Rumour: The Next Xbox Will Require Internet Connection to Play Games & Apps

After Sony unveiled the Playstation 4 the ominous sound of defeat seemed to overshadow Microsoft. An April event was scheduled by Microsoft to showcase their new console but was pushed back to May. We already know that Microsoft has dev-kits out and about with custom zebra printed cases and controllers; so that if leaked images surface Microsoft can track the leak. There are also reports that the next Xbox will have dual APUs.

Rumours have spread since the beginning of 2013 that the next Xbox would require constant online connection but now Kotaku has two more sources that can be added to the fold. The sources claim that Project Durango; the codename for the next console, will have to have internet connection to start games and apps but will be able to tolerate dropped connections.


The source told Kotaku, "Unless something has changed recently, Durango consumer units must have an active internet connection to be used."


"If there isn't a connection, no games or apps can be started," the source continued. "If the connection is interrupted then after a period of time--currently three minutes, if I remember correctly--the game/app is suspended and the network troubleshooter started."

The PS4 will not require an online connection to start or run games, Sony has confirmed.
No gaming console ever has.

This rumour centers around a feature that is definitely a deal-breaker for most gamers so Microsoft needs to take careful consideration with this. If indeed this is a huge sodium overload then all could be well as the next Xbox is speculated to up-to-par to Sony's PS4.

What do you think? Would you buy the next Xbox console if you are forced into chains with your internet provider?



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GTA V Screenshot Breakdown

by Roger Havens

Have you been dying for more Grand Theft Auto V news? Well thanks to the fine folks over at Rockstar Games, we now have 10 new screenshots that we can analyse and comb through. Give em a look and enjoy. Please keep in mind that Rockstar clearly stated that these screenshots are all from current gen consoles. For one, this game looks awfully good for current gen. Secondly, is Rockstar making a next gen version of the game? Is that partly why the game was delayed until September? One can only hope.

Maybe I am just being picky, but Rockstar, where is the brake handles? That question aside, this might show a new gameplay mechanic. As you can see in the background the cops are chasing Trevor, and they are hanging off of the side of the vehicle. Will they be able to jump on to your car if they get close enough? Or will this be a new ability that the players can use similar to Just Cause 2? Either way this should be fun to have in game.

Now here is an interesting picture. There appears to be a filter on the photo giving it the color affect as well as the lens flare on the tail lights. Although this could have been done just for the heck of it, another possibility comes to mind. Will GTA V have a film editor where you can record gameplay and create your own pictures? Just imagine taking a screenshot of your awesome stunt jump and editing the picture to your hearts desire. Awesome.

Here is a great shot to show off the vast world of Grand Theft Auto V. You can see a dirt road trailing up the left side of the screen. A great hill for a bike ride I presume. As far as you can see there are no sky scrapers or big buildings. Which means that Los Santos is somewhere else, maybe over the farthest mountain. Remember Rockstar did say that this game map would be larger than GTA: San Andreas, GTA IV and Red Red Redemption all put together.

You all know how it goes. You hop into your newly acquired green Infernus and speed down the road. Burning cars litter the road behind you. Just another day in your GTA world. It looks like escaping from your carnage wont be any easier this time around. This time Police helicopters have attached spotlights to keep track of your every movement. As we saw in a previous screenshot, cops can also use laser assisted weapons to shoot from helicopters. Should make for some excited cop chases!

This isn't the first time we've seen a mini gun in a GTA game, but still this image gets me very excited. For one, look at the fire effect on the tree. Is there going to be a progressive fire system like Far Cry 2? The fire seems to have spread off of the cop car and is now engulfing the the tree in flames. This could be a new game changer. Also, it is important to note that Franklin is wearing a bandanna to cover his face. Could this be a new ability to help mask your identity from the police?

Skydiving. We've all be there before. But this time around it looks like it will be cranked up to 11. Maybe the sky level will be much, much higher. The plane above looks like there is a door in the back where you can jump out of. Will this be a new mini game? We shall surely see.

Scuba diving will be a new feature in GTA V, but how in-depth will it be? I can only hope that there will be a  plethora of hidden collectibles or treasures. Hopefully just treasures, because I feel that searching for 300 hidden sea mollusks in a coral reef would be a tad bit tedious. Either way I want the under water feature to be fleshed out.

