E3 2012: Halo 4 trailer revealed

Microsoft kicked off their 2012 E3 Press Conference with a trailer and some gameplay footage this after for their upcoming release of Halo 4. The opening cinematography in the trailer was great to say the least and will have Halo fans around the globe wishing for a full feature film as always. It’s just what fans of the game need to get inspired and excited about the new release coming this fall on the Xbox 360. Take a look at the trailer posted here on the Xbox YouTube Channel and then the following gameplay footage that followed.

So far it’s looking like 343 Industries and Microsoft are remaining very true to the franchise Bungie has created over the years and fans of the game will still have a few years more of gaming with Master Chief by the looks of things.

The Xbox 720?

The rumor mill has started up once again, with talks about the next Xbox 360 or Xbox 720 as some are calling it on the Internet. For starters, I hate the name and thing this might blow some of their brand identity, all though Xbox as a whole is really the brand (360, Live, Live Arcade, Marketplace, and etc.), but do we need to call it 720?

No matter what they call it in the end, what will it bring and what does it mean for gamers in the end? For starters they rumors are stating it will be six times more powerful than the current Xbox 360. Awesome news and to be expected more and likely.

As times change and they continue to make smaller and faster chips for devices, its expected that these will replace what is currently being used. Just as they tend to upgrade Hard drives for storage space. Why don’t they really sell 20gig Hard drives for the Xbox anymore? Because they don’t really make them and you can get so much more space for that same price these days.

The biggest win that is being talked about is the coming of Blu-ray on the Xbox 360. Once again I find this more of a no brainer than some kind of lets bring them what they want in the neXbox 360 (my code name for it) from Microsoft. Blu-ray player prices are affordable, so why even buy the old style DVD drives anymore if you can go with the Blu-ray model. It will be a plus for Game developers as well, giving them upwards of 25gig of game data to play with in their games now.

Is it all good though? Well some of the rumors are claiming the Xbox 720 will have a feature that only allows it to play new games. There goes the Used game market and Game Rental segment and fans are calling Foul. Before the full details have been given it has a strike against. Remember all of this is rumors being kicked around now, so don’t get to upset just yet.

Is it bad they want to do this? If it was a PC game we were talking about, it wouldn’t have this issue in the first place. Looks like they are trying to protect what they feel is a loss in sales. It’s an old argument that pits the retails sales against the used game business in the end. I think I’ll save that discussion for another time though.

Why is Microsoft planning to release an Xbox 720 anyway, I thought Kinect was going to extend the Xbox 360 for another five years? The answer is because times are changing as always. That means faster chips, bigger storage, yes Blu-ray, and stuff like that. They don’t plan to keep building the older models when they can’t buy the parts for them and it doesn’t really cost them more to produce the newer versions, like the Xbox 360 Slim.

Knocking on wood… I’m thankful my Xbox 360 Elite is running well and I’m looking forward to seeing what they reveal at this years E3 and will have my eyes set on what ever they call the next Xbox 360. I’ll upgrade at that time more and likely for sure. Until then, we’ll just have to wait and see and kick around the rumors a bit more. I think I have a few more points to cover in the upcoming weeks and plan to look at some of these possible features more in detail at that time. Let me know your thoughts about the Xbox 720 rumors.

ME3 demo unlocks coming

Only a couple months away until the the third installment of Mass Effect 3 hits store shelves and I’m really looking forward to seeing what Bioware has in store for fans of the game. I’ve been reading Retribution (Mass Effect #3) in the meantime and filling in the story arc of events between ME3 and the soon to be released ME3. The books and games have been really well written I think.

For fans of Mass Effect that are planning to pick up the game, you might want to take a look at the upcoming demo for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning on January 17th and play through the whole demo to gain some unlocks for Mass Effect 3 when it releases. A demo for Mass Effect 3 is also planned and it will have unlocks for Kingdoms of Amalur as well, for those who plan on buying it as well.

Cross game promotions like this have happened in the past, so its not strange to see things like this. I think Kingdoms of Amalur really wins and will gain huge exposure from Mass Effect 3 fans playing to unlock items. I know I’m giving it a try for the unlocks alone at least. I think Crackdown gained most of its fans from those wanting to get in on the Halo 3 beta before the game launched.

