GAMING: XBOX 360 GETS SHOWTIME ANYTIME APP, WHILE XBOX ONE MUST WAIT A WHILE

Last we heard from Showtime, the CBS-owned network had just finished launching a Showtime Anytime app specifically for Roku customers in late February, but many were frustrated to learn that they couldn't access the app because their cable or satellite service refused to support the service.
There's been no other news of the sluggish TV Everywhere rollout until this week, when Showtime announced that it has developed and launched a new Showtime Anytime app to the Xbox 360 platform.The announcement has a double-edged nature akin to the anticlimactic Roku app launch: the app is available for free to 360 users who are subscribers of both Xbox Live and Showtime (via participating television providers), but Xbox One users can't access the app yet,  and they'll need to wait until sometime "later this year" before they can, according to the official press release from Showtime.
Showtime's latest extension of its TV Everywhere services is supported by the Xbox 360′s Kinect voice and gesture controls, which allow the user to browse and watch their favorite Showtime content without the traditional remote or game controller. The new app allows its users to watch episodes from current and past seasons of Showtime series such as Homeland, Dexter, Ray Donovan, Masters of Sex, Penny Dreadful, Californication, House of Lies, Web Therapy, Episodes, and Nurse Jackie. In addition to Showtime original series, the app also opens up a wide array of feature-length blockbuster films, sports programs, documentaries and unique specials.
The app brings a handful of useful special features to its users, including the resuming of programs previously watched on computers, mobile or other streaming media devices, and the "MyList" feature in which users can save their favorite programs for later viewing.
Cable and satellite service providers that currently support the Showtime Anytime app include AT&T U-verse, Blue Ridge Communications, Bright House Networks, Cablevision's Optimum TV, CenturyLink Prism, Charter (who opened up support for the service in March), Comcast Xfinity, Cox Communications, DIRECTV, Google Fiber, Grande Communications, MCTV, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, and Verizon FiOS.
Xbox 360 owners without a Showtime subscription can still give the new app a try – every Live subscriber is given a free trial of sorts that allows them to watch one free full episode of certain select Showtime series.
___________________________________ Like Our Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/BEN-Latest-News/443681719077160

Please Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/benlatestnews

For Partnering with us contact CEO on BB PIN: 260158B5
BEN Latest News™®

Read more ...

GAMING: LINDSAY LOHAN SUING ROCKSTAR FOR USING HER LIKENESS IN GTA V

Actress and consistent source of tabloid drama Lindsay Lohan is suing Rockstar Games over Grand Theft Auto V, claiming that the developers created a character skewering her image and persona without permission (via AP). Lohan's legal team filed suit this past Wednesday in a Manhattan court, confirming rumors leaked by TMZ last year that the actress was preparing to take legal action over the game.

The character in question, Lacey Jonas, is a tabloid-prone starlet who seeks your help in a random event mission to get her home while avoiding paparazzi. There is also a separate mission in which you are hired to snap illicit photographs of another starlet having sex in Los Santos' version of the Chateau Marmont hotel, where Lohan once lived.

The suit claims that the Lacey Jonas character is an "unequivocal" reference to Lohan, imitating her image, voice, and clothing style.

Rockstar Games and publisher Take-Two Interactive have thus far declined to comment.

___________________________________ Like Our Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/BEN-Latest-News/443681719077160

Please Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/benlatestnews

For Partnering with us contact CEO on BB PIN: 260158B5
BEN Latest News™®

Read more ...

GAMING: ‘GTA 5’ PS4, Xbox One Preorders Slowing Down: Are We Bored, Or Are We Craving Something Original?

The GTA 5 PS4 and Xbox One preorders are slowing down already after nearly a year of waiting. Could this mean that Rockstar’s Guinness World Record holder is already losing its audience?

Watch Dogs had an almost similar result, but in the case of Ubisoft’s last killer IP, nobody had played it before. Are Grand Theft Auto 5 players simply getting bored with it before it has a chance to shine with next gen glory? Perhaps more gamers are simply waiting for a GTA 5 PC port, where the 1080p 60fps benchmark is irrelevant?