Just look at those colors. "Would you just look at it?" Sunsets look to be a promising vista in this game. The lighting effects are superb. Also as you can see in the background, a couple of buildings are under renovation. I don't know if this will do anything to change up the gameplay or if it is just a part of their world but it will be interesting to see.

This is just an awesome screenshot. Here you can see the protagonist Michael leaning on his Buffalo. Is he waiting for the next mission to start, or will this be the Fallout 3 version of sitting on a chair? The only other thing here is the attention to detail. Random items litter the alleys, and electricity meters are on the side of the building. But this is nothing new to the talented people at Rockstar Games.

And we saved the best for last. Not only is this a beautiful shot of the pier and the buildings in the distance, but you can see the dynamic weather system is in full effect. Lightning strikes in the distance and the sea is being stirred up by the storm. That water sure is pretty. Looks like we will have waves this time. Maybe their will be a mini game for putting out fires from lightning strikes!

                                                                               ~
Thanks for reading through this analysis of a few GTA V screenshots. I hope you are excited for this game as much as I am. Please leave a comment of anything that you noticed and what your are hoping to see in the game.

Roger Havens- Reviews Editor
@Afro_Gear
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4/2/13

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Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Gameplay Trailer & Special Editions Detailed

Ubisoft has revealed a lot about about the upcoming release of Assassin's Creed Iv: Black Flag. A set of collector's editions in Europe and North America and a new VIP-only program for Assassin's Creed: 4 Black Flag were revealed today, alongside the game's first gameplay trailer.

Assassin's Creed 4 will have four different collector's editions in the UK and Ireland, and one in North America, depending on how you preorder and purchase the game. The "Black Chest" edition is exclusive to Ubisoft's proprietary Uplay network and includes "everything a true Assassin's Creed fan could desire," including a diorama figurine of protagonist Captain Edward Kenway, an art book, and all of the existing unlockable in-game content available in the other versions.

The "Buccaneer Edition" will be available at Game in the UK and Gamestop, the "Skull Edition," available market-wide in the UK, and the "Special Edition," which is exclusive to Game in the UK and Xtravision in Ireland. Gamers in North America can order the "Black Island" pack through Gamestop. The contents of all five editions are available in this post.

Ubisoft has also announced "The Watch," a VIP program available for customers who pre-order the game from the Uplay service, Game and Amazon in the UK or Gamestop in Ireland. The Watch grants bonus content and a deeper look at the world of the Assassin's Creed series, and members will be able to "take part in an exclusive quest designed specifically for VIP members."

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is scheduled for release October 29 in North America and November 1 in Europe, on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Wii U and Windows PC.

The Black Chest Edition (Uplay exclusive)

click to enlarge

• Premium Quality 55 cm Diorama of Captain Edward on the Jackdaw’s Bow
• Exclusive SteelBook™
• High-quality artbook
• The official soundtrack
• 2 Lithographs in their protective envelope
• 2 canvas prints
• All existing additional Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
• Unlockable In-Game Content, including single player missions, skins and weapons
• Collector’s box
• Physical pirate booty: Parchment world map and an original Black Flag replica

The Buccaneer Edition (exclusive to Game in the UK & Gamestop in Ireland)

click to enlarge

• Premium Quality Edward Kenway Figurine on the Jackdaw’s Crow’s Nest
• High-quality artbook
• The official soundtrack
• 2 Lithographs in their protective envelope
• Collector’s box
• Additional Unlockable In-game Content

The Skull Edition (UK market-wide)

click to enlarge

• Collector Jumbo Steel Case
• High-quality artbook
• The official soundtrack
• 2 Lithographs in their protective envelope
• Unlockable In-game Content

The Special Edition (exclusive to Game in the UK & Xtravision in Ireland)

click to enlarge

• Unlockable in-game content only available at game launch.

