Hasta La Gadget!

Major League Gaming’s been tinkering with better ways to show and monetize its Call of Duty and Starcraft battles for years, occasionally showing up on ESPN and utilizing myriad online streaming solutions to get its premium content to the people. However, MLG decided that YouTube and its ilk aren’t enough, and so has launched its very own online network, MLG.TV, to better cater to e-sports fans (and pull in bigger ad dollars, of course). TechCrunch reports that this new platform, aside from streaming up to 1080p video, will also have social sharing capabilities and Twitter-based chat. While exclusively an online portal, MLG.TV is borrowing some ideas from broadcast television. It’ll have weekly shows (like the recently debuted SportsCenter-esqe eSports Report) at specific times, and the plan is to build out a TV-like programming schedule as new shows are created.

Filed under: Gaming, HD

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: MLG.TV

If you start counting from the Magnavox Odyssey, we’ve been playing console games for seven generations now. Yes, it’s crazy to think of, but it’s even more alarming to realize that the industry has been in an all-out “war” since generation three. For better or worse, competition became a part of the hardware cycle. The players (you know, Sega, Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft) have changed several times through the years, but until recently, the game hasn’t — the console wars were fought over who had more bits, what had the most RAM and how fast a machine could render frames. Now, as we kick off generation eight, we’re seeing a very different kind of contest.

We’re not saying that hardware specifications don’t matter — they absolutely do — but this time, the two leading armies are packing painfully similar heat. On paper, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 really aren’t that different. So, what’s going to win the war? Software, services and brand.

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Sony, Microsoft

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Netflix already pulled whodunnit The Killing from the scrap pile once, working out a deal with AMC to produce a third season for airing and subsequent streaming, and now it’s done it again. The Killing will see a fourth and final six-episode season (when is still up in the air), produced by Fox, which Netflix will stream exclusively in the areas where it provides service. This, along with continued hints of more Arrested Development in the works will probably get fans of other canceled/about-to-be canceled series excited, although we’ll have to wait and see how many refurb projects Netflix is ready to put next to its original content.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: Netflix (Twitter)

Not content with Sony’s official teardown of the PlayStation 4, iFixit has started work on its own thorough analysis of the console’s internals. The dissection isn’t complete yet, but early evidence shows that Sony is using standard measures to deter modders and tinkerers, including security screws and lengthy passages in the user guide about how “analysis” of the PS4’s components is “not authorized.” (With the replaceable hard drive being an awkward exception.) Now, this happens to be exactly the sort of language that gets up iFixit‘s nose, and it could well hurt the PS4’s score for repairability and recyclability. The site also reports a potential issue with the HDMI port, spotted earlier by Kotaku, in which a small metal obstruction in front of the port on some units could potentially stop video output if you’re not careful when you first plug in your cable (although the HDMI pins can apparently be bent back into position). In any case, we’ll update this post as soon as the experts have splayed everything out and come to a verdict.

Update: Though you might expect a low repairability score from a gaming console — especially in a smallish case like Sony’s Playstation 4 — iFixit gave it eight out of 10. All things considered, that’s an excellent mark, which the teardown site chalked up to the absence of adhesives and a non-proprietary, user-replaceable hard drive. Security screws and tamper seals put a slight damper on things, but the biggest markdown came from a sharp mid-plane which resulted in a cut finger. Naturally, the site included a pic of said wound, adding that “we wear our repair scars with pride.”

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Sony

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Source: iFixit, Kotaku

It’s almost time for the PlayStation 4 to arrive. With just a few minutes left before consoles go on sale on the east coast, you should definitely check out our in-depth review if you haven’t already. Once you’re through with that, take a peek after the break for a nine minute video dive into the system’s UI as Sony VP Eric Lempel shows off the system’s menus, store, live game broadcasting features, social feeds and much more. Sure it’s cutting the timing kind of close, but whether you’re still on the fence, waiting for a delivery or sticking it out in line outside a local retailer, this will give a good idea of what the system can offer. Once you’re done comparing it to Microsoft’s demonstration from last week (and downloading the day one patch and apps), check out the Sony launch event — the live stream starts at 11PM ET. The Ustream feed is embedded after the break, but you can also watch it on the PS3’s Live Events app, DirecTV, or Spike TV.

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Sony

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Source: PS4 UI Revealed, Live Launch Event