Hasta La Gadget!

Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox – codenamed Durango but unofficially known as the “Xbox 720” – will hit shelves in early November but not be accompanied by a cheaper entertainment-only model, new leaks claim today. One previous plan to launch two next-gen Xbox variants, one of which (codenamed “Yuma”) would be more akin to a set-top box and deliver Kinect-controlled streaming content but not full gameplay, has been ditched, well-connected Paul Thurrott claims, though Microsoft is supposedly planning two pricing models that would in effect subsidize the Xbox 720.

Normally, the new console will be priced at $499, so Thurrott’s sources inform him, when goes on sale in early November 2013. However, Microsoft is apparently also expected to offer a $299 subsidized version, which – like a smartphone offered on agreement with a carrier – will cost less upfront but require a two year commitment to Xbox LIVE Gold, at what’s believed to be $10 per month.

That would work out to $539 over the course of the two year contract, of course. Microsoft has already experimented with such pricing schemes with the Xbox 360, offering the console for $99 if gamers sign up to two years of Xbox LIVE Gold service.

However, even with the “Xbox 720″ on the scene, that’s not to say the 360 will be retired. In fact, a third-gen version is expected sometime in 2013, it’s suggested, that will be “significantly less expensive” than the current model. Codenamed “Stingray”, it’s unconfirmed whether this is Microsoft’s workaround to rumors that the next-gen Xbox will not be backward-compatible, or simply an attempt to use older hardware to occupy a far lower MRSP point.

As for what’s inside the new console, previous chatter of Blu-ray gets another mention, and the whole thing is supposedly running on the Windows 8 Core, improving cross-platform support for games on PC and Xbox. That fits in with talk of AMD-developed processors; Microsoft will supposedly reveal the developer platform itself at BUILD 2013 in late June.

Talk of the new Xbox has increased over the past weeks, as we approach E3 2013 and the console’s expected debut. Other sources have claimed Microsoft will show off “a handful” of games, though Therrott describes it as “the launch lineup” being detailed.

Other rumors have included a requirement for a constant internet connection, which could be used for a more draconian activation policy that would insist on games being installed to the internal hard-drive first. Kinect is also expected to be mandatory, with a newly-refined sensor system that would be able to track people at higher resolution.

New Xbox 720 tipped for November with LIVE Gold subsidy option is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The CW TV network has become the latest TV network to bring its selection of shows to Xbox LIVE. The TV network has been struggling for some time to attract viewers to its TV series, so hopefully its collaboration with Xbox LIVE will help. With the new CW TV app, viewers will be able to catch the latest episodes of the CW’s TV series a day after they air on live television.

Viewers will be have access to all of the CW’s current TV series, including Arrow, Beauty and the Beast, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, Nikita, and more. The app is compatible with Xbox’s SmartGlass feature, which recently became available for the Amazon Kindle Fire, so that users can access extra content while watching an episode, such as episode summaries or plot overviews. The CW app is also compatible with the Kinect, allowing you to control it via your hands or your voice.

The CW is one of the under-performers in the land of free television. While other networks like ABC and Fox are able to get well over 10 million viewers for their most popular TV shows, the CW’s most popular TV shows are only able to grab about 2-3 million viewers each week. That’s not to say that the CW only has bad TV shows (I personally think Nikita and Arrow are pretty great shows), it just needs more exposure.

Through its collaboration with Netflix, and its app becoming available through Xbox LIVE, it may be able to get more people to view its offering of TV shows, and perhaps even convert some of them to loyal followers. The CW recently cancelled several TV shows this year, including Cult, 90210, Gossip Girl, and Emily Owens M.D. due to their lack of viewers, and several more shows are still awaiting their fate. Maybe also releasing an app for the PlayStation Network would be a good move for the network as well.