The Black Island Pack (available in North America at Gamestop)

• The dark and dangerous treasure-hunting quest: Black Island
• The deadly Black Ship
• Legendary silver flintlock pistols used by Captain Morgan
• Valuable multiplayer items including Captain Morgan’s costume, picture, and title

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360 x 2 = Marcus Fenix

As the reveal of Microsoft's next console looms before us, I find myself strangely drawn to my Xbox 360. Recently I mused that if I sold it now I'd get a much better price than I would after the Xbox 720, or whatever it will end up being called, will be announced. But I find myself strangely drawn to the loud white box that sits beneath my television, which has no internal wifi and whose faceplate needs to be taken off in order to open the disk drive and put back on in order to turn it off.
I recently gained access to all three Gears of War games, and have already sunk in a few hours into the first one. It has aged somewhat well with time - the difficulties seem fair, the combat system is impeccable, and it has split screen coop - but the charm only stretches so far.

Gears of War: featuring shiny faced Marcus Fenix

The AI in the game is completely senseless, the color scheme brings the word 'intolerable' to mind, and the levels consist of move shoot, move shoot, with very little variety.
When Gears of War came out in 2006, it was the highest rated shooter to come out for the Xbox 360 at a 94 on Metacritic. It helped define the console as one for hardcore gamers, who could appreciate a shooter. Halo 3, which helped perpetuate this culture, didn't come out for almost an entire year after Gears. And now, as we begin to wave goodbye to the 360, Judgement comes out to wave as well - if there is another Gears game coming out, I'm guessing the series will move on to the 720.

Now with more grunting.

As will the gaming community, I suppose. I will always have fond memories of my 360, and I have yet to make a decision on whether or not I'll trade it in - I certainly won't make that decision until backwards compatibility is confirmed. But, as with Gears of War, over time it will lose more and more of its appeal.
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Media RoundUp; Bioshock Infinite, Battlefield 4, Beyond: Two Souls, Metro: Last Light, Dead Island: Riptide

Hello and welcome to the Media RoundUp where in one thread you get to see some of the best videos, screenshots, and images posted and archived around the net. On today's menu we have Bioshock Infinite, Battlefield 4, Metro: Last Light, Dead Island: Riptide, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel, Beyond: Two Souls, a curious photo that could be the Xbox "Durango" Dev Kit, and a teasing image of a video in the editing process that could very well be The Phantom Pain GDC trailer. Enjoy.

BioShock Infinite 

'Waking Up in Columbia' & 'Columbia Raffle and Fair' Videos

Bioshock Infinite releases on March 26th worldwide. Learn all about the new powers that you'll use as Booker as you attempt to save Elizabeth.

Battlefield 4 "Prepare 4 Battle: Sea" & "Land" Teasers

Battlefield 4 is set to be officially announced next week at GDC on March 26th. The Official website has launched.

Metro: Last Light First 10 Minutes of Gameplay

Set for release on May 14 (NA), May 17 (EU) Metro: Last Light is being brought to you by new owner Deep Silver (Dead Island).

Dead Island: Riptide "They Thought Wrong" Trailer

Techland is bringing Dead Island: Riptide to shelves on April 23 (NA), April 26 (EU) and the game's story picks up right after where Dead Island left off, as the four survivors find themselves on the island of Palanai in the Banoi archipelago, where it has been overrun by zombies.

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen 
'Mystic Knight' Gameplay Video

Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel Launch Trailer

Beyond: Two Souls Gameplay & Screens

Set for October 8, 2013 Quantic Dream's psychological/spiritual thriller is only for PS3 and is one of the most anticipated titles of the year.

We have a curious and intriguing photograph posted by Tequila Works on Twitter of what could be the Xbox "Durango" dev kit...

New hardware. When we manage to make it work it will be amazing. twitter.com/tequilaworks/s…
— Tequila Works (@tequilaworks) March 20, 2013

And finally we are beyond teased with what appears to be a video in the process of being edited with Hideo Kojima's credited. Could this be The Phantom Pain's GDC Trailer?

こちらのレンズフレアはこんな感じw twitter.com/Kojima_Hideo/s…
— 小島秀夫 (@Kojima_Hideo) March 21, 2013

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Durango Rumors: Next Xbox to be “Always On, Always Connected”

by Greg Woolston

New details regarding Microsoft’s next home console “Durango” have been revealed according to new screen shots from the Durango XDK developer package. This information was posted to vgleaks.com, and according to an article on IGN this seems to be accurate. The screen shots shown from vgleaks.com show the setup wizard for the XDK as well as some details of what the next Xbox will offer.