I’m just glad I don’t have to go out and buy Kingdoms of Amalur to get the unlocks. I like trying out demos when I can and get an idea if a game is even worth spending my time in playing for one, much less my hard earned dollars as well. Its just an added bonus that the are giving out unlocks for trying the game. Something I hope developers and publishers will continue to do in the future.

For those wondering what you get for trying out these upcoming titles, here is a list of the slated unlocks:

Reckoning demo and receive these items for Mass Effect 3:
Reckoner Knight Armor: This armor will maximize damage done in close-quarters combat while a beefed–up power cell feeds energy into weapon systems to increase projectile velocity.

The Chakram Launcher: This weapon uses a fabricator to manufacture lightweight, explosive ammunition discs. This weapon is earned after completing the Reckoning demo and watching the trailer at the end.

Mass Effect 3 demo and receive these items for Reckoning:
N7 Armor: Players can unlock special armor inspired by Commander Shepard’s iconic N7 battle armor including Helm, Cuirass, Gauntlets, Chausses and Greaves.

Onmiblade Daggers: A holographic blade stemming from Commander Shepard’s Omni-Tool, the Omni-blade allows players to stab enemies in close combat. Once players install and play the Mass Effect 3 demo, they will unlock the daggers.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is set for launch on February 7. Mass Effect 3 hits retail on March 6.

Applying CQB team tactics in Modern Warfare

Team work can make all the difference in winning a game of Team Deathmatch or any game type really. The hard part here is finding a party that will really work together as a Team in the end. More often than not, these quick pick up games of Team Deathmatch in Modern Warfare or other FPS types of games, tend to be nothing more than a game of Team Free For All. It becomes an every gunner for himself in trying to kill anything and everything that moves in his line of fire. If you die, then just rush back into the thick of it again and repeat. This continuous Run and Gun style of game play, can start to get old really fast and seem rather pointless I think.

Imagine if people would actually talk for starters in a game and they all tried to work as a team, it could be a different outcome all together in the end and not so many deaths compared to kills even. Ever get into those games where it feels like the other side controls about every corner of a map and simply dominates? Its games like that where people decide its time to jump out of a lobby and find another room to Run and Gun in. It doesn’t have to be that way though, if you can hook up with a few regular friends and actually try to communicate and work TOGETHER as a TEAM.

If people would even attempt to make use of some of the basics in Close Quarter Battle Tactics within their styles of game play, they just might find out things could be a little more fun in the end. Why run into the same room over and over, only to be gunned down again and again? Not to mention, I think it should be a goal for everyone to at least try to KILL more times than DIE.

Set up AOR (area of responsibility) methods for your team and then try using some CQB methods for entering certain areas of the game map. If at all possible its best to move with no less than a two-man team and perhaps even better to try to have at least a three to four man Entry team. The old saying “Safety in numbers” holds very true here in this respect.

When its time to enter a situation, then try and use a Buttonhook, Crossover, or Modified method for entering the Fatal Funnel point of a room as you move into your AOR locations. As your team prepares for entry, also try using a Quick-Peek, Pie-slice, or High-Lowe stance as you prepare to begin your teams entry. You can learn a lot more about CQB tactics online from CQB-Team.Com and apply some of these to your gaming style as a team.

Don’t forget that its Communication here that will be the very key to the success in the end for your team and because we’re not able to make use of any hand signals or have the ability to touch within a game situation, it will fall to the CLEAR and use of VERBAL commands as a strong aid to a successful teams end results.

You’ve seen these tactics in the real life TV shows and movies, so its not as far of a stretch that some of this could help within your game then. So its up to YOU! Do you plan to run solo and rush into the fray or plan to hookup with your fellow team members and start to dominate your game?

iThank Steve Jobs

The passing away of Steve Jobs was a bit of a shocker for many of us yesterday evening, as the news spread far and wide over the Internet and through all media outlets. It is hard to believe one of the founding creators of Apple is simply gone now.

