Xbox One without Kinect coming next month

Microsoft just done a new major reversal comes today in the form of a Kinect-less Xbox One. This comes after Microsoft repeatedly said that Kinect is an “integral part of the Xbox One experience”.

Xbox One without Kinect

The announcement is made in a post on Xbox Wire titled “Delivering More Choices for Fans.” Beginning 9th June, users in all markets will be able to purchase the Xbox One without the Kinect at £349 / €399/ $399.

Microsoft will sell a standalone Kinect sensor for Xbox One later for people that want a Kinect in the future.

What do you think about Microsoft doing Xbox One without the Kinect.

New Grid Autosport Gameplay from Codemasters

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Today Codemasters revealed a new video showcasing the Touring Car discipline, one of the five unique styles of racing set to star in the game’s new world of professional motorsport.

In the video, gameplay footage of GRID Autosport