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Xbox 360 gets a One-like redesign: estimated pricing starts at $200, shipping today
While all eyes are on Xbox One news at Microsoft's E3 keynote, the company's just announced that the Xbox 360 is getting yet another design iteration. Taking cues from the "modern look and feel of the Xbox One," it's touted as smaller, sleeker and quieter. Microsoft did a good job keeping this quiet, as it's shipping today in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada and Australia, with other markets receiving it over the coming months. "Hundreds of new games" are apparently headed to the 360 over the next couple of years, proving the old console's still got some life in it yet, and an Xbox Live subscription will net you some older ones for free, come July. The estimated retail price for the console with 4GB of storage is $200; adding a Kinect to that option hikes the cost up to $300. Or, swap the Kinect out for a 250GB HDD and it'll also cost $300. Follow all of our E3 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain coming to Xbox One, not an exclusive
Microsoft's just kicked off their E3 press conference by giving the spotlight to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and Major Nelson announced it's coming to the Xbox One as an exclusive. This freshest installment of the tactical-stealth shooter promises an open world, realistic passage of time, drivable vehicles, "deeper stealth action" and dynamic close quarters combat. There's not much in the way of other details just yet, but we're sure more news will creep out during the course of E3. Update: Microsoft's Major Nelson has issued an update via Twitter letting us know that Metal Gear Solid V is not an Xbox One exclusive. We're betting Sony is feeling better. Yeesh! Update: Metal Gear mastermind Hideo Kojima just confirmed on Twitter that The Phantom Pain is in development for the PlayStation 4, and that Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are still on the way. Follow all of our E3 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Xbox Live will offer two free games per month starting July, includes Assassin's Creed 2 and Halo 3
Kicking off Microsoft's announcements, the company has said that Xbox Live will start offering free Xbox 360 games for its paying members, starting this July. In the run-up to the Xbox One's launch, you'll be able to pick up two titles each month, gratis -- if you're an Xbox Live Gold member. If it sounds familiar, it's because it sounds a lot like one of the benefits Sony's PS Plus has offered its subscribers. The Live UI on the older Xbox 360 console will also be getting a refresh, catching up with the more modern styling we've seen teased on the Xbox One. Follow all of our E3 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Microsoft E3 2013 Xbox liveblog!
You already know what the Xbox One looks like, and you've read our exhaustive coverage of its new controller, new (required and included) Kinect, and the SoC powering everything -- today is all about games. While we were thrilled to get a look at the box formally known as "Durango / Kryptos," we're even more excited to get a look at the next-generation of software it'll run. Follow along with us after the break as we get our first major look at the next wave of console gaming from Microsoft, directly from E3 2013. June 10, 2013 12:15:00 PM EDT
Engadget and Joystiq's Microsoft pre-event broadcast: live from E3!
E3 may not officially open until tomorrow, but the hype starts right now. Join Engadget's own Ben Gilbert and Joystiq Editor in Chief Ludwig Kietzmann as they gab about Microsoft's upcoming E3 press event. Will Redmond reveal a price? Is the DRM situation as bad as it seems? Will we actually get a good look at some games this time around? Skip on past the break for our pre-show predictions.
We're live from E3 2013 in Los Angeles!
The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) officially kicks off on Tuesday morning, but press attendees have packed schedules starting bright and early tomorrow AM. Microsoft's kicking things off with its briefing, which promises new Xbox One details and a major focus on games. Sony, meanwhile, is officially unveiling its new PlayStation 4 hardware, having teased the look of the new box and naming its nighttime E3 briefing as the big reveal. We'll also hear more on EA and Ubisoft's next-gen console plans, and Alienware's got its own briefing to close out the night. It's going to be quite a busy day. Come Tuesday, Nintendo is welcoming select show goers at its exhibition booth for a sneak peek at new Wii U titles, before E3 opens for business at noon Pacific Time. And that's to say nothing of the Oculus Rifts and OUYAs of the world, not to mention any unknowns. You'll find a plethora of liveblogs, news stories and hands-on posts on our homepage throughout the week, but we're also rounding everything up at our E3 2013 event hub, which we'll update in realtime with all the gaming news fit to print, straight from downtown Los Angeles.%Gallery-190770% Ben Gilbert contributed to this report.
E3 2013: Get your Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft and EA liveblogs right here!
E3 2013 is nearly upon us, and this year's press briefing lineup is an eensy bit different from past years -- most notably, there are four stage presentations on Monday alone, and Nintendo's sitting this year out. Rather than spreading out the gaming news cavalcade across one and a half days, 2013's press briefings are all Monday (excepting Nintendo's live video broadcast on Tuesday morning, of course, which we'll have available ahead of its 10AM EDT kickoff on Wednesday morning). The full list for tomorrow's proceedings follows, including timestamps and links for you to set your alarm clocks and clicking fingers by (respectively): 12:30PM to 2:00PM EDT: Microsoft Xbox briefing liveblog 4:00PM to 5:00PM EDT: Electronic Arts briefing liveblog 6:00PM to 7:00PM EDT: Ubisoft briefing liveblog 9:00PM to 12:00AM EDT: Sony PlayStation briefing liveblog [Image credit: 'halo666']
Crytek's CryEngine 3 supports PlayStation 4, surprises no one
Crytek has a reputation for pushing the limits of hardware with CryEngine -- witness the will-it-run-Crysis jokes -- so it's only logical that the company would leap on new consoles with enthusiasm. Sure enough, the company has followed up talk of Xbox One support in CryEngine 3 with word that its extra-pretty engine will also run on the PlayStation 4. Crytek isn't saying which developers will use the code, although cross-platform games make sense when the PS4, Xbox One and PCs share the same basic x86 architecture. We may hear bit more about early partners next week.
