Hasta La Gadget!

EA teased hours ago that FIFA 14 would be one of the first Xbox One games, but it just used Microsoft’s event to unveil a considerably wider slate. FIFA 14, NBA Live 14, Madden 25 and EA Sports UFC are all coming to the new console within the next 12 months. All of them are using a new engine, EA Sports Ignite, that has 10 times the animation detail, smarter artificial intelligence, 3D crowds, “living” sidelines and a daily dose of new content through Xbox Live. EA and Microsoft are getting cozier with the deal, too — FIFA 14 Ultimate Team will be an Xbox exclusive. We’ll have to wait for more detail about that game later this year, but it’s safe to say that Microsoft won’t be lacking for major sports titles during the Xbox One’s vital first year.

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Microsoft

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Earlier this month, EA DICE’s Johan Andersson dropped a major bomb: Frostbite 3 won’t be ported to the Wii U. The news meant that the company’s next-gen franchises were doomed to skip the console: No Battlefield 4, no Star Wars games, no Mass Effect spin-off. Now, EA’s Jeff Brown is saying the same fate applies to all of the company’s titles, telling Kotaku that the company has “no games in development for the Wii U currently.”

The confirmation isn’t too surprising, but it is a crushing blow to fans who were banking on EA’s 2011 promise to support the console. Although Brown wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the company returning to the platform, Kotaku was told that EA feels it fulfilled that promise by releasing games like Mass Effect 3 and Need For Speed Most Wanted during the Wii U’s formative months. Despite the loss of third party support, Nintendo has previously urged gamers to be patient. After all, E3 is just around the corner.

Filed under: Gaming

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Source: Kotaku

Pry open any Android-powered game console on the market today, and you’ll likely find a mobile processor — an ARM-based chip originally designed for tablets, smartphones and maybe the odd specialty device. It seems to make sense — after all, isn’t Android a mobile OS? Christopher Price, CEO of Mobile Media Ventures, doesn’t seem to think so. “Android is the future of personal computing,” Price told Engadget. “Even on the desktop.” According to Price, developers just haven’t had a chance to play with a truly powerful Android gaming machine. So, naturally, he’s building one.

Despite its Apple-esque name, the iConsole.tv is billed as the most powerful Android device to date. It’s a bold claim, but the specs add up: the company’s Unit 00 developer kit runs Android on a 3.3GHz Intel Ivy Bridge CPU, 8GB of DDR3 RAM and two 500GB hard drives. Graphics are handled by Intel’s integrated HD 4000 chipset — a surprisingly capable GPU, though still a far cry from dedicated hardware. Price stressed that these specifications are for the $999 developer version the company announced today. The final product’s build hasn’t been finalized, but we were told it would ring it at a notably lower price. Still, considering all that power, we had to wonder why MMV chose Android. Price reiterated the potential he sees in the platform. “We’re pushing the envelope and adapting it for high-performance gaming, but we see Android being the change agent in personal computing, on the TV and the desktop. People hate walled gardens, and they hate maintaining their PCs. Android can solve that, and we’re going to help make that happen.”

Filed under: Gaming, Intel

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When Microsoft piled on the Xbox media channels last year, we didn’t realize just how long it would take for some of those channels to come to fruition. We’re quite possibly on the cusp of new hardware, and Machinima’s app is just now making its Xbox 360 debut. Still, it might be worth the wait for those who live and breathe gaming even after they’ve set down the gamepad. The app includes the full suite of Machinima channels and their associated videos, ranging from regular shows and specials through to game blooper reels. Machinima is available everywhere Xbox Live is active; if that isn’t enough to tide you over, Microsoft is teasing the reveal of a OneBeat electronic music app next month.

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft

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Source: Major Nelson

Sure, we’ve seen game consoles modified for use beyond their original purpose, but this apparatus turns things up a notch. Pictured above is the Joysound Festa, a mobile entertainment system powered by the Wii U‘s hardware and software. Built by Japanese karaoke machine maker Xing, this beastly console mod is controlled from the system’s Gamepad and includes the gracelessly named Nintendo x Joysound Wii Karaoke U. Pre-loaded with 90,000 songs, this party starter also ships with a set of dance, exercise, yoga and brain training videos. Already reaching for your wallet? You should know that this unique setup is Japan-only, and headed to hotels and nursing homes at a hefty price of 1,580,000 yen (around $15,884). At that price, it may take around 25 years until we see one of these bad boys up for grabs on eBay.

Filed under: Gaming, Nintendo

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Via: Kotaku

Source: Joysound Festa (translated)