It’s unknown exactly why preorders are dropping off, unless everybody who was waiting for them simply put their preorder in already. It has been assumed that most people already own the game on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and simply don’t want to pay the full price again to get better visuals. People are still buying the new consoles regularly, while most of us already own the last generation consoles. The potential consumer base might simply not be big enough yet, and Rockstar hasn’t offered a discount for those who already own it.

ADVERTISEMENT

The GTA 5 PS4 and Xbox One preorders could also be slowing down because gamers may simply be looking for something original, not the same gameplay we’ve seen for the last decade. While sandbox titles with the option to steal cars and beat up random citizens has always been a big seller, it may just be getting old.

The new consoles haven’t shown their full potential yet, a given considering the cycle usually seen in every console’s lifespan. It wasn’t until the second entry on the new consoles that even Call of Duty and Battlefield began to show signs that it may be time to change how the game presents itself.

Grand Theft Auto 5 definitely gave us new ideas this time, but it’s a new generation of consoles and gamers may be craving more than what Rockstar already gave them last year. GTA 5 on PS4 and Xbox One might need to add something that the previous generation versions didn’t.

Online multiplayer and multiple protagonists have already been done, and it might have sold better if the games had been launch titles on Sony and Microsoft’s latest consoles.

Nintendo has gone for years trying to scrape extra sales from HD remakes of older games like DuckTales and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. But it wasn’t until they gave us a true next-gen game like Mario Kart 8 that the sales started rolling in.

Rockstar might have to kick the GTA 5 PS4 and Xbox One ports up a notch if they expect gamers to upgrade to a higher definition version of what they already own.

[image via officialplaystationmagazine]

Read more ...

GAMING: ‘GTA 5’ PS4, Xbox One Preorders Slowing Down: Are We Bored, Or Are We Craving Something Original?

The GTA 5 PS4 and Xbox One preorders are slowing down already after nearly a year of waiting. Could this mean that Rockstar’s Guinness World Record holder is already losing its audience?

Watch Dogs had an almost similar result, but in the case of Ubisoft’s last killer IP, nobody had played it before. Are Grand Theft Auto 5 players simply getting bored with it before it has a chance to shine with next gen glory? Perhaps more gamers are simply waiting for a GTA 5 PC port, where the 1080p 60fps benchmark is irrelevant?

It’s unknown exactly why preorders are dropping off, unless everybody who was waiting for them simply put their preorder in already. It has been assumed that most people already own the game on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and simply don’t want to pay the full price again to get better visuals. People are still buying the new consoles regularly, while most of us already own the last generation consoles. The potential consumer base might simply not be big enough yet, and Rockstar hasn’t offered a discount for those who already own it.

The GTA 5 PS4 and Xbox One preorders could also be slowing down because gamers may simply be looking for something original, not the same gameplay we’ve seen for the last decade. While sandbox titles with the option to steal cars and beat up random citizens has always been a big seller, it may just be getting old.

The new consoles haven’t shown their full potential yet, a given considering the cycle usually seen in every console’s lifespan. It wasn’t until the second entry on the new consoles that even Call of Duty and Battlefield began to show signs that it may be time to change how the game presents itself.

Grand Theft Auto 5 definitely gave us new ideas this time, but it’s a new generation of consoles and gamers may be craving more than what Rockstar already gave them last year. GTA 5 on PS4 and Xbox One might need to add something that the previous generation versions didn’t.

Online multiplayer and multiple protagonists have already been done, and it might have sold better if the games had been launch titles on Sony and Microsoft’s latest consoles.

Nintendo has gone for years trying to scrape extra sales from HD remakes of older games like DuckTales and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. But it wasn’t until they gave us a true next-gen game like Mario Kart 8 that the sales started rolling in.

Rockstar might have to kick the GTA 5 PS4 and Xbox One ports up a notch if they expect gamers to upgrade to a higher definition version of what they already own.

[image via officialplaystationmagazine]

Benjamin Ekpenyong

Read more ...

GAMING: Luckiest Lottery Player Ever, Joan Ginther: Her Winning Secret — Hint, It’s Simple But Expensive

Joan Ginther, according to a new report, is the luckiest lottery player ever — the only lottery player researchers could find who has legitimately won prizes of at least $2 million more than twice. In fact, Ginther won jackpots of $2 million or more not just three times, but four.

