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Next-gen Microsoft: What the new Xbox can do for indies
The Xbox 360 accrued an arguably bad reputation in terms of indie games publishing over the past few years. Many vocal observers – players, mostly – saw Xbox Live Arcade as a closed, unsupportive platform that asked developers for thousands of dollars to update their own games, and Xbox Live Indie Games was a stagnant hole filled with Minecraft clones and zombie games. Microsoft may have to overcome this public perception with its next-gen Xbox conference today at 10 a.m. PT. But from an indie developer's standpoint, the issues in publishing with Microsoft are different – or nonexistent. "Working with Microsoft is great," writes James Silva, one half of Ska Studios and creator of The Dishwasher series of XBLA games. "I have heard a few stories that contradict my experience, and I know quite a few people who are happier on platforms other than XBLA, and that's fine for them. XBLA is a closed, carefully curated platform with its own set of fairly rigid standards and protocols." Ska Studios works with only Microsoft, publishing The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai after winning the Dream Build Play competition in 2007, and from there developing The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile for XBLA, I MAED A GAM3 W1TH ZOMB1ES 1N IT!!!1 on XBLIG and a version on Windows Phone, and now polishing another XBLA game, Charlie Murder. Silva makes enough money developing games for Microsoft platforms to support a life of developing games for Microsoft platforms. He says that with Microsoft as a publisher, he retains full creative control, and Microsoft supports him in terms of bug-squashing, meeting goals, play-testing, and even taking him to dinner when he's in town. "Shortly after The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai launched, I absolutely spent a night at my producer's cabin in Snoqualmie, drinking IPA and playing around with GarageBand," Silva says. "Yes, it was fine, it was fun, and it's unfortunate that 'everything's fine' doesn't really register as newsworthy, because there is currently a 'Microsoft is bad for indies' narrative trending in gaming news."
FIFA 14 goes next-gen in tomorrow's Xbox reveal event
The FIFA franchise will have a next-gen something to show off during Microsoft's Xbox reveal event tomorrow, according to the series' new Facebook cover image and event. "RSVP if you're ready to hear about the next generation of FIFA," the event description reads. "Tune in to hear news on FIFA 14 during the worldwide livestream of Xbox: A New Generation Revealed." FIFA 14 comes out on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC – and not Wii U – this fall. Microsoft is gearing up for a large next-gen Xbox event tomorrow, May 21, at 10 a.m. PT. We'll have live coverage from the event in Redmond, Washington, and we'll also be reporting remotely – here's hoping things don't get too Messi.
Greenberg teases Xbox reveal, says E3 is 'all about the games'
Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business Chief of Staff Aaron Greenberg recently stopped by the Major Nelson podcast to discuss next week's Xbox reveal event and how Microsoft will show its "vision for the future of games." "We're really going to tell one story across two events. So we're going to start on the 21st and really that's about revealing the next Xbox platform, really our vision for the future of games, the future of entertainment. We definitely have a lot of surprises planned." Greenberg then specifically called out Call of Duty: Ghosts, which will have its next-generation engine demoed during the Microsoft event. "People are going to get a great inside look at really the making of the new platform and the team that's brought it to life," Greenberg added. "I mean, to be honest it's really about the team, the people here. That's why we're inviting people to campus, we're going to bring them behind the scenes a little bit. We've never done this before and so it's really exciting to be able to do that. But I think it's a lot of laying the foundation - probably the best way to describe it - and then just a couple of weeks later we go to E3." Greenberg concluded that more will be shown at E3 and after, leading into this holiday season. "E3 is all about the games. At E3, I mean, if you're a gamer, it's going to be tons of exclusives, world premieres and obviously even beyond that we have a lot to share between then and this holiday." The Xbox event takes place on May 21 at Microsoft's Redmond campus, located in Washington state. Be sure to have your browser locked to Joystiq starting at 1pm ET (6pm UK, 10am PT) for all of the scoops, commentary and neatly organized words you've come to expect.
Assassin's Creed 4 retailer pre-order bonuses revealed
Though Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag launches later this year, North American retailers are vying for your dollars today by announcing a slew of retailer-specific pre-order bonuses. GameStop has the 'Black Island' pack, which includes the deadly black ship, a Captain Morgan costume and his silver flintlock pistol. Amazon.com will offer the 'Hidden Mystery' pack, an extra treasure-hunting mission on Mystery Island, Stede Bonnet's ship and Sted Bonnet costumes and multiplayer items. Walmart gets the 'Sacrificed Secrets' pack, a collection centered around Captain Drake that includes his dual-wield swords and pistols, plus his picture, title and relics. Best Buy has the 'Lost Treasures' pack, an ivory wheel and spyglass relic, and Target gets the 'Trove of Mystery' pack, which includes an iron wheel and astrolab relic. Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag launches on the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC on October 29. Next-generation console ports of Assassin's Creed 4 are also planned. All UK pre-orders get access to "The Watch" app.