Steve Jobs only recently had stepped down as the CEO of Apple back in August 2011 and sadly this had people speculating that the end was drawing near for Steve and his life. Then on October 4th, Apple announces the coming of their latest iPhone and that it will be called the iPhone 4s. Not the much-anticipated iPhone 5 that everyone was hoping for.

If that was not a let down in itself, the following day Apple informs us that Steve Jobs has lost his battle with Cancer. Now the news of the iPhone 4s and the fact that the iPhone 5 is not coming out is not important really.

For what ever reason it is, this never-ending fandom amongst us, that draws lines between the masses in favor of Macs over Windows or the iPhone over Android or Windows Phone 7, seems rather small and unimportant now.

The truth is no mater what platform or device someone is using, Steve Jobs has had a huge hand in bring that to us. Competition between these camps has helped drive and push us to where we are today. Each side has tried to one up each other and stolen ideas from each other, but in the end we can thank Steve Jobs for the vision and creativity he brought to Apple and for many of the things we enjoy today.

Just because I like a PC, a Zune, or a Windows Phone 7 device, doesn’t mean I hate of dislike things created by Apple. In an interview Steve Jobs pretty much spelled things out where Apple was concerned and they would not produce a cheap product and they pretty much have a nice price point to go with most of the things they offer. The cost alone is more and likely the reason I’ve never purchased a Mac for myself. So it’s not so much that I don’t care for a Mac, I just can’t really afford them.

The music industry has changed drastically all thanks to Steve Jobs creation of the iPod and iTunes. The days of buying physical media such as music CDs has gone by the wayside. We now carry around these portable music players that store thousands upon thousands of our songs.

I prefer the Zune player and offerings myself, but it would not be possible or have come about really if it wasn’t for the vision and creative Steve Jobs brought to the world. Does it mean one is better than the other? Does it really even matter?

What’s sad is very creative visionary is no longer with us. Someone that pushed us to the limits and kept raising the bar. Sadly that spark of creativity has gone out now and someone will need to step up and try to provide what Steve Jobs brought to all of us.

I might not own any Apple products, but I do admire what they create and provide to people and I do feel they have helped drive so many of us in this digital age. The world is a better place in a lot of ways, all thanks to Steve Jobs.

E3 2011 Breakdown of the Big Three

Well its come and gone… another year has been laid out before us and the opinions of the masses will run the gambit from utter hate to never-ending love and all points in between. Yesterday we heard from Microsoft and Sony as they revealed their upcoming plans for the rest of the year and then today it was Nintendo’s turn to close things out for this years E3.  Surprisingly enough, I think all three of the Press Conference actually did fairly well this year, when all was said and done. So here’s what I liked out of each.

 

Microsoft aims to become the number 1 console in the whole world and is promoting more Kinect titles at this years E3. Its clear that they have big plans around Kinect and making the Xbox 360 the center of all entertainment needs in the home. Halo Anniversary was revealed in celebration of the classic Halo: Combat Evolved and if that was not enough for Halo fans, then perhaps the new trilogy from the Halo Universe was sure to please. That’s right Halo fans, you can expect Halo 4, 5, and 6 in the future now. Here’s a run down of all the other cool stuff planned on the Xbox 360.