According to the latest investigation of the Joan Ginther story, conducted by the Philadelphia Inquirer-owned online site Philly.com and published Tuesday on the web, the Las Vegas-based, Stanford University educated Ph.D., now 67 years old, won a $5.4 million Texas Lotto jackpot in 1993. Then in 2006, 2008, and 2010 she won prizes on three scratch-off tickets of $2 million, $3 million and $10 million, respectively.

Those aren’t even her only lottery wins. All told, Ginther won 28 separate lottery payouts. A friend of Ginther’s named Anna Morales won another 24 lesser-valued lottery prizes.

Philly.com journalist Peter Mucha reports that Ginther’s total lottery payouts top not only other multiple lottery winners, of whom there are surprisingly many, but she did even better than known lottery cheaters who beat the system through various illegal schemes.

How does Gunther do it?

Mucha believes he has her secret figured out. There’s no way to confirm his theories directly, because Ginther isn’t talking. She refuses interviews and is rarely photographed. The above photograph was identified as Ginther in the Daily Mail newspaper in 2011, but that identification has not been confirmed. In a 1969 college yearbook photo, Ginther looked like this:

The Texas Lottery Commission never looked into how Ginther could strike it so rich. The only previous investigation was conducted by writer Nathan Rich, for Harper’s Magazine in 2011, who looked into three possibilities:

•That Ginther somehow cheated.

•That she employed some sort of incredibly sophisticated mathematical formula.

•Or,that Joan Ginther was exactly what she seemed on the surface, the luckiest lottery player on Earth.

But Mucha says there is a fourth possibility — one that is deceptively, incredibly simple. There have been numerous multiple lottery winners, such as Richard Lustig who sells a bookoffering his “system,” for lottery players, but even those who use complicated math techniques share one lottery secret in common, the same secret that Mucha says accounts — at least in part — for the spectacular lottery success of Joan Ginther.

They all buy a mind-boggling number of lottery tickets.

Based on statistical analysis and data obtained through requests made under open government laws, Mucha concludes that Ginther purchased approximately 80,000 lottery tickets. Including tickets bought by her friend Morales, Ginter appears to have spent as much as $3.3 million on at least 100,000 scratch-off lottery tickets.

If that amount seems insane, remember that Ginther already had a big lottery win in 1993 — that paid her $270,000 per year in annual checks. To a large extent, she was gambling with “found” money.

The IRS allows lottery losses to be written off on tax forms against lottery winnings. Mucha calculates that the $3.3 million Gimther apparently spent on lottery tickets may have actually cost her only about $1 million, due to this generous subsidy from Uncle Sam — and the fact that many of her tickets would have won small prizes of a few bucks, which Ginther likely pumped back into the purchase of more tickets.

According to Philly.com, a high rate of return on Texas scratch-off lottery tickets also factored into Ginther’s incredible run of good fortune.

To read the entire Peter Mucha investigation of the extraordinary lottery career of Joan Ginther, “Lottery Legend,” visit Philly.com.

Benjamin Ekpenyong

Read more ...

GAMING: ‘The Last of Us’ Remastered Gets $10 Discount Month Before Launch

There has been plenty of The Last of Us remastered hype surrounding the next generation of the uber-popular The Last of Us. What once was a PS3 exclusive is now going to be available on both the Playstation 3 and the Playstation 4.

It wasn’t that long ago that we had no idea when the official release date of this new version of The Last of Us was going to hit store shelves. Turns out Naughty Dog wanted to wait until E3 to let it be known.

Now that we know that The Last of Us remastered is going to be coming out at the end of July, we are also getting a discount on the price. EGM reports that Amazon and other retailers have shown the price drop by $10, from $59.99 to $49.99.

The price drop is actually a pretty nice nod of appreciation to those The Last of Us fans who might be willing to buy the same game they already own with better graphics.

After Naughty Dog and Sony officially announced that the newer version of The Last of Uswas getting a price cut, there were obviously some people who were a little bit annoyed.

