e3-2013
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Unu Android tablet / console hands-on (video)
Another Android gaming console at this year's E3? Kind of, sort of, yeah. But Unu's (née Snakebyte) looking to set itself apart from the OUYAs, Gamesticks and M.O.J.O.s of the world (to name but a few) by becoming the "Swiss Army knife" of the space. The device isn't so much a console as tablet that plugs into your TV, meaning that you can do pretty much whatever you can do on a standard Android slate (which, arguably, you can also do with Mad Catz's device, but we digress). The tablet itself runs Android 4.2, display through a seven-inch, 1280 x 800 IPS screen. The rear sports a brushed aluminum surface and a 5-megapixel camera (with a 2.0 module on the front). Inside, you've got 8GB of storage and a 1.6GHz quad-core chip. Unu does Bluetooth 4.0 and has two micro-USB ports, a microSD slot and, most importantly, a mini-HDMI port, which lets you turn the thing into a living room console of sorts, by connecting it to your HDTV. If you're feeling fancy, you can go in for the docking station, which does video out and charging -- and also props the tablet up nicely, so you can watch the same thing on two displays at the same time.
E3 2013: Bethesda talks next-gen consoles, endgame, and character skills in The Elder Scrolls Online
E3 is the time and place for game creators to show their work, and Bethesda is no exception. The company offered a quick presentation of The Elder Scrolls Online, which consisted of a short introduction video followed by a brief play session. In the video, Bethesda confirmed what we already knew: that The Elder Scrolls Online will launch on PS4 and Xbox One, along with PC and OS X. The targeted release window is currently spring 2014, a delay from fall 2013 for the PC version. The video also showed off some of the content that wasn't on display for testers, including high-level PvP battles featuring 200 on-screen players, group combat, first-person mode, and familiar locations like Windhelm and Morrowind. Our own Jasmine Hruschak attended the TESO live demo event and managed to snag a Bethesda employee for an impromptu interview. Check out the full text after the break, and don't forget to read Andrew's hands-on as well!
Forza Motorsport 5 revives Autovista mode as Forza Vista, works on every vehicle
Forza 4 gave automotive enthusiasts an extra level of immersive eye-candy with its Autovista mode, which allowed players to explore hyper-realistic, ultra-detailed renders of cars in a virtual showroom while listening to the soothing sounds of Jeremy Clarkson's narration. Absent from Forza Horizon, the interactive exhibit returns in Forza Motorsport 5, albeit with a new name, new functionality and a lot more cars. "In Forza Motorsport 5, every single car can be explored in Forza Vista," Turn 10 design lead Bill Giese told us during a behind-closed-doors demonstration at E3. While a specific number was not given, Giese said Forza 5's list of available automobiles will be "massive" and contain "hundreds of cars," which is quite a bit more than the 24 vehicles supported by Forza 4's Autovista mode. Additionally, Forza Vista allows the player to find and apply paint designs from the cloud, which means you can get extremely up close and personal with your Aventador's sick new coat of matte pink before you ever take it onto the track.
E3 2013: Prime World tones down gender issues
The MOBA-slash-city builder known as Prime World was an important stop during our grand E3 tour this year. We've been interested in hearing Nival's been preparing this Russian hit for a larger audience since seeing it in action in March. The game is currently in closed beta testing for a North American release. A Nival developer was on hand to give us an overview about what makes Prime World stand out as well as to answer a few questions about the sticky issue of gender choice (or lack thereof). Join us as we stroll through a brightly colored battlefield and consider where we'll set up shop when this title lands in NA.
