E3 2015
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From adorable to appalling: The week of E3 that was
E3 is one of the most exciting events of the year. There's plenty of gaming news from Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft, EA and other big players. Behind the scenes, though, the power of the brands is out in full force, featuring life-size product placements that make you feel like you're in another world. And yes, that includes zombies.
Xbox 360 game-streaming is coming to Windows 10
As if backward compatibility for Xbox One wasn't enough, Microsoft's also going to let you stream those older games to Windows 10 PCs. In a private demo of the Xbox One's revamped interface, the company confirmed to Engadget that users will have access to its streaming functionality when the new features roll out this holiday season. (If you're a member of the Preview Program, though, you should already be able to play 360 games on a Win 10 machine.) Microsoft also revealed that Xbox 360 titles relying on the original Kinect, or any other hardware accessories, won't work with Xbox One. A company spokesperson said the team wanted to have backward compatibility from launch day, but it turned out to be a difficult task because of the different architecture between the two systems. For your sake, at least it's here now.
'Skylanders' opens its world to a Nintendo crossover
Unlike Microsoft or Sony, Nintendo isn't hosting a big event on the ground at E3 2015. But that doesn't mean the gaming titan won't be taking part in this week's festivities. During a video showcase for E3, the chief of Nintendo North America, Reggie Fils-Aime, revealed a new partnership that will bring the company's fan-favorite Amiibo characters into the world of Skylanders. The crossover initiative is going to merge two of the most popular toys-to-life series, making it possible to use a Turb Charge Donkey Kong, Barrel Blaster, Hammer Slam Bowser or Cloud Cruiser figurine in either Skylanders games or as an Amiibo -- to make them work, all you have to is twist the toys' base.
Ubisoft at E3 2015: 'Assassin's Creed,' 'Just Dance' and new IPs
Ubisoft (featuring Aisha Tyler, as always) has revealed quite a lengthy list of games at this year's E3. It includes new entries in fan favorite series Assassin's Creed and Just Dance, as well as new IPs for those who'd rather try something fresh. We've listed them all below the fold along with their trailers, so you can get a quick glimpse of what the French gamemaker has in store for this year and next.
Tune in here for our Sony E3 2015 liveblog!
We've already got Microsoft's massive E3 press event under our belt and now it's Sony's turn. If you want to catch all the latest news to come out of planet PlayStation, be sure to tune in here at 6PM PT/9PM ET for updates on Morpheus VR, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and all the great games that are sure to follow.
Ubisoft's E3 2015 liveblog!
Ubisoft's E3 blitz is a curious mix of triple-A titles, like Assassins Creed, as well as, er, Raving Rabbits and Just Dance iterations. It's also typically had a spadeful of spectacle thrown into the mix. And that's probably a very good reason to liveblog it -- so we're going to. Expect more information on Ubisoft's premier titles, more information on Rainbow Six: Siege. It all starts at 2:45PM PT, or 5:45PM ET. Come on over and join us!
EA shows off its stable of upcoming sports blockbusters
As expected, EA took the stage at E3 2015 to showcase the next installment of its popular sports franchises. That, of course, includes FIFA 16, Madden 16, NBA Live 16, NHL 16 and Rory McIlroy PGA Tour. This year, like most others, EA Sports is focusing on evolution rather than revolution, so people familiar with these titles won't notice any major change. But that's not to say some things haven't changed. In the case of FIFA 16, for example, there are all-new defensive mechanics, which will help you defend better ground against attacking players. For NBA 16, EA Sports revealed an app that can take your picture and then use it as a custom character's face -- the most impressive part about this is how it only takes a couple of minutes.
Here's how to watch EA's event at E3 2015
Now that Microsoft's done for the day with Xbox news, it is EA's turn to give us a glimpse at some of its future products. There's no doubt we'll learn more details about the company's upcoming sports titles, including FIFA 16, Madden 16 and UFC. Beyond that, though, EA will likely share additional info on Mirror's Edge: Catalyst, Star Wars: Battlefront and Mass Effect 4. And hey, don't be shocked if there are a few surprises along the way. EA is going to kick off the event at 4PM ET, and you can watch it live on its E3 Live to Play webpage as well as Twitch or YouTube -- video embed after the break.
Microsoft shows off 'Minecraft' built specifically for HoloLens
At its E3 2015 event, Microsoft has given us a new demo of Minecraft built specifically for its HoloLens augmented reality headset. As we've guessed since the hardware originally appeared, the creative world-building game is a perfect fit for the futuristic hardware. The demonstrator at first controlled the experience with an Xbox One controller, then just used his hands in the air to play, and could peek around, above and through his creations simply by moving around in real space. A little awkward to watch, sure, but the live feed showed us a simulated HoloLens feed so we could follow along. We still don't know when we'll be exploring its combination of real and virtual worlds for ourselves, but Microsoft promises more information at the MineCon event that starts July 4th. If you missed it in the stream, check out our gallery to see how it all looks.