With just over a month to go until the title hits store shelves, there were plenty of gamers who were busy snapping up pre-orders and making sure Joel and Ellie were going to be getting fired up on the PS4 on launch day.

As GamingBolt points out, those who did pre-order the game laid out nearly $60 for the game and they were originally told that they wouldn’t be getting a refund. It seems as if cooler heads have prevailed because it has since come out that there will indeed be refunds for those who went ahead and purchased the game before the price was lowered.

Why exactly The Last of Us got a price drop in the first place is still a bit of a mystery. It could simply be that while some people were buying the pre-order there haven’t been anywhere near the number that Sony and Naughty Dog were hoping for when they announced the remastered edition.

That’s just conjecture, but video games that have this much of a following tend to not need to allow for people to save money before it ever hits the market. The companies could have also just decided asking $60 it was simply too high a price tag.

The Last of Us remastered will be available for the PS4 on July 29.

Benjamin Ekpenyong

Read more ...

Grand National 6 Places Each Way

Your guide to the best bookmakers to use for the 2014 Grand National, those offering 5 places each way (or better!) and access to the best free bets available from top online bookies.

Grand National 2014 - Saturday 5th April 2014

STOP PRESS!!! From 19th March 2014, BetVictor's Grand National 6 places each way offer is live plus get a £25 free bet - click here!

The 2014 Grand National will be the biggest betting event of the sporting year. This year the biggest horse race in the world, which has delivered legendary names like Foinavon, Red Rum and Aldaniti, takes place on Saturday 5th April 2014. Whilst the competition at Aintree will be as fierce as ever for the 167th running of the greatest handicap steeplechase, that competition will be mirrored amongst bookmakers who want to attract customers like you with eye-catching promotions both in terms of free bets and extended Each Way (EW) place terms. That's right, a select band of bookmakers are giving enhanced place terms and paying out 5 places Each Way (1/4 odds). On top of that, BetVictor have traditionally been the only bookmaker to pay out 6 places each year for the Grand National 2014, rather than the standard 4 places and, as of 19th March, they've confirmed that once again they'll have a Grand National 6 places each way offer in 2014!

So read on as we give you all the latest up-to-the-minute bookmaker deals available, plus highlight how you can maximise your chances of landing a big priced Each Way winner and how to grab some juicy free bets. Our results page details previous extended each way winners to help shape your selection ideas, plus why not take a look at our Grand National tips page which detail our well-priced fancies that could possibly land a winner:

Previous Results | Grand National 2014 Tips | Grand National 6 Places Each Way

So whether you're an experienced punter who wants the very best account opening promotion or a first timer who is interested in finding out more information about how to have a great fun online bet on the Grand National, you will find all of the information you need here.

Grand National 6 Places Each Way With BetVictor

As is becoming tradition, BetVictor have already gone 6 Places Each Way across both on-the-day and Ante-post market for the 2014 Grand National! That's an unbeatable proposition and follows on from the previous 3 runnings of the race. In 2011, BetVictor were the first bookmaker in history to pay out 6 Places Each Way 1/4 odds and it seriously cost them as Ruby Walsh, on the favourite The Midnight Runner, had the audacity to finish in 6th place. That delivered a profitable 15/8 place return for a legion of punters who'd had the foresight to back the favourite with BetVictor. This will be the fourth time that BetVictor have gone 6 Places Each Way and 12 months ago backers of Swing Bill profited hugely as their mount finished 6th delivering a whopping 80/1 Each Way return for backers. Remember every other bookmaker doesn't payout on 6th, so make sure you maximise your profit potential by going 6 places Each Way with BetVictor and grab yourself a £25 free bet into the bargain. For BetVictor's latest new customer promotion in other currencies.

BetVictor new account offer, £25 free bet - claim your free bet here

BetVictor are also offering a tasty ante-post 'Non Runner - Free Bet' promotion for early-bird punters as well as paying 6 places each way. Have a bet in their ante-post market and if your selection is withdrawn they will refund up to £50 per horse in a free bet which will be credited by Noon on the Saturday of the race (maximum £100 per customer. Tie their big race promotion in with this great new customer offer: open an account today for the Grand National with BetVictor and they will give you a free £/€25 free bet. Place a bet of up to £25/€25 or better and BetVictor will match the value of your initial bet - full details and terms here.