The Crew's Pete Young on mixing co-op and competitive racing
Traditionally, racing games are mainly a competitive affair, but The Crew will feature a co-op element where players can team up to tackle missions while racing across America. At E3, Ubisoft Reflections production director explains to Joystiq the appeal of teaming up with others and undertaking missions in a racing game. The Crew will launch in early 2014 on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
All three Top Gear hosts involved in Forza Motorsport 5
Forza Motorsport 5 will, in some capacity, feature the hosts of BBC's spectacularly popular motoring show Top Gear, Turn 10 design lead Bill Giese said during a walkthrough of the game's modes during E3. Jeremy Clarkson, who lent his voice to Forza 4's Autovista mode, will be joined by co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May, though their exact role in the new game is still nebulous. "I can tell you all three hosts are involved, they're going to give us some awesome structure in how we present our career to players," Giese said. "We'll be announcing a little bit more about that this summer, but we're super excited to have all three hosts this time."
E3 2013: Final Fantasy XIV shows off PS3 UI
E3 is proving to be an exciting time for Final Fantasy XIV fans, especially considering that the title has been confirmed for the PlayStation 4 next year. One of the new videos that's coming out of the convention is a dev tour of the new UI developed for the PlayStation 3 version. While the developers speak in their native tongue, the video is subtitled and shows off a range of UI activities from character customization to combat. Gaze upon it with your terribly perceptive eyes after the jump and make sure to read our preview of the rebooted title from the show floor!
Octodad: Dadliest Catch on PS4 is just as wacky, wavy as the PC game
Octodad: Dadliest Catch doesn't need wild marketing antics. As a physics game about an Octopus father navigating domestic life on land, it has more than enough madness on its own. Still, Sony featured Dadliest Catch during its E3 press conference, alongside a selection of indie games coming to PlayStation 4. It was a surprise for fans of the first Octodad, a free PC game that Young Horses launched in 2010 to a strange brand of public acclaim (and confusion). As I played through the Dadliest Catch demo on the PS4 at E3, one thing became apparent: Just because Octodad had pressed his suit for major-console gaming, he was still an ambulatory-impaired octopus – and that will always be hilarious.
Polk Audio Xbox N1 sound bar and 133t gaming headphones eyes-on
Polk's at E3 showing off two new devices it's showing off at E3 this week that aren't half bad looking. Granted, they're not as slick as some of the higher end products the audio company has shown off in the past, but as far as gaming-centric devices go, they're not too shabby. According to the company, Microsoft approached it specifically to create peripherals for the Xbox, leading Polk to give the world the 133t Gaming Headphones and N1 sound bar. The 133ts eschew the standard external gaming mic for a little nub that juts out from one ear. To mute it, you just click it back up inside the cup. The headphones also feature a mixer that plugs directly into the controller to help eliminate cords and lets you adjust sound settings on the fly. The Surroundbar, meanwhile, was designed specifically with the Xbox in mind, featuring four modes: Racer, FPS, Music and Cinema, so you can switch between gaming and standard media consumption. The N1 is set for a fall release, with the 133t coming some time in Q4. More info in a press release after the break.%Gallery-191251%
E3 2013: Previewing Defiance's new DLC
Defiance broke my heart around this time last year. E3 2012 was the first and last time we saw players from Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC all playing the same game together. I personally haven't played the game since then, but I've kept up with the game news, except for the show. No spoilers in the comments, people! Now that I've gotten my hands on the new DLC that's incoming for the game, I know I'll be catching up with the series. During my Defiance appointment at E3, I had a nice little chat, saw some cute features, tested a new weapon and new vehicle, and killed some new enemies... you know, the usual ark hunter stuff. But before covering the DLC, I had to ask what exactly happened last year with Microsoft and why PlayStation players can't play with their PC mates. I mean, just because one person wanted to duck out shouldn't mean everyone is punished, right? Well, apparently, Trion doesn't agree. Even though PC players can use a controller to play the game, having PS3 and PC on the same world might bring up the dreaded "keyboard vs. controller" argument. I know some of us still want to be friends with consolers, but I guess having one server for Microsoft and one server for everyone else does sound a bit odd.
