they would add it as soon as possible, and now they have.
The matchmaking menu has changed, with a new option called “Private match (beta)” appearing at the bottom of the list. Respawn Studios explained that the features and options aren’t complete, hence the “beta” sub-title, but it does already allow friends to join matches by themselves. Basic options are available, such as picking specific maps and game modes, but nothing else at this time. It is assumed that additional options will become available eventually.
It was also explained that these private matches will still take place online, on Microsoft’s dedicated servers. System-link or “LAN” matches won’t be available, which means playing private matches at game centers like eBash won’t provide the usual low-latency connection speeds of a LAN match. But, eBash is preparing a series of fun weekly events and tournaments for customers playing Titanfall at their centers. Stand by for Titanfall!
The private match (beta) option became available for Xbox One and PC on 4/10 and for Xbox 360 on 4/11.
MMOs Making a Comeback
Could this be the year for MMOs to make a comeback? It seems like several are released each year, with tons of hype and impressive launch numbers. This year, MMOs are crossing over onto consoles, with both Final Fantasy XIV and Elder Scrolls Online getting console versions. The sci-fi-fantasy mash-up WildStar is also getting lots of hype.
In video game centers like eBash, it seems like the MMO genre has been almost forgotten, replaced by competitive “e-Sports” games like League of Legends or Call of Duty. But, I don’t think it’s because one game or type of game is necessarily more popular than another. My theory is that these e-Sports games have a built in social nature that MMOs USED to possess, but have been forgotten about or not supported as much in recent years.
It’s one thing to be playing on a team in a competitive game or playing with your guild-mates, attempting another shot at a difficult dungeon raid, from home, communicating through a headset. But the really good teams appreciate the extra benefit of playing with each other in person, at a video game center. Modern MMOs have somehow removed that benefit: it’s too easy to join a random group, finish a dungeon, and then leave the group, all without barely saying anything to each other.
Early MMOs were less about finishing dungeons and more about “emergent” game play and being social. I remember spontaneous adventures like summoning all the level ten and below players to attack a difficult NPC, or marching an entire server’s population of one faction into the capital city of the opposing faction. These weren’t quests or necessary things to accomplish, they were just fun things to do. Taking this attitude into video game centers, groups of friends would challenge each other to duels or make up random challenges, like trying to reach a certain level first, or playing without armor, or all creating characters that looked exactly the same. Sure, communicating these types of adventures through a headset is still possible, but it’s so much more fun in person.
Will pushing the MMO genre into the console market help the social aspects reemerge? Or will the modern trend of simplifying games continue to rob players of creative and fun ways of playing these games how ever they want? I’m hopeful because I’m hearing more and more eBash customers talking about these new MMOs and getting excited about them. Maybe this will be the year that MMOs make a comeback!
Amazon Fire TV Console
Some said it was inevitable, some said it would be redundant and unnecessary, but Amazon is officially entering the “TV Set Top Box” market with their new “Amazon Fire TV” console, available now, for only $99. Oh yeah, it also plays games. The included remote can be used for simple games, and a traditional controller is sold separately for $39. The remote can also recognize voice commands, making for easy navigation and searches for movies, TV shows, games, and countless other apps and services also available on the device.
Price wise, this fits towards the low end of the rumors and speculations, some of which I mentioned in a previous blog. But, also as I predicted, Amazon is willing to take a hit on the cost to be competitive, and the power of the Amazon Fire is way beyond other set top boxes available for the same price. Boasting a Quad Core processor, a dedicated GPU, and 2 GB of RAM, this tiny box is capable of full HD 1080p video and 7.1 optical audio. Amazon claims that the quad-core processor has three times the processing power of Apple TV and Roku, and the 2 GB of memory is four times that of Apple TV, Roku, and Chromecast. It would also be interesting to see how this compares even to the Xbox 360 and PS3.
The device itself is really small and not very flashy looking. The remote is also fairly simple and elegant, though the voice search function minimizes the need for lots of buttons. The game controller reminds me of the OnLive controller, which was similar to the Xbox 360 controller with the addition of some play, fast forward, and rewind buttons between the grips at the bottom. The console supports up to seven simultaneous input devices, which can be any combination of remotes and controllers.
