Hasta La Gadget!

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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Eidos Montreal has seen the future for its Deus Ex franchise and it’s ready to shed some light on its connected vision. On the company’s community blog, studio head David Anfossi revealed that the next phase for the franchise builds upon lessons learned from Deus Ex: Human Revolution; something Eidos Montreal is calling Deus Ex: Universe. No, it’s not a standalone title for the next-gen, but rather a new, unifying approach to “create an ongoing, expanding and connected game world” that spans all upcoming titles. And that’s cross-platform, too, as this persistent world and the additional experiences it’ll deliver will encompass traditional platforms like the PC and console, as well as the portable space, mobile and even graphic novels. Work’s apparently already underway on the project, with the first title in this new Universe slated to hit the PC and next-gen console space.

Filed under: Gaming

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Via: Joystiq

Source: Eidos Montreal

Fabled (and Fable) game designer Peter Molyneux has long been a visionary in the gaming world, and his most recent effort, the Kickstarted title known as Godus, has piqued our Curiosity. However, as a veteran of the console world, we jumped at the chance to get his take on next-gen along with an update on his own projects.

Surprisingly, Molyneux wasn’t particularly enthused with the new generation of consoles. Part of the problem, as he sees it, is that consoles are still too focused on the living room, while our digital lives are much more mobile — which is why, in part, Godus is being built for laptops and phones first. “I wanted them [the consoles] to shock and surprise me” with new ways to integrate with mobile devices, he says, but the current mobile features feel like a “bolt-on” rather than an integral part of gameplay. Aside from all the next-gen talk, we got an update on the man who removed Curiosity’s final block (he’s just beginning to enjoy the fruits of godhood), and got his thoughts on Oculus Rift (spoiler: he’s a fan). While words describing an interview are good, an actual interview is better — this one awaits you after the break.

Filed under: Gaming, HD

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The next-generation of video game consoles will usher in some amazing visuals, which we already caught a glimpse of during Sony’s PlayStation 4 unveiling. Activision’s R&D department took center stage yesterday during the company’s GDC panel called “next-generation character rendering,” which after you see their tech demo, will have you wondering if it’s creepy or super awesome.

The real-time character demo is a 2-minute long video that highlights a number of amazing improvements in regards to a character’s facial gestures. The demo, which is all running in real-time, captures the actor’s face, eye movements, skin imperfections and nearly every emotion the actor could think of. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Assassin’s Creed 4 First Gameplay Trailer Shows Off Underwater Exploration, Splinter Cell: Blacklist Video Highlights ‘Ghost’, ‘Panther’ and ‘Assault’ Play Styles,