PlayStation Plus price not changing for PS4, video services don't require Plus
The PlayStation Plus service will remain the same price at the launch of the PlayStation 4. SCE America VP of Publisher & Developer Relations Adam Boyes confirmed to Joystiq during a roundtable that the price will remain $50 annually in North America. Boyes also said "all video services [on the PS4] will be outside of Plus," meaning that services like Netflix and Hulu won't require Plus. Furthermore, free-to-play games won't require PlayStation Plus for online multiplayer. During a separate roundtable Joystiq was present at, Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida said, "As far as free-to-play games are concerned, it's the publisher's decision whether they put it inside or outside of PS Plus." The news follows confirmation that a PlayStation Plus subscription is required for online multiplayer on the PS4. Existing PS Plus subscriptions will extend onto the console's lineup when it launches this holiday.
Outlast carries a camera into the dark on PS4
It's easy to see, right away, why Sony went after former Ubisoft developers Red Barrels to get their indie game, Outlast, on the PlayStation 4. Not only is the horror/exploration game atmospheric and frightening, but it's a great showcase for the hardware. In Outlast, you play a reporter who brings a video camera to an old abandoned asylum, in search of a story. The game is seen through your digital camera's lens, both as you wander through the empty hallways and when you flip on the terrifying black-and-white night vision filter. Through the eyes of that camera, the whole game looks like a recovered snuff film of sorts, where you serve as both cameraman and victim. The motion and style of the game are both realistic, and sometimes (or often, depending on your tolerance for such things) disturbingly so. The camera's digital artifacts and heads-up display help sell the excellent graphics, and the whole experience found my scaredy-cat brain constantly having to remind myself that what I was seeing wasn't real.%Gallery-191382%
Xbox One will support Live in these countries at launch
Xbox One won't offer Live in every country at launch, but it has a concrete lineup of Live-supported countries that includes the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and a handful of European nations. Check out the complete list below (image above from NeoGAF). Without Xbox Live, games on Xbox One won't work in these regions. "Xbox One games are for activation and distribution only in specified geographic regions," a disclaimer on the Xbox One reservation page says. The Xbox One requires an internet connection at least once every 24 hours, Microsoft revealed in the days leading up to E3. Without that connection, the Xbox One's ability to play games is locked down.
E3 2013: Hands-on with steampunkish Black Gold
The folks over at Snail Games had several computers set up at E3 this year to allow the press to play their next MMO, Black Gold. The concept is simple but relatively uncommon: steampunk vs. fantasy. I guess you can say RIFT tried its hand at the trope with its Defiants and Guardians showdown, but it wasn't taken to such an extreme. Black Gold is more like Aztec elves with magic powers vs. an apocalyptic survivalist society that's living off of steam power even though they have telephone poles. While the game has some really cool art and concepts, the pre-beta demo I got to try was sadly lacking in options. I spent about 20 minutes in the morning trying an Isenhorst human with a rifle, then spent the last hour of E3 day one with still more BG.%Gallery-191249%
Relive the Kingdom Hearts 3 E3 announcement
Kingdom Hearts 3 has no official release date yet, but we do know it's coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. In the meantime, here's the announcement trailer.
E3 2013: Not so wild about WildStar
WildStar's promising players the moon, but are gamers just star-struck? I know I personally wasn't paying too much attention to the game until the recent video about paths. I'm not against the graphics, I think themeparks can be fun, and I've put up with PvE vs. PvP stats for about a decade and a half, so what's another year? But... well, I just keep getting the feeling that there's a lot of hype and no substance. The path video and the scientist path hands-on preview got me excited though. No longer were these empty promises! Someone had seen some of them first-hand! But maybe this was my downfall. For those who don't know, E3 isn't about playing any game you want any way you want. Sometimes devs just bring the live game and let you have at it, but I find that often these games don't have a lot of announcements to make and are mainly there to let... ah, "less informed" gaming journalists see the game. No, instead, you often have a developer leading you on a very strict path, if you're even allowed to play the game. Maybe they release you with a premade character into a specific dungeon that "ends" when the boss dies. Or, as with my hands on with Wildstar, you might be restricted to a few class/paths and have to do the newbie experience.