Source: vgleaks.com

The hardware overview details many things about the new Microsoft console including performance updates over the Xbox 360, and that development architecture will be very similar to what developers are currently used to working with. The most interesting points for me included the details of the system being “Always On, Always Connected”, the “new high-fidelity Kinect Sensor, which will be required for the system to operate”, and the mandatory game installs. The entirety of the notes can be read below in the screen shot from vgleaks.com.

Source: vgleaks.com

The idea of an always on, always connected console is a little troubling. We are familiar with the always-on feature, which will also be similarly featured in the new Playstation 4. The ability for the console to quickly transition from sleep to game is a very exciting new console feature that I am looking forward to. However, I am not as excited about an always-connected console. The biggest problem with this setup is that if you don’t have an Internet connection than you’re out of luck if you want to play any games. Even though we live in a fairly advanced society where Internet is readily available in most areas there are some parts of the world where Internet access is still unavailable. Not to mention countries where there are home Internet data caps, which could lead to higher Internet bills for those affected. I hope that there will be a work around of some kind, because if the console is inoperable without an Internet connection than Microsoft will alienate a portion of their consumer base. This feature could also confirm that Microsoft is planning on eliminating the use of used games.

Used games could also become obsolete for this new system based on the fact that the system will always be connected, and that games will have to be installed onto the hard drive. While “disc media will be used for distribution” games will not be played from the optical drive. Games will, however, be able to be played while they are installing so that gamers don’t have to wait for the entire game to install. Mandatory game installs could spell an end for used games just like PC games have done for decades. Many gamers rely on buying used games to save their hard earned money. This is a topic that I don’t really want to explore at this time, but I feel that prohibiting the use of used games in the coming console generation could be a deadly strategy. Given the right amount of hard drive space I really like the idea of having all my games on the hard drive ready to play, and having a hard copy for my game collection.

The new Kinect sensor is going to be a mandatory accessory boxed with every console according to the notes. This is similar to what we expect from the PS4 with the Playstation Eye. I bet that the new Kinect will be heavily integrated into the console’s operating system, as well as most games that come out in some way or another. Like it or not motion gaming on the new Xbox is coming. The improvements to the sensor will hopefully make the experience with the new Kinect better, and be able to deliver for all of those that are pumped about the inevitable new Dance Central game.

I am eagerly anticipating the reveal of the next Xbox. Even though I have been a Playstation gamer since the days of the PSOne, competition in this industry is essential for driving it forward. A lot of features detailed in this leak are very exciting and if implemented correctly could be differentiating. But, some of them could spell disaster for one of the big three console manufacturers. We will have to wait and see.

Written by Greg Woolston

Junior Tech Editor

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Assassin’s Creed III The Tyranny of King Washington 'The Betrayal' Available Today

Today, Ubisoft announces the launch of The Betrayal, the second episode in the three-part Assassin’s Creed III – The Tyranny of King Washington downloadable content series, on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and Windows PCs. This episode will be available for PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system starting tomorrow, March 20.

The Betrayal continues the next chapter in hero Ratonhnhaké:ton’s war against the mad King George Washington, taking gamers to Boston to find an unlikely ally. Ratonhnhaké:ton will discover a new ability- the power of the eagle, which empowers him to quickly fly across short distances and hone in on enemies for precise and brutal assassinations.

The final episode of Assassin’s Creed III – The Tyranny of King Washington: The Redemption will release on April 23 for the Microsoft’s Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and Windows PCs, and April 24 on PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system.

All episodes of the Tyranny of King Washington are available through the Assassin’s Creed III Season Pass, which is available for purchase for 2400 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE or £23.99 on the PlayStation Network and Windows PC. Season Pass provides access to all Assassin’s Creed III downloadable content packs. Each episode of The Tyranny of King Washington will be available for purchase separately as a single DLC pack for 800 Microsoft points or $9.99.

All Assassin’s Creed III downloadable content packs will also be available on the Wii U through the Nintendo eShop.

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