Grand National 5 Places Each Way Offers

bet365 are paying out 5 Places Each Way 1/4 odds across both on the day and Ante-post markets for the Aintree Grand National 2014. You will also receive guaranteed best price and bet 365 are also offering No Runner No Bet on bets placed before Friday afternoon plus their unbeatable Channel 4/1 bonus free bet offer on all live televised races from Aintree. Back any winner at 4/1 or more in a live Channel 4 race at Aintree with Bet365 and you can have a free bet to the same stake on the next live Channel 4 race. bet365 will suspend their new customer free bet offer from 10am on Saturday 5th April, however you can still join.

Sky Bet Sky Bet New Account Offer, £30 free bet plus £5 free every week - claim your free bets here.

Skybet are not only offering 5 Places Each Way 1/4 odds at the 2014 Grand National but, whereas other bookmakers are dropping their new customer welcome bonuses, new customers will also receive an additional £30 free matched bet plus, once on board, Skybet give away a free £5 bet every week when you join their 'Free Bet Club'. That's an unbeatable new customer package of a £30 free bet, ongoing free bets, plus 5 Places Each Way on the 2014 Grand National. 

2014 Grand National Non Finisher Refund

Betfair Sportsbook are paying out 5 Places Each Way 1/4 odds for the Aintree Grand National 2014. They will also give new UK and Republic of Ireland customers a tasty free £/€20 bet and are the only bookmaker offering a Money Back refund if your selection fails to finish the Big Race up to £/€10 . That's invaluable at the Grand National where only 17 of the 40 horses finished in 2013.

Betfair betfair Sportsbook, get a £/€20 free bet - claim your free bets here.

Betfair Sportsbook are offering a fantastic package of deals for the Grand National meeting this year. Open a new account with them and you will receive a £/€20 free bet. When registering your account use Promo Code ZSK130 and you will then receive a full refund up to £/€10 on any horse that doesn't finish the Big Race. You can also receive up to £/€25 refund if the favourite wins in any of the other Grand National meeting races across Friday and Saturday that you bet on. 

Why Extra Places Each Way?

Maximising the number of places paid by bookmakers for each way bets is absolutely essential when backing your selections at Aintree. After all, anything can happen as you can see here via our results page. Horses priced at 33/1 and even 100/1 place and actually win the Grand National really quite regularly! The Grand National has 40 or so runners with the standard each way terms being 1/4 odds on the first 4 finishers. Traditional High Street players Coral, Ladbrokes and William Hill quite legitimately stick to these terms therefore minimising their exposure. So placing your bets with a bookmaker that offers Grand National 5 Places Each Way or more increases your chances considerably and, year after year, produces great results. Take last year for example: punters with bet365, Boylesports, Paddy Power and Skybet received an extra place which worked well for the legions who backed Rare Bob. The 16/1 shot, who was backed heavily on the morning of the race, finished 5th delivering a 4/1 return for those who were clever enough to back 5 Places Each Way. Rare Bob backers with Coral, Ladbrokes and William Hill weren't as happy! Page last updated 07:25 5th April 2014.

Read more ...

Virgin Media enters the cloud storage game with up to 50 GB free per home enjoyable to every users

5GB per person in the home

With seemingly every man and his dog offering free storage in that mysterious Neverland we call the cloud, internet service provider Virgin Media has decided it's high time it got in the act.

The company is offering up to 50GB of storage to all of its home broadband customers, which equates to 5GB for up to ten members of an account holder's household.

Using the new Virgin Cloud Media app for iOS and Android and the Windows and Mac web portal, users will be able to safeguard files and stream them to numerous devices.

According to Virgin, there's a Windows Phone app on the way too

Cheap, but not 'Google cheap'

Beyond its free offering, Virgin is also offering paid-for packages with a supplementary 50GB of data costing £3.99 a month, while 500GB is a good deal more pricey at £26.99 a month.

Virgin's move comes on the day Google announced it is slashing its own cloud storage prices across the board, with 1TB of data now costing just $10 (around £6 a month) and the first 15GB staying free for all.

