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Sony's PlayStation 4 ships in white this September, comes with 'Destiny' and 500GB for $450
Not only did Sony just announce that the beta of Bungie's next title, Destiny, is coming as a beta next month, but it also let the cat out of the bag that you'll be able to get the game bundled with a "glacier white" PlayStation 4 on September 9th. The new-hued console will come with 500GB of storage and a free 30-day membership to PlayStation Plus. Accompanying peripherals include a matching controller and stand available for purchase separately, and a grey/white "urban camouflage" DualShock 4. The cost for the bundle pack? A tidy $450/€439, while Europeans can pick up the system solo for €399. Follow our liveblog at Sony's E3 2014 conference for the latest updates!
'Destiny' Beta coming to PlayStation 4 on July 17th, Xbox One and 360 on July 23rd
Sony's Andrew House just kicked off the company's E3 show by announcing an open beta for Bungie's Destiny on July 17th. But gamers won't have to wait until later this summer for a crack at the massively multiplayer online title; House also mentioned that the open-world title would be available this Wednesday as an Alpha build for those of you that like works-in-progress. And to make the pot even sweeter for interested parties, Sony's releasing an exclusive bundle that comes with an all-white -- sorry, that's "glacier white" -- PlayStation 4 and free 30-day trial to PS Plus, Sony's network service, on September 9th. So, it's confirmed: Destiny's launch marks the beginning of the many colored PS4s to come. Update: Activision announced that the Destiny beta will launch on July 23rd for Xbox One and 360 owners, following two days of downtime for maintenance.
Watch Sony's E3 2014 PlayStation event right here!
Of course our liveblog is the best way to keep up with everything Sony will announce at its E3 launch event tonight, but if you want to see it for yourself you can do that too. Check out an embedded live stream after the break, watch on PlayStation.com, or load up the PS@E3 app on your PS4 for a quick link to the Ustream feed. Things are scheduled to start in just a few moments at 9PM ET, so choose wisely. Update: UStream not working? Try the YouTube feed embedded below or right here.
Sony E3 2014 PlayStation liveblog!
With the Xbox One taking center stage this morning at Microsoft's press conference, Sony's trying to own the evening with its own PlayStation-focused event tonight. What's in store from the folks behind the PlayStation 4? We'll find out soon enough, but allow us to venture some educated guesses: a new God of War? Perhaps an update on the long-in-development The Last Guardian? A PlayStation Vita/PlayStation 4 bundle? We'll find out starting at 9PM ET!
Alienware's Steam Machine starts at $549 and launches this holiday season
Alienware is no slouch when it comes to cranking out high-end gaming PCs, but its approach to Valve's Steam Machine project is a bit different. The company is looking to deliver a high-quality PC gaming experience to the living room, but the execution doesn't sound much different from the experience that's already available for other machines running Valve's made-for-TV Big Picture Mode (BPM). The rub of the Alienware Alpha series is that the diminutive PC boots directly into BPM automatically after hitting the rig's power button. The problem with that is two-fold: Big Picture Mode doesn't do the best job of identifying which games are fully controller supported, and because Valve recently delayed its in-house designed controller (which essentially is a stand-in for a mouse), OEMs not delaying hardware of their own need to come up with work arounds.
Ubisoft's 'Shape Up' uses the Xbox One camera to try to make fitness fun
"Fitness is boring," says Ubisoft's Charles Huteau at the company's E3 press event. He's right, it is: There's a whole industry growing around our attempt to make exercise fun. Huteau, however, thinks the answer lies on the Xbox One. "Your workout will finally become an epic game." The name of that game is Shape Up, an Xbox One-exclusive fitness title that leverages Kinect 2.0's higher-resolution camera. It sounds old hat, we know -- but Huteau put his body where his mouth was, standing in front of the sensor and scanning his body into the game. He pulled up a mini-game called "Piano Step" and within moments, the presenter was competing against a pre-recorded version of himself in a modernized version of Dance Dance Revolution.