The CW attempts to secure more TV viewers with Xbox LIVE is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you’re a fan of science fiction and Star Trek, I bet you’re really looking forward to the new movie hitting theaters in the next month or so. To go along with the video game, Paramount has announced that the Star Trek: The Video Game for console and PC gamers is now available at retail outlets. The game was designed in conjunction with NAMCO BANDAI Games America.

The game promises cooperative gameplay as players take the role of Star Trek heroes Captain Kirk and Spock. Players will fight and explore the universe aboard the USS enterprise as you fight the enemy Gorn. The video game uses voices from the movie including the voices of Chris Pine as Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock.

To succeed in the game players will have to work together and the developers behind the game say that this is the most expensive and authentic Star Trek experience ever developed for the video game platform. The video game uses costumes and set designs from the previous film and a musical score performed by a 100-piece orchestra. The game is based on an original story written by Marianne Krawczyk.

Other actors from the movie are also lending their voice talents the videogame including Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Simon Pegg as Scotty, John Cho as Sulu, Anton Yelchin as Chekov, and Karl Urban as bones. The game is available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 for $59.99. Computer gamers can purchase the game as a digital download through Steam and other locations for $49.99. The game is rated T for teen.

[via Star Trek: The Video Game]

Star Trek: The Video Game hits Xbox 360 and PS3 is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Fans of the latest game in the Gears of War franchise will be able to get their hands on a new map pack for the game this week. The DLC is called Call to Arms and adds new multiple player maps and other content.

The expansion pack brings an all new game mode called Master at Arms. This particular mode is a free-for-all game mode exclusive to Judgment with the goal of getting a kill with each of the 20 different available weapons. The caveat is that players can’t resort to melee or grenade tactics. As a player scores a kill with each of the weapons, new weapons automatically become available.

The three new multiplayer maps available in the game include Terminal, Blood Drive, and Boneyard. The maps provide a mix of close quarters combat and vertical combat. The map pack also brings to new achievements worth a total of 250 Gamerscore.

The map pack will be available to VIP Season Pass holders on April 23. Everyone else will be able to access the map pack on April 30 for 1000 Microsoft points.

[via Major Nelson]

The NPD group has just released a list of the top ten best-selling games in March. The sales of the games were monitored from March 3rd to April 6th. BioShock Infinite topped the list, followed by Tomb Raider, Gears of War: Judgment, God of War: Ascension, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, MLB 13: The Show, NBA 2K13, The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, and Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3.

The NPD group didn’t release specific sales data, however according to GameSpot, the number 1 game, BioShock Infinite, sold 878,000 copies in March. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, which came in 6th place, sold 415,000 copies according to Nintendo. The sales figures for all of the games on the list include the standard edition of the games, collector’s edition, game of the year editions, and bundles, however, games that were purchased in hardware bundles (like the Nintendo 3DS/Luigi Mansion bundles) were not counted.

Total industry sales for March reached $992.5 million. While the sales figure is impressive, it is still a 10% decline year-over-year from March 2012. A majority of the sales were generated by the video games themselves, totaling $602.4 million. However, NPD Group analyst Liam Callahan says that the $992.5 million the game industry made only accounts for about half of what the market really spent in March. He says,

“When you consider our preliminary estimate for other physical format sales in March such as used and rentals at $190 million, and our estimate for digital format sales including full game and add-on content downloads including microtransactions, subscriptions, mobile apps, and the consumer spend on social network games at $670 million, we would estimate the total consumer spend in March to be just under $1.9 billion.”

The month of March turned out to be extremely beneficial to game publisher Take-Two Interactive, who published both BioShock Infinite as well as NBA 2K13. The sales it achieved with both games were the highest sales for any individual company monitored by the NPD Group since it began tracking sales in 1995. Also while sales in the game industry declined 10%, new game launches for last March were still 40% higher than March 2012. Hopefully we see the momentum of March continue on throughout April in the NPD Group’s next report.

[via IGN]

NPD lists the top ten best-selling games in March is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.