Microsoft is revealing the next generation of Xbox gaming consoles today at its headquarters in Redmond, WA. Tune into a live stream of the event at 10 a.m. PDT/1 p.m. EDT through the Xbox website, Xbox Live, or Spike TV. You can also follow the news via Twitter using the hashtag #XboxReveal or #Xbox.
Will it be an Xbox 720? Kinect 2.0? A new platform for social gaming? We'll keep you updated with all the news from the Microsoft event, so check back later in the day for more info!
Super Nintendo superfans, the NES days are not over! OUYA, the Android-based gaming console that took Kickstarter by a funding storm, is launching with Nintendo 64, SNES, and NES emulation support.
EMUya, an NES emulator, has been submitted for review and will be available on the OUYA at launch. Early Kickstarter backers received their consoles last week, and OUYA will be available at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, and Target for $99 starting June 4.
What sets OUYA apart is its Android-powered operating system, which gives developers open access to create the type of games that have set the mobile market on fire.
Watch OUYA run Zelda, Super Mario Kart, and more after the break.
Boy Scouts across America can now sew a new kind of patch onto their sashes: a Game Design merit badge. The Boy Scouts of America are holding a three-day event at next week's SXSW Gaming Expo to unveil the new skill challenge and put amateur gamers and game designers to the test.
What does a scout need to earn this geeky honor? He must take a game from concept to production, using logic, strategy, and mathematics skills to design, test, and build the game, just like a professional game developer. Before the badge is bestowed upon him, the Boy Scout must present the final product, which can be in the form of cards, boards, dice, or, for the techiest scouts, a smartphone app.
And in addition to the game, he is required to prove knowledge and understanding of the industry with analysis of different types of games, themes, play value, and even intellectual property. All of these prerequisites are quite the tall order for a young scout! But we're digging the Boy Scouts' integration of science, tech, engineering, and math skills into the program.
Now don't worry, Boy Scouts aren't the only ones who get to have STEM-filled fun; our girl geeks in training have 21st-century-ready badges, too, including Computer Expert for Brownies and Game Visionary for Senior Girl Scouts.
Director Rich Moore didn't have to do much research before starting production on Disney's Wreck-It Ralph, the ultimate movie for indulging childhood video game nostalgia. The gamer-turned-animator-turned-director, best known for his work on The Simpsons and Futurama, was developing a story inspired by video games long before Wreck-It Ralph became a reality.
"When I was in college, I was already doing research for Ralph. I could see how a video game could be adapted into a movie — how you could take this story and this world and expand on it and create a film out of it," Rich told us in a recent interview.
Spearheading Wreck-It Ralph, which includes countless cameos from iconic video games, was a dream come true for Rich, who was able to incorporate characters he loved as a kid into the movie. "When I got word that Nintendo gave the OK for Bowser, the movie changed for me," Rich revealed. "It was like hearing that Robert De Niro was going to be in the film. A lot of the animators were like, 'OMG!'"
So, what were the games that inspired the director of the Oscar-nominated, Critics' Choice Award-winning animated film? We asked, and Rich answered. Click on to find out the director's top five games of all time and watch two deleted scenes from the Wreck-It Ralph 3D Blu-Ray Collector's edition, available on March 5.
Sony held its much-buzzed-about PlayStation 2013 conference yesterday, and as expected, the company revealed its next-generation gaming console, PlayStation 4. Internally, the system boasts 8GB RAM, X86 CPU, local-storage hard drive, and GDDR5 memory for superfast graphics.
Also on display is the new controller, the Dual Shock 4, which has touchpad input and a share button to show friends screenshots of a current game. The controller works with a camera for motion-controlled gaming. While we didn't get a look at the console itself during the conference, it is expected to be available for the 2013 holiday season.
At today's PlayStation conference, we met the PlayStation 4 — and the new games that will appear on the socially focused gaming console too.
Sony is putting an emphasis on collaborative play, with a new share function and social network for PlayStation gamers. The video games demoed at the event certainly reiterated that point.
Evolution Studios, Sucker Punch, and Halo-makers Bungie were just some of the game creators who showed off impressive graphics and amazing high-definition rendering. Preview screenshots and watch the trailers of some of the new game-play offerings for the PlayStation 4, and stay tuned for more updates.
It's going to be a big year for gaming — the competitive landscape for portable, high-def consoles keeps on growing. GameStick, a small, pocketable console that uses your TV as a screen, completed a stellar Kickstarter campaign on Feb. 1 ($647K pledged of a $100K goal) and is available for preorder online starting today.
The idea behind GameStick is affordable, portable gaming. At $79, GameStick costs less than half of most traditional consoles, and the small form factor allows the GameStick to be ready for play at any time. The console's creators also wanted to harness the power of the mobile-game market by developing GameStick on an open Android platform.
At this year's CES, we met two other handheld gaming devices: NVIDIA's Project Shield and the Razer Edge Tablet, and we're curious to see how the GameStick stacks up to the competition.
Before you rush to order, see the GameStick close-up and learn more about how the console works.
It's been quite a week for gaming hardware at CES — CNET crowned Razer's CES-launched Edge PC gaming tablet ($1,000) with their 2013 Best of Show prize today. NVIDIA earlier unveiled its handheld high-definition console Project Shield, and the Razer Edge game streaming device works in the same vein, but in tablet form.
This hardcore-gaming-PC-meets-Windows-8 tablet runs on an Intel i5 (or i7 for the Pro version) ($1,300) and NVIDIA GeForce graphics, so it promises to deliver high-performance tech in a portable handheld package. While the tablet itself is on par with most Windows 8 ultrabook-tablet convertibles, the Razer Edge's accessories are truly unique and certainly re-create — if not enhance — the full-console gaming experience.
We saw the Razer Edge in action at CES, and think the device adds "best of console" to the "best of tablet/PC" laptop-tablet hybrids also on display at the show. Get a glimpse of the Razer Edge from every angle, and take a peek at the handheld system's many accessories.
Model Tyson Beckford wasn't the only eye candy at Monster Products' CES event today. The audio company, the original audio engineer behind Beats by Dre headphones, announced MVP Carbon, a high-definition music and gaming headset developed in partnership with EA Games. Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard appeared on stage to launch Monster's foray into gaming accessories.
MVP Carbon, compatible with PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and Wii U, features immersive sound quality and an integrated microphone. Check out Monster's celebrity ambassadors and take a closer look at the headset, available in black and white beginning in February for $270.
The CES 2013 show floor hasn't even opened its doors yet, but Nvidia is already making waves with the unveiling of Project Shield, a handheld gaming system that delivers a high-performance console experience. GameBoy Color this is not.
With a 5-inch 720p multitouch tablet, full-size game controller, WiFi connectivity, and an Android Jelly Bean OS, gamers can take triple A games through their PCs, plus Android games available through Google Play, on the go with Project Shield. Though pricing details haven't been announced and the product won't be available until Q2 of 2013, here's a first look at Project Shield and some standout features of Nvidia's new Android-powered gaming system.