'Assassin's Creed: Unity' gets redesigned open world, ships October 28th
Earlier today at Microsoft's Xbox One E3 event, we got a glimpse of four-player co-op in Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed: Unity. But the developer's giving the new title a proper unveiling at its own show, with an extended trailer showing in-game footage and a release date: October 28th. Alex Amancio, Creative Director for the title, said that his team "redesigned the building blocks of Assassin's Creed" for Unity to let players "carve [their] own unique path through the game." Gameplay for Unity focuses on assassin Arno Dorian and looks to feature more of the same stealth and murder mechanic we've seen in previous installments of the franchise. This time, though, all that cloak and dagger carnage takes place during the French Revolution.
'Just Dance Now' lets anyone with a smartphone and internet connection join in to... dance
Ubisoft's just kicked off its E3 presser with a look at Just Dance 2015 which is -- let's be honest -- expected and not all that exciting. But the company also has a trick up its sleeve for this new edition of the motion-controlled dancing game: online multiplayer from any connected device. The service, called Just Dance Now, lets any player with a smartphone, tablet (Android or iOS), smart TV or PC join in the game using the accelerometer on their phone. And, according to Ubisoft, there's no upper limit on how many players can connect at once using the Just Dance Now app, which the company demoed using a song by 'ol Lady Gaga.
Watch Ubisoft's E3 press conference right here!
Seeing Assassin's Creed: Unity and The Division this morning at Microsoft's press conference was just a tease, and we expect to see much, much more at publisher Ubisoft's own briefing. Aside from that, expect to hear more on Ubisoft's open-world racer The Crew and possibly some other franchises that've been missing in action for a few years. The second to last conference of the day starts at 6 pm Eastern, 3 pm Pacific and you can watch it below.
'Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare' trailer teases future of combat: jetpacks and robots
Miss that Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare trailer Microsoft teased at its big E3 press event? No you didn't: We have it right here. The well-rehearsed teaser follows a player through the streets of Seoul, South Korea, taking every opportunity to show off the new gameplay elements afforded by the title's imagined-future tech. This includes a jetpack-assisted fall, a peek at a powered armor suit and a small arsenal of far-flung weaponry. Oh, and it wouldn't be a Call of Duty trailer without some cinematic trauma thrown in there, too -- skip on past the break to see the full video in all its glory. Looking for some color commentary? Revisit our Xbox E3 2014 liveblog here; we've got it in spades.
'Battlefield: Hardline' is an insane version of cops and robbers, beta launches today
Who hasn't played cops and robbers at some point in their life? That's what Battlefield: Hardline is. Matches can handle 32 players and the portion of the match we saw at EA's press conference resembled classic heist flick Heat's climactic bank robbery, but the craziness is amped up dramatically. Player-controlled helicopters can swoop in to take out the robbers, cranes knock down building facades, and players can drop off of bridges and onto the back of a teammate's speeding motorcycle. Granted, this was a prepared video that cut around from perspective to perspective of multiple players, but it looked more chaotic than any match of Battlefield 4 that I've seen. Even better, if you want to play it right now, a beta launches today on PC and PlayStation 4. If you have a copy of Battlefield 4 on PS4 you can access the test-version via the dashboard of Sony's latest console. Need something to do while it downloads? Take a peek at gameplay video after the break.
DICE's upcoming 'Mirror's Edge' sequel features new parkour controls, tighter combat
Remember that Mirror's Edge sequel DICE showed off at last year's E3? Yeah, well we're no closer to an actual release date for the title, but the studio did show off some more rendered footage at Electronic Arts' press event. The focus this time around is on the all-new move set the team's built into Faith, the game's protagonist. DICE consulted with actual parkour artists to include a new range of controls tied into actual combat. DICE also promised there'll be more in the way of player involvement with the story and a focus on the who and why behind Faith and the other "runners" occupying the game's world. We've got the full trailer, so head on past the break to check it out.
