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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.
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%
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.