Best cloud services compared: Which data demon comes out on top?
From BEN Latest News®
www.benlatestnews.com
FF us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/benlatestnews

Read more ...

PS4 tops US sales charts, but Xbox One closes in ahead of Titanfall

And gamers shell out more cash for Xbox One

Sony is narrowly leading next-generation consoles sales in the US, as its PS4 hardware once again edged out the Xbox One in February.

PS4 sold approximately 287,000 units in the States last month, a number calculated by the fact that Xbox One unit sales were only 10% behind its chief rival.

Microsoft, citing NPD Group figures, said it sold 258,000 of its all-in-one console in the US. It said Xbox One sales are on "a record-breaking pace."

Because Microsoft is selling its Kinect-included system at a premium price, this actually puts the company ahead when counting up all of the dollars.

Prepare for Titanfall

PS4 has been leading Xbox One worldwide since the two systems launched in November 2013, but all of that could change this month.

The highly anticipated Titanfall US released date was March 11, while Australia received the game March 12. Its staggered launch ends in the UK later today.

This third-person shooter has the former Call of Duty developers behind it, so it's expected to move more Xbox One systems than other other game released in the first half of 2014.

That should make the Xbox One vs PS4 sales in March a much more interesting back-and-forth deathmatch.

Prepare for Titanfall with an internet speed test
From BEN Latest News®
www.benlatestnews.com
FF us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/benlatestnews

Read more ...

PS4 VS Xbox One: Can Xbone And PlayStation 4 Updates Fix The Design Errors?

The PS4 VS Xbox One console battle continues to be waged on the internet, but we think both Sony and Microsoft could have done better. Both companies focused on avoiding having their systems become huge loss leaders, but to the detriment of gamers. Could future Xbone and PlayStation 4 updates fix the hardware design errors?

In a related report by The Inquisitr, in part 1 of this series we discussed how the both PS4 and Xbox One GPU should have been faster based upon a cost comparison to previous generations. In part 2, we analyzed how the Xbox One and PS4 hard drives could have been much faster and yet not have cost very much at all. For part 3, we considered how the Xbone and PlayStation 4 controllers could have been improved.
For good or worse, the hardware is here to stay. But it’s possible both companies will eventually come out with a console “refresh” similar to Xbox 360 redesign and the PS3 Slim. So what should be on our wish list for a PS4 Slim and Xbox One+ (or whatever it gets called)?

Upgradeable Internal Hard Drive

Personally, I found the next generation a big step backwards in regards to hard drives since upgrading the Xbox One HD yourself requires Linux knowledge and voiding your warranty (not so with the PS4, although accessing the HD is not as easy as the PS3). Right off the bat, the 500 GB hard drives in both systems only give about 400 GB to work with. This space is consumed quickly because all games are fully installed to the hard drives mostly due to the performance requirements of loading high resolution textures. This is also a big issue since hard drive failures are fairly common in all computer hardware. So a console refresh needs to make internal hard drives easily accessible.

Faster GPU

Everyone talks about how the PS4 GPU can handle 1080p at 60 FPS while the Xbox One cannot. The thing is, that’s not entirely true. When tests have been run on various PS4 games the actual framerate tends to fluctuate between 30 FPS and 60FPS, which can make for an inconsistent gaming experience. So a hardware refresh could include AMD shrinking the die size of both the Xbox One and PS4 APU with the 14 nanometer production process, which could potentially have a higher clock speed.
Games would still be designed with the hardware limitations of the original design in mind, but this could help the framerate be more consistent. In the case of the Xbox One GPU, it’s possible a higher speed could allow 1080p in newer games. This would function similar to the Nintendo 64 RAM upgrade back in the day, where games would detect the hardware version.

PS4 Controller Battery Life

All the reviews comparing the new designs have noticed one glaring flaw with the PlayStation 4 controller: it’s battery life is pathetic in comparison to the Xbox One or even the PS3. Quite frankly, Sony should just increase the backing of the plastic ever so slightly in order to wedge in a bigger battery. I’d also suggest allowing us to turn off the nifty blue light bar and also give us more USB cables with controller purchases (it’s $60 already!).