Saints Row 4 elects for even more chaos
When Saints Row: The Third was still in development, we talked about it as "a dinner of doughnuts." The first mission in the game was just as stimulating and over-the-top as the last mission of your average Grand Theft Auto game. But if Saints Row 3 starts on the last mission of other sandbox games, then Saints Row 4 picks up even later than that: in the end credits. When Saints Row 4 begins, you are no less than the leader of the free world, and your first walk through the White House (complete with scantily dressed staffers and chained-up pet tigers) is like a congratulations for a job well done. You get to choose between making healthcare free or ending the deficit, you get re-introduced to a bunch of familiar faces from the series (who now all have cabinet-level positions in your administration), and the biggest prize of all is that you're on a first-name basis with your Vice President, Keith David (yes, the Keith David, brilliantly playing himself). Starting Saints Row 4 feels like you've just finished a long journey, and you've won the day once and for all. And that's when the aliens show up to kidnap your friends. You order the turrets raised from underneath the South Lawn, you get in a fistfight with the alien overlord, and – oh – you get superpowers.%Gallery-191107%
E3 2013: Hands-on with The Elder Scrolls Online
I was kind of new, so I figured I'd practice on some sheep first. A little blood, some meat, some fat. Interesting, but kind of simple. I understood some of the basics on how to move and fight, but I figured I should check out the town. Now, I'm kind of old and ugly, so when the dog came at me, I figured it was attacking me. After a few moments, I realized it was friendly and talked to it. It seemed it wanted me to follow it. This was the start of my first quest in The Elder Scrolls Online. Now, to be clear, I came into my ESO demo at this year's E3 as a skeptic. I played Star Wars: The Old Republic. I figured "MMO with story" meant kill 10 rats; choose 1, 2, or 3; then look for another quest icon. It's not a terrible model, but it's one that left me wondering if there was a better way to do things. Why make it an MMO when you could just do a multiplayer RPG? I'm not sure I know the answer to this yet, but I do feel I'm getting closer.
Supergiant: Transistor PS4 deal doesn't influence port timing
Supergiant's relationship with Sony and the deal to bring Transistor to PS4 doesn't limit when or prohibit how the studio pursues ports. "Just the fact that we're shipping simultaneously on PC, I think, gives you some sense. They've been very accommodating," Supergiant's Greg Kasavin said of Sony during an E3 appointment. "After our initial launch, nothing is ruled out. It's our game and our IP – the game is making its console debut on PS4 and coming to PC as well. That makes the most sense for us as a small team; it's a similar path to what we did with Bastion," Kasavin said. "For us, it's really important to not be tied down for the long haul, because Bastion's success was not made on any one platform. That being said, our focus is absolutely on a successful PS4 launch and also our Steam PC launch, because if that does not go well, there will not be other versions of the game, most likely and so forth. "We're excited about what the PS4 is, what it represents and its potential to be a great home for a game like this. So that informed our decision and, you know, after the launch, who's to say? It's anyone's guess, but Sony has shown an incredible amount of faith in us. So in turn we plan to make it the strongest launch as we can. I think it's safe to say we're not going to be on other platforms two days after launch – or possibly ever. We simply don't know."%Gallery-191372%
E3 2013: Trion's role in bringing ArcheAge to the West
ArcheAge has finally officially arrived at E3. I've personally been following this game for about two years. I've written about it on multiple websites and had a chance to play a closed beta for the Korean version. However, I'm also critical about the game (or just a pessimist), so hopefully I can balance my enthusiasm for the game with some critical commentary, but to be honest, my interviews today with both Trion and XLGAMES' producer Kyoung Tae Kim has reminded me why I've been following this game for so long.