Xbox Game Preview will give you early access to indie titles
Microsoft has announced a new early access program for independent titles, called Xbox Game Preview. With this service, you'll have the ability to play games that are in active development and provide feedback about them to their creators -- similar to what Steam currently does with its community. Xbox Game Preview is expected to roll out later today on Xbox One, featuring indies such as The Long Dark, Sheltered, Elite: Dangerous, Day Z and more. This is yet another move by Microsoft to further support the ID@Xbox program, which it's been focused on growing since its introduction in 2013.
Your 'Fallout 4' PC mods will work fine on the Xbox One, too
Take a quick tour of YouTube and it'll become clear that PC gamers get to have more utterly ridiculous fun since their games are so much easier to mod. Wanna fire cars out of a gun? Simple. How about turning Skyrim's dragons into monstrous, angry former wrestlers? You get we're going with this (and that video is definitely worth a watch). Anyway, Bethesda is working on bridging that cross-platform insanity gap with the upcoming release of Fallout 4 — director Todd Howard just confirmed that mods made for the PC version of the game can be "transferred, played and shared for free" on the Xbox One.
Here's how to watch Microsoft's Xbox event at E3 2015
If you're an Xbox fan, today's the day you've been waiting for. Microsoft is getting ready to show us what's next for the platform, live from E3 2015 in Los Angeles. Will we learn additional details about Halo 5: Guardians? There's a good chance. Or, perhaps, the company plans to talk more about its recently announced partnership with Oculus -- new VR experiences? Either way, you can watch it all unfold via Twitch, YouTube or the Xbox E3 site. For your convenience, there's an embed below, but don't forget to join our liveblog, where we'll be bringing you the news as it happens. The event starts at 12:30PM ET.
Twitch is planning a ton of live video coverage from E3 2015
Twitch wasn't about to let a competitor have all the fun. Not to be outdone by YouTube's recently announced coverage plan for E3 2015, Twitch is now following suit. The video-streaming platform has revealed its broadcast agenda ahead of this year's gaming conference in LA, scheduled to take place between June 16th and 18th -- though most of the action starts on June 14th. This includes live streams of the Nintendo World Championships as well as major keynotes from Xbox, Playstation, Bethesda, EA, Square Enix and Ubisoft. Of course, Engadget will be on the ground at the Los Angeles Convention Center, bringing you the latest news as they happen.
Nintendo reveals a flood of new games ahead of E3 2015
The NX console isn't the only product Nintendo's working on behind the scenes, naturally. Via a Direct Micro video session, the company has now shared an outlook of its game plan for this year and beyond -- though we're sure it's not telling us everything. Most notably, Nintendo revealed the Dr. Mario franchise is making a comeback with Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure, which will be launching for the 3DS on June 11th (exclusively in the eShop). But there's more: Bravely Second is finally coming to North America, where it's going to be available on the 3DS sometime in 2016.
Star Fox Wii U playable at E3, features GamePad cockpit view
Star Fox for Wii U should be playable at this year's E3, according to what Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto told Smosh. A good sign that the game will make its intended launch later this year. Miyamoto also detailed that the game will utilize the GamePad's touchscreen as the ship's cockpit view, while the television will display the Arwing in third-person. "One of the things that we're doing is, often times in games you have the cinema scenes where it's a movie that's playing and you have to just sit back and watch. There's no gameplay," said Miyamoto. "But because we have the GamePad with the second screen, what we can do is have these cinematic sequences in the game where you're still able to look around and play." During a pre-recorded segement for The Game Awards, Miyamoto said Star Fox for Wii U would be out before the next Legend of Zelda, also expected to be available this year. [Image: Nintendo]
E3 2015 lands in LA June 16-18
Set the countdown clocks for 369 days, starting ... now. E3 2015 will officially take over the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 16 - 18. The ESA organized E3 each year and it's contractually obligated to hold the convention in Los Angeles through 2015. In 2016, the show may move elsewhere. At an E3 dinner this week, ESA President and CEO Michael Gallagher said that he was considering other top-tier US cities for the show. Wherever E3 is next year, we'll be there. In the meantime, see all of the news, previews and Vines from E3 2014 right here.
E3 commits to Los Angeles through 2015
The Electronic Entertainment Expo will be gracing the good citizens of Los Angeles for at least three more years. The ESA announced that a deal was made between the city and the trade show to continue operating in L.A. through 2015. This is news because for a while it looked as though E3 would be moving its location away from the city that's hosted the show for 16 out of 18 years. The possible move concerned a renovation of the L.A. Convention Center and the nearby construction of a new Farmers Field stadium. However, the city has promised that it will schedule construction between the 2013 and 2014 shows so that E3 would not be disrupted. When the renovations are complete, the new hall will boast even more space for future shows. Considering just how much MMO news occurs at this show, we're happy to know that it has a home for the time being. E3 is the largest conference that L.A. has every year; it brings in $40 million to the city. 2013's E3 is scheduled for June 11th through 13th.