E3 2013: What we know and what to expect from the big three
The annual game industry trade show that's spawned thousands of memes is just around the corner: E3 2013 kicks off on Monday morning with a quartet of press briefings. In another 72 hours, we'll have a full day of liveblogs for you that'll no doubt reveal much more about Microsoft's and Sony's intentions with the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, respectively, along with Nintendo's press not-so-much-a-conference event the following day addressing the Wii U. Though the latter is a somewhat known quantity at this point, there's considerable promise of major game announcements and a first look at the much-anticipated next Smash Bros. entry. Microsoft and Sony, on the other hand, have a lot more blank space to fill in. We're here to explore what we know about all three, but more importantly, to identify what we expect to find out at the big show. Join us past the break and dive into the next wave of the console wars.
SteelSeries to unveil line of gaming headsets at E3 2013
Gaming accessory maker SteelSeries has a tradition of showcasing new products during conventions, and the firm will uphold it by unveiling the H-Series headset line at E3 2013. First in the series is the "tournament-grade" 9H headset with Dolby technology, a USB soundcard, and padded ear cushions that feature sound isolation technology. Next is the 5Hv3 headset that boasts a retractable microphone and the same sound isolation technology the 9H has. Finally, there's the compact and foldable 3Hv2 with its own retractable mic. All three are intended for use on Macs and PCs, but they have swappable ends or adaptors for use with mobile devices. Slated to be available by fall this year, the 9H is the priciest of the trio at $159.99. If you're not quite keen on paying that much for a pair of gaming cans though, you can grab the 5Hv3 and the 3Hv2 this summer for $79.99 and $39.99, respectively.%Gallery-190497%
Sony's not showing its new PlayStation 4 just yet, but here's a taste (video)
What does the PlayStation 4 look like? We didn't find out back at Sony's big New York City reveal gala in February, but it looks like we're edging ever closer to that moment: June 10th at 6PM PT seems to be exactly when we'll find out. Hey, wouldn't you know it, that lines up with Sony's E3 2013 press conference, which we'll be liveblogging right here on Engadget. The coincidences simply won't stop! A new tease video today gives us a few glimpses at what we might see in a few weeks, but for now you'll have to be sated by looking through individual video frames. Take a look (and then another, and then another) just below the break. The PlayStation 4 has a projected launch of "Holiday 2013," and is Sony's next entry in its long-running PlayStation line of game consoles. The company's already shown off its new DualShock 4 controller, as well as its PlayStation 4 Eye motion camera (akin to Microsoft's Kinect), and we expect to see not just the console, but a smattering of other PlayStation-related news at the June 10th press conference. Today's tease comes just one day before Microsoft's expected next-gen Xbox reveal event kicks off in Redmond. Oh you guys! Update: Intrepid commenter GoldenRabbit snatched all the stills from the tease and put them all in one place, right here. Thanks dude! Update 2: And gaming forum NeoGAF goes even deeper in this thread. We're pretty sure it's a game console. Or a fancy scale. Or maybe a panini press?
Nintendo won't host a keynote at E3 2013, plans small but focused hands-on events instead
A lot of folks have been wondering just how Nintendo's keynote was going to outshine the launch of two competitor consoles at this year's E3. Turns out, it won't. During Nintendo's Japanese financial results briefing, company President Satoru Iwata revealed the company wouldn't be hosting a Keynote at E3 this year. "We decided not to host a large-scale presentation targeted at everyone in the international audience where we announce new information as we did in the past," Iwata explained. "Instead, at the E3 show this year, we are planning to host a few smaller events that are specifically focused on our software lineup for the US market." Nintendo will be hosting two events, actually -- one for distributors and another for the media. The company president says he won't personally be speaking at either event. In lieu of the traditional keynote livestream, Nintendo will be releasing Nintendo Direct streams to deliver region specific news to Japanese and overseas fans. It's a bold, and perhaps dangerous move for the Japanese gaming giant. While bowing out of the keynote avoids the yearly squabble over who "won" E3 in the eyes of critics, it also forfeits the opportunities a large presentation provides, namely promotion. Excitable fans may have to wait until Nintendo Spaceworld to get their hype-fix.
E3 College Game Competition to let student finalists shine on show floor
If you're a talented college student hoping to create the next Halo or Call of Duty, you could have a chance to show your chops at this year's E3. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the group behind the annual video game conference, has just announced the E3 College Game Competition, where you and your school could be one of five finalists to have a spotlight on the show floor. Around 400 higher education institutions -- primarily those that offer video game courses -- can each submit one game to represent their school in the competition. Applicants can begin submitting the story and assets of a playable game starting March 15th, with a final deadline of April 19th. The finalists will be contacted on May 10th and the winner will be announced at the show itself. It's a rare opportunity to rub shoulders with video game VIPs, so we suggest aspiring creators convince their universities to get on board and contact the ESA for all the challenge's rules and requirements.
E3 loves LA, staying through 2015
Video game journalists worried about not being able to make their annual trek to Amoeba Records and Secret Headquarters Comics can breathe a collective sigh of relief -- through 2015, at least. The Entertainment Software Association, the organization behind E3, announced today that it will be keeping the massive gaming show in Los Angeles for another three years. Next year's show will be hitting the LA Convention center on June 11th. More info and some quotes from a very happy Southern California mayor after the break.