• The New Dashboard. Simpler. Cleaner. Easier to navigate. With the addition of new entertainment content on Xbox LIVE and our commitment to continuously improving the overall Xbox experience, we’ve updated the dashboard with a new look and feel that makes it even more open, inviting and intuitive to navigate. All of your favorite content is categorized in a way that is easy to browse and find what you’re looking for, plus you can use voice anywhere in the dashboard to effortlessly navigate and get to what you want.
• Bing on Xbox. We are bringing Bing to Xbox. Bing on Xbox searches Netflix, Hulu Plus, ESPN, as well as our music, video and Xbox LIVE marketplaces to find exactly the entertainment you want to enjoy. With Bing on Xbox and Kinect, you can effortlessly find the games, movies, TV shows, sports and music you want by only using your voice. You say it, Xbox finds it. The experience is now simpler than ever before.
• Expanded Kinect Voice Support. We want Xbox LIVE members around the globe to experience the magic of Kinect’s voice recognition technology so we are committed to bringing voice to eight additional markets by the end of this year with a total of 13 markets that will have Kinect voice. We are also exploring some innovative new ways to enable the LIVE community to help us accelerate the refinement of voice models in new markets, and look forward to sharing developments on that front soon.
• Beacons. We want to make it easy for you to connect with friends over your favorite games on Xbox LIVE, so we are introducing Beacons to the service. Beacons are a way to tell your Xbox LIVE and Facebook friends that you want to play a game on Xbox LIVE. By setting a Beacon, you tell Xbox LIVE what you want to play. Then, Xbox LIVE lets you know when friends are playing or want to play the same game. With Beacons, no matter what you’re currently doing on Xbox LIVE your friends know that it’s ok to ask you to play your Beaconed games. Imagine sending out a Beacon to let your friends know you’re interested in playing “Halo,” while watching a movie on Netflix. It’s about making it easier for you to share and discover games and multiplayer opportunities with friends on Xbox LIVE.
• Cloud Storage for Game Saves and LIVE Profile. Here at Xbox LIVE we listen to your feedback. We are making it easier for you to sign into your Xbox LIVE account from any console at any time to access your game saves and full profile, including items such as Microsoft Points to make purchases, Achievements and friends. Cloud storage will allow you to enjoy the same great Xbox LIVE gaming experience even when you’re not in your own living room by giving you the option to store your “game saves” securely in the Xbox LIVE cloud instead of on a portable memory unit or your console’s hard drive. Gone are the days of “gamertag recovery.” Now all you need to do is sign in, no matter where you are!

I’m not going to deny that Sony has some cool games, its just not a console for me and in my budget to support three consoles. It also doesn’t help matters much with their recent problems on the PSN. But I do give them huge props for coming right out and owning up to things and I think this goes a long way in the end for their fan base. Sony says, “We’re sorry and we want you all back.”

So what did I like, well this year the NGP was given and its official name and is now called the PS VITA and I still think it looks pretty awesome for a handheld gaming device. Sony is claiming the PS-Vita and the PS3 on PSN will be the only gaming system that allows you to pause and save your game and then pick it back up on the console, allowing you to continue and play from where you left off. Now where did I hear this before? Oh, Windows Phone 7 and Xbox Live… looks like the pressure is on now.

Last is Nintendo and they announced a new console after all and its called the Wii u and it will feature a different controller like none other. I have to say they’ve done better than ever with all of this news.  One of the key features to their new gaming system is the touch screen controller pad that will allow you to move your game from the big screen onto this small hand-held controller, if the need ever comes up for that of course. Better than all of that is the ability to extend some of the gaming options to this new controller like nothing ever done before in console gaming. Sadly, I’m afraid this means you will have to buy the Wii u and not simply an add-on to your existing Wii system, much like the Kinect has done for the Xbox 360. Some of this sounds familiar as well… WP7 once again and with the Kinect on the Xbox 360.

Don’t get me wrong on my love for the Xbox 360 and I’m impressed with what Sony and Nintendo has in store. I’m just already in deep with Microsoft, Xbox 360, Live, and Windows Phone 7 is all.

2011 Backlog of Games

2010 has come and gone and I still have a number of games in my Backlog Queue to complete here. So I’m setting a goal for myself in 2011 to knock out at least one of these games a month next year. Not in any particular order at all and most of these are already started of course.

Assassins Creed II Bioshock Fable Fallout 3 GTA IV and the Lost & the Damned DLC Half-Life 2 and episodes 1 & 2

HALO: Combat Evolved Left 4 Dead 2 Oblivion IV x1* x2* x3*

Should be a pretty good challenge to complete these I think and I’ve actually added some of the additional parts for GTA IV downloadable content Lost & the Damned, as well as all of the portions of the Half-Life 2 series.

I’m keeping spots open here for up to three additional titles in 2011 to play and beat, but my goal is to make sure that all of the ones currently listed here are marked off this list by the end of 2011.

* x1-x3 can be any game I currently have not played or own, doesn’t have to be a new 2011 title.