Sony, Microsoft going 'heavily' on free-to-play next-gen, says Epic VP Rein
Sony and Microsoft are telling developers they're "going heavily" on free-to-play and in-app purchasing models with their next-gen consoles, according to Epic Games VP Mark Rein. Speaking in a roundtable discussion at the UK's Game Horizon conference, Rein said both companies will take on the kinds of financial models seen on mobile devices. "The next-gen consoles are going to be fully embracing the free-to-play and these IAP-type business models," Rein told the audience, "So in case you don't know that I'm putting that out there. Sony and Microsoft are both going heavily in that area." Roundtable chair Matt Martin of GamesIndustry International said that's what both platform holders are saying, but that "we still need to see some kind of evidence." Rein replied, "Well, I'm telling you. I'm telling you what they're telling developers."
Yoshida: Sony did not consider an always-on PS4
The PS4 won't require an "always-on" internet connection, and it was never going to need one, Sony President of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida told Game Informer (via Gamespot). "Did we consider it? No, we didn't consider it," Yoshida said. "The main reason being that many countries don't have robust Internet connections. It makes sense for people to have Internet connections to play online games, but for offline games there are many countries that we saw [that] do not really have robust Internet." Fair point. Yoshida previously confirmed an offline mode in terms of the PS4's social and sharing features, saying, "Oh yes, yes, you can go offline totally. Social is big for us, but we understand there are some people who are anti-social. So if you don't want to connect to anyone else, you can do that." Developers, too, will be able to limit which aspects of their games players can share with the world. Sony's major next-gen competitor, Microsoft, is set to reveal its new console on May 21. The latest internal memo regarding the next Xbox's online functionality says that some features should "just work" whether a player is on- or offline.
Rumor: Respawn game exclusive to next Xbox
The first game from Respawn Entertainment, the studio formed by former Infinity Ward heads Jason West and Vince Zampella, is reportedly exclusive to the next-generation Xbox. According to Kotaku sources, Microsoft's coup keeps the unannounced game off Sony and Nintendo platforms. One source told the site there'll also be an Xbox 360 version.One of Kotaku's sources says Respawn's game is, surprise surprise, a multiplayer shooter, with battles featuring giant mechanical walkers called Titans - it was recently revealed Respawn trademarked the term 'Titan.'Whatever it is, Respawn's game is under EA's co-publishing Partners program. Despite the label reportedly shuttering, the studio says everything's going "fine" for its next game. Presumably in response to Kotaku's story, the studio's official account tweeted "Wow! Lots of speculation tonight. Great to see excitement about our project but you'll all have to wait for E3 for details."So... not May 21, then? Having said that, there's no denial there either. In any case, we've reached out to Respawn for comment.
Microsoft IllumiRoom unlikely to get public demo until July
Microsoft's view-expanding IllumiRoom technology looks doubtful to appear at the next-gen Xbox reveal in May. Speaking to our tech pals at Engadget, Microsoft Research's Hrvoje Benko and Brett Jones said a public demo isn't likely until July's SIGGRAPH conference.In addition, Microsoft Research says "IllumiRoom remains in the prototype stage, with much additional research left to be done before it could be made available broadly, but the progress thus far has been gratifying, and the possibilities are intriguing."Following the info published yesterday, which earmarked the Kinect-incorporating coffee-table projector for next-gen hardware, Microsoft Research talked further about IllumiRoom at the CHI 2013 conference in Paris. In the presentation, Microsoft Research said it's only "scratched the surface of what is possible with IllumiRoom" so far.The team wants to introduce more illusory effects around what it's calling "augmented gaming," and implement it around more genres; demonstrations to date tended to focus on first-person shooters and racing games.
Microsoft IllumiRoom projects its vision for next-gen Xbox
IllumiRoom, Microsoft's game-expanding projector technology, is envisioned ideally for the next-generation Xbox, which is set to be revealed next month. Microsoft's Redmond-based Research group says its vision is for an "ultra-wide field of view device sitting on the user's coffee table, projecting over a large area surrounding the television. The device would be connected wirelessly to a next generation gaming console as a secondary display."Microsoft is showcasing the proof-of-concept technology, first unveiled at CES earlier this year, at this week's CHI 2013 conference in Paris. In a paper published for the conference, Microsoft Research detailed how Illumiroom could be "developed into a next generation game console with game content designed from the ground up, or it could be an 'addon' for existing consoles with gamers writing scripts to mod their favorite games."The paper adds, "Ideally, IllumiRoom would be directly integrated into a next generation console and new games would be designed for IllumiRoom from the ground up."A new five-minute video expands upon the brief preview published earlier this year. It shows how IllumiRoom, which incorporates Kinect, projects images to alter the appearance of the room surrounding the TV, including a number of lighting and particle effects, as well as extended field of view. We should hear more about Illumiroom later this week at CHI 2013, and possibly at Microsoft's May 21 event, when the next Xbox is expected to debut.