The things that will separate the Amazon Fire TV from other devices are the tablet connectivity and the Amazon ecosystem. One of the included apps allows movies and shows to be mirrored on a tablet, or each screen can feature their own display or input commands. Buying games from the OUYA, for example, requires shopping through that isolated network, whereas customers with existing Amazon accounts are already primed to start shopping as soon as the device is turned on.
But the main interest for eBash Bits and Bytes is games. Boasting that much power, the Fire could give the current (Xbox 360, Wii, and PS3) generation a run for its money. Games like Minecraft have exploded on the mobile market (it’s included, free, on the Fire) and the list of already available games range from sports, puzzle, racing, action, and even shooting games like Dead Trigger 2. With an established marketplace (Amazon.com!) independent game developers will likely abandon platforms like the OUYA and start releasing content for the Fire.
Overall, I’m a little disappointed that Amazon didn’t shoot for the stars and include even more impressive components. But, it looks like they are mostly interested in competing with other set top boxes like Roku and Apple TV, and not the “big” consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One. Still, with the impressive marketing and content of Amazon.com, the Fire could become THE TV device in the living room in many homes.
The Amazon Fire TV is available now on Amazon.com for $99, the controller for $39. More information is available here.
Elder Scrolls Online
Elder Scrolls Online is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: a Massive Multi-Player Online (MMO) game set in the fantasy world of Tamriel, made popular in other Elder Scrolls games like Oblivion and Skyrim. It doesn’t provide the open sand box game play of a single player Elder Scrolls game, but it does offer more character and “class” options than traditional MMOs. In summary, it rests somewhere in the middle, and those that temper their expectations may find a lot to do and enjoy in ESO.
For starters, ESO is a very well made game. The graphics are beautiful, and the sound effects, music, and voice acting are as top notch as one would expect from a single player ES game. I’ve noticed first hand the progress made from each successive beta test weekend, and as part of the five day head start, I can already testify that nearly everything works as it should. Some of the quests are bugged and can’t be completed, but those issues can be fixed.
The game plays as a hybrid of traditional MMOs and previous ES games. The left and right mouse buttons activate attacks and blocks, and the camera can switch from first to third person views, just like Skyrim. But the bottom of the screen has a number of “hot keys” for quick access to spells and special attacks. Some of these are weapon specific, and are only available if the correct weapons are equipped, but others are weapon independent.
Long time MMO players, like myself, will appreciate the options available when it comes to actually playing the game. Characters can be created from nine races (ten if the “Imperial” edition is purchased) and four different classes. Each of these classes have their own specialty or “trait” lines to choose skills from, but every class can wield every weapon and wear every armor type in the game. Each weapon has its own “trait” line, and so do the different guilds and factions in the game. As characters progress, the number of abilities to choose for the “hot keys” grow almost out of control.
The host of character options are enormous, and that almost makes up for the way the game funnels players through its different zones. The quests are almost all story-centric, and need to be completed in a set order before the next quests and zones become available. Optional side quests are conveniently placed and are easy to pick up and complete during the “main” quests, but I think they can be missed if the zones are completed first. With all the combat options at players’ disposal, it also seems strange that combat can be almost completely avoided at times, which makes enemy encounters feel incidental or optional.
Preferences for ESO may vary. In some ways, ESO does not feel like a regular ES game, which are known for their openness and player freedom. But, compared to other MMOs, ESO feels like a nice evolution of the genre. Rarely have I been given boring “kill x number of y creature” quests, and some of the story quests are quite moving. Personally, I often felt overwhelmed by the open nature of previous ES games, so I actually LIKE that I’m shown where to go next and I LIKE that I’m making progress. Some of the features, like the overly complicated crafting system, don’t appeal to me – but others might think that’s the best part of the game. As long as people temper their expectations, ESO is a well made game that has a lot to offer. I repeat, this is NOT an open sandbox game like Skyrim that also happens to have hundreds of other players; this IS an MMO that features more player freedom, fantastic art and sound, and more interesting stories and quests than older, more “traditional” MMOs.
Elder Scrolls Online launches April 4th on PC, and will be available for Xbox One and PS4 later this year. It is rated ‘M’ for Mature for Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, and Violence.
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