Media Remotes And DLNA Streaming

Why don’t media remotes come standard with both systems? Nuf said.
In this day and age it seems odd we don’t have DLNA for streaming videos and music. But I’m just glad the Bluetooth support includes wireless headphones for my late night gaming sessions.

Voice Recognition

While I’m glad Sony decided to give us voice recognition akin to the Kinect 2.0, the way it’s implemented leaves a lot to be desired. The mono headset is the only way to input voice commands and I really don’t like using it. So why couldn’t the controller just have a microphone built in? The same goes for the Xbox One. When my 18-inch sub is booming out explosion communicating with the Kinect becomes troublesome, so Microsoft should copy Sony in a refresh of the Xbox One controller design.

PS4 Cloud Based Saved Games

On the PC side Steam has been allowing gamers to back up their saved games onto the cloud for safe storage for years. Even if it’s part of PlayStation Plus I think most gamers would love to have the security of knowing their saves won’t evaporate when their console (eventually) bites the dust. Also, the local saved games and the cloud copy need to be synchronized automatically instead of keeping them separate. Since Microsoft managed to get this right with the Xbox One you’d hope Sony would follow suit.

Software Issues

Regardless of hard issues, Microsoft has been trying to fix the software issues with regular Xbox One updates, but there’s also issues with PlayStation 4 user interface. While in some ways it’s an improvement on the PS3 it still resorts to rows of icons which can’t be organized or pinned for common usage. I’d also like to see touchpad support for the web browser added. It’s also very limited on organizing files, download management, and even the background theme can’t be tweaked at all. Both companies also didn’t bother to enable full software support for the eSATA port for hard drives. Also, Sony currently does not allow us to save our game files to USB drives.

Read more ...

‘Assassin’s Creed 5’ Location: Could Russia’s Ukraine Situation Force A Change In ‘AC 5’ Release Date?

The Assassin’s Creed 5 location may be Russia, but given current real world events, we have to wonder if there might a change needed in the game just to avoid political unrest. Russia has always been proud of its national heritage, and might not take kindly to a story about rebellion in its history so close to potential war. Considering the situation with Ukraine, Ubisoft may need to postpone the setting and possibly scavenge what they have for another location.

The claim over the Crimea peninsula has led to raised tensions and possibly Naval war, as previously reported by The Inquisitr. Nuclear warheads have reportedly been prepared, and ICBMs fired in response to what appears to be a serious political tug of war. Revisiting a political struggle so soon after such conflict could land Ubisoft in some international trouble. At the least it could get the series banned in Russia, a rather large market for video games.

Retooling a game of that magnitude takes time, as Ubisoft has shown us with Watch Dogs‘ development time, and developing for more powerful consoles could require more time in general. If Ubisoft is forced to change the location, it could postpone the AC 5 release date to 2015.

Assassin’s Creed 5 location: Feudal Japan denied, Ancient Egypt likely http://t.co/wv86ustBYb
— Product Reviews (@productreviews) February 24, 2014

The rumors surrounding the Assassin’s Creed 5 location have been flying for a while now, ever since Black Flag had become a series reviving success. One statement from a Ubisoft representative seems to point away from Russia as the Assassin’s Creed 5 setting, though. They told the public that there would be big hints in the Black Flag spinoff Freedom Cry, a game about slavery in Port au Prince. That game had nothing to do with Russia.
While rumors of feudal Japan and the US Civil War have been counted out at this point, nothing is known of where they could bring the series in the future. Given the architecture in the background of a recent piece of fan art, the AC 5 location could also be set in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. This would make more sense given the slavery scenario used heavily in Freedom Cry. We could easily come across Aladdin in a much more realistic setting, with his lamp being a Piece of Eden.

There is a also a leaked screenshot showing a possible ancient Egypt location for assassin’s creed 5.
— Noah Murphy (@Murphyverse) January 20, 2014

Again, this is mostly speculation, but if the situation between Russia and Ukraine hasn’t calmed down by the planned Assassin’s Creed 5 release date, Ubisoft could be forced to change the game’s location for political reasons. Things like this have happened before. Castle Wolfenstein was required to have all of its Nazi imagery removed for home games, for example.