Debunk: Xbox720.com, Playstation4.com aren't owned by Microsoft, Sony
We'll wait while you click these links -- Xbox720.com and PlayStation4.com -- to see that they do indeed redirect to random technology-news pages. We'll even wait a little longer as you open a new tab, type both of those addresses in and see that we weren't lying, and they really do redirect to unofficial sites. Now we'll take a few seconds to get over the fact that you didn't trust us. Without trust there is no love; remember that.Yesterday Xbox720.com redirected to the US PlayStation website, but it appears the domain owner has used the attention gained from that to open his own blog, Fusible reports. Xbox720.com now redirects to a tech-news aggregation site and was previously monetized via Google's Adsense program; before that it hosted random sites dating back to 2006 at least. In November 2011, the site was registered to Jeremiah Germany, but that information is now protected through Whois Privacy.PlayStation4.com redirects to a PlayStation news and cheat site.It appears the redirections aren't as vindictive as the ModernWarfare3.com debacle, in which a Battlefield fan used the domain to convert Call of Duty players to his shooter of choice. We don't even know what the next Xbox will be called -- considering the first Xbox wasn't called "180," it's not set in stone that the third iteration will follow in the 360's footsteps. However, Microsoft's Xbox360.com redirects to the main Xbox site, and Sony's PlayStation3.com heads to the US PlayStation page, so it follows that they would want similar sites to do the same. [Image credit: Joseph Dumary]
Report: Don't expect next-Xbox announcements this year
The marketing director of Microsoft France has said the 360 still has some life left in its hard drive, and Microsoft won't be unveiling anything new this year. "Xbox 360′s cycle is not at all finished. The proof is that we don't see the logic in cutting the price this year," Cedrick Delmax said in a French-language interview with Le Point, according to Develop. "E3 is still premature. What's certain is that there'll be nothing new in 2012."We contacted Microsoft for clarification and a spokesperson provided the following statement:"We're always thinking about what is next and how we can push the boundaries of technology, as we did with Kinect. We believe the key to extending the lifespan of a console is not just about the console hardware, but about the games and entertainment experiences being delivered to consumers. We have made no announcements regarding a next generation console and do not comment on rumors or speculation."Rumors are of course rampant about the next Xbox launching in 2013, with the latest report suggesting mass production of its GPU will begin at the end of 2012.
Report: Next-gen Xbox to launch October/November 2013 with this GPU
The next-gen Xbox's GPU will derive from 2011's AMD 6000 series, similar to the Radeon HD 6670, which supports DirectX11, 1080p HD, multi-display output and 3D, IGN reports, citing sources close to the project. Mass production of its GPU will begin at the end of 2012, IGN says, with a full-console launch scheduled in October or November 2013.With these specs, the next Xbox will have six times the processing power of the Xbox 360 and is expected to support performance 20 percent greater than Nintendo's Wii U, which is using the R770, a chip that is competitively stronger than the GPUs of both the Xbox 360 and PS3.Previously uncovered Microsoft resumes listed gesture and voice input, which suggests some form of Kinect integration will be present in the coming Xbox model.
Project Natal basis for new Xbox console coming Fall 2010?
We'd be careful about putting too much stock into an admittedly far off rumor, but the gang at 1UP claim they've heard from those in the know that Microsoft's set to release a new Xbox console in Fall 2010, and that current media darling Project Natal is "the cornerstone" of that evolution. Specs-wise, it's suggested we're looking at only a marginal boost analogous to Nintendo's GameCube-to-Wii transition -- place your bets on how long it'll take to "max out" this time -- as well as a rebranding (Xbox Natal, anyone?) aimed at attracting the highly coveted, more mainstream / casual audience, before Mario and the crew catch a second wind with the oft-rumored Wii HD. There's nothing unbelievable about these whispers, but again, Fall 2010 is quite a ways off and anything can happen in the meantime. First unveiling will allegedly be the 2010 Game Developers Conference in early March, so your best bet for now is to hold tight and keep a close eye on who gets a primetime slot among that event's keynote speeches.
Video: the rumored Xbox 360 v2
Yesterday we showed you a photo of the rumored Xbox 360 v2 that should be coming down the pipelines soon. It'll supposedly have an HDMI port, and feature a 120GB drive in it, making it well worth it, particularly if it is priced the same as the current consoles. Now we have video of the system in question (codenamed Zephyr), and if you ask us it looks fairly real. Of course, as sister-site Xbox 360 Fanboy points out, the Linux penguin in the shot makes us very suspicious. Plus that plug/adapter setup at the rear of the 360 looks fairly nasty. Normally when people mod consoles they add things like Christmas tree lights, liquid-cooling, and a built-in popcorn popper. Which doesn't mean that this thing is real, but so far we're still buying it, and we'll really be buying it when it hits a store near us. HDMI and a much bigger hard drive? Yes, please.