'Burnout' developer Criterion is making another racing game
Criterion Games is working on another racing game; it isn't Burnout, however. This time it's not just about cars: It's about motorcycles, helicopters, wing-suits, jet skis and ATVs from the looks of early footage shown at Electronic Arts' press briefing. What's more, it's all from a first-person view (sort of like a GoPro POV) at all times. There are tricks too, and the team said that it's been largely influenced by action-sports footage it's seen online. Some very early gameplay footage and concept art was shown, but if we're being honest, the latter looked much better than the former -- often the case with in-development games. Given Criterion's pedigree, though, we're expecting pretty great things whenever it actually launches.
Bioware teases next installment of 'Mass Effect' and new, unnamed title at E3
Prepare for a huge tease Mass Effect fans: Bioware showed off some "conceptual footage" of the game's next installment at Electronic Arts' E3 event. While we didn't get much in the way of actual gameplay footage, Bioware did go on at length about how fan feedback has helped to shape the new title under development at its Montreal Studio. The developers also hinted that the game would give players the opportunity to "pick a planet, fly there and see what to discover." Though no release date was given. Beyond a new Mass Effect, Bioware's Edmonton studio's also working on a brand-new IP. And it showed off even more concept designs to back that up. Again, we don't have much more to go on for the title aside from Bioware's focus on creating a fully fleshed out fictional world. Expect to hear more on that title later this year. Should you want a peek at what was shown today, check out the video embedded below.
'The Sims 4' launches this September on PC
You like playing with people's lives, right? When The Sims 4 hits this fall, you'll be able to take that to an entirely new level. Your virtual people will have "heart," can die of laughter and you can import someone else's custom person (or house, even) directly into your game, pretty simply from the look of it. When and where does it all happen? September 2nd this year, and on PC.
'Star Wars: Battlefront' is coming in spring 2015
Sweden-based developer DICE -- best known for the Battlefield series -- is making Star Wars: Battlefront. Working closely with Lucasfilm, the game launches in spring 2015. Sadly, that's about all that EA and DICE had to say. You can check out the trailer from today's media briefing today after the break.
All the games from Microsoft's E3 event
Right before Microsoft kicked off its E3 event, Graeme Boyd told us to expect games, games and... more games. True to his word, Redmond spent the full presentation talking about the new generation's latest games, including titles from the Call of Duty, Forza and Halo franchises. It was a massive list of announcements, and a huge day for any Xbox One owner. Did you miss all the fun? You can go back and read our liveblog right here, or simply read on for a full rundown of Microsoft's big E3 announcements.
Watch Electronic Arts' E3 press conference right here!
Electronic Arts is one of the largest third-party publishers in the video game industry, and if you aren't in LA you'll probably want a way to watch their E3 press briefing, right? Well you can do that right here. What's on tap? We're expecting news and footage of the next Battlefield game, lots of sports and even some Star Wars. And that's not all: Mirror's Edge 2, more on Dragon Age: Inquisition have been promised as well as a surprise from Criterion games -- the developer perhaps best known for the crashtacular Burnout racing series. The show starts at 3 pm Eastern or noon Pacific and you can catch it below!
'Dance Central' returns to Xbox as a download-only game
Kinect may no longer be a mandatory part of the Xbox One experience, but there could still be an incentive to pick one up: Harmonix has just used Microsoft's E3 keynote to unveil Dance Central Spotlight, a revival of its long-serving rhythm game series. Apart from delivering the visual upgrades you'd expect with a new generation of hardware, the title promises more dance routines, a voice-triggered "practice that" mode and an expanded fitness mode that will give you a proper workout. While more details of the game mechanics have yet to come, Spotlight will be a download-only release when it arrives on the Xbox One in September.
'Halo: The Master Chief Collection' coming to Xbox this fall, 'Halo 5' beta in December
The next installment of the Halo series isn't coming out until next year, so there's plenty of time to revisit the franchise and catch up on the timeline. Given today's consoles, however, the four games featuring the Master Chief look like they could use a touch-up. As we reported two weeks ago, Microsoft confirmed Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which is an HD remastered collection of Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4. The new setup comes courtesy of 343 Industries and will be coming to Xbox on November 11th (the 10th anniversary of Halo 2's release) with the multiplayer experience intact, including all DLC; in addition, you'll be able to enjoy the multiplayer beta of Halo 5: Guardians this December.