Do you think tensions between Russia and Ukraine could change the Assassin’s Creed 5 location? Could Ubisoft be forced to postpone the AC 5 release date if the current rumors are true?

Read more ...

‘Titanfall’ Release Date Early For Some, ‘Good Guy’ Respawn Doesn’t Ban Them

The Titanfall release date struck early for some lucky gamers who received a legitimate copy of the game a few days early. Unlike Microsoft, however, Respawn isn’t “banning” these early gamers for playing it before the game is officially released.

When the Xbox One was shipped early to some lucky Target customers back in November, Microsoft banned them from Xbox Live until the day the console was supposed to be released. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Microsoft even took down YouTube videos from people who posted footage of the working console ahead of time. It appears that Respawn doesn’t want to repeat that upset and anger its gamers.

‘Titanfall’ release date hits early for some, Repawn doesn’t ban them

If anything, those lucky recipients of the early Titanfall release date may experience occasional server issues as Respawn works out some of the anticipated problems so it works better when the game officially launches. They won’t stop you from trying to play, though. Just be aware that the servers may be down for pre-emptive maintenance and you might not be able to play as a result.

Unfortunately PlayStation owners won’t be part of the festivities, and it’s not because of rumors of Microsoft buying out Respawn’s game like they did with Gears of War. If they had bought it out, we could be sure that those who experienced an early Titanfall release date would definitely be banned until the game launched.
Titanfall PS4 may not be happening, but that doesn’t mean that Sony’s console won’t see Titanfall 2.

Hopefully by then, Respawn will have released single player DLC allowing gamers to play without needing to be online. PlayStation 4 and single player Titanfall gameplay aren’t likely any time soon though.

We can expect Titanfall server problems similar to those of Grand Theft Auto 5 as they finish smoothing out the gameplay and get everything working properly. If you got your copy of the game ahead of the official Titanfall release date just a couple of days from now, feel free to play it. You have Respawn’s blessing.
Just don’t expect a smooth Titanfall gameplay experience until the game is officially public.

Read more ...

Titanfall Release Date A ‘Halo Moment’: Will Xbox One Sales Catch Up To The PS4?

The Titanfall release date for the Xbox One and PC is little more than a day away and some analysts are wondering if this could be Microsoft’s “Halo moment” that could help catch up the lofty PlayStation 4 sales numbers.

In a related report by The Inquisitr, a Titanfall PS4 port is unlikely to the exclusive deal between Microsoft and Electronic Arts, but even if it happens it might be too late for PlayStation 4 fans.

Sony recently let it out that worldwide PlayStation 4 sales numbers had already surpassed six million units sold. This is quite impressive considering Sony originally had only projected they were going to sell around five million by the end of March. Microsoft had also estimated they’d hit the five million mark by month end, but so far estimates put the Xbox One sales numbers somewhere above four million.

Yusuf Mehdi, chief marketing and strategy officer for Microsoft’s devices and studios, agrees that Titanfall may be instrumental in the short term success of the new gaming platform:

“It’s hard to overstate the importance of Titanfall to the Xbox One release this year. For us, it’s a game changer. It’s a system seller.”

So at this point what Microsoft needs to catch up is a Halo moment. This writer clearly remembers when the original Xbox came out and how Halo: Combat Evolved was the killer app of the time (admittedly, I was also a Bungie fanboy when they were still a Mac-only game developer producing gaming classics like Marathon and Myth). So when I bought my original Xbox I literally called it my Halo box.

The Titanfall Xbox One bundle has the potential to be this Halo moment since it essentially gives the game away for free. This may make the $100 price difference between the PS4 and Xbone more acceptable since the standalone PlayStation 4 costs $400 and doesn’t include a game (and that’s assuming you can find a PS4 in stock for less than $500). At the same time, the Titanfall release date for the Xbox 360 is just around the corner and there’s also the PC version, as well. So it’s not like gamers are forced to buy a Xbox One in order to satisfy their titan-sized cravings.

Do you think the Titanfall Xbox One launch could signal a turning point in the PS4 vs Xbox One battle?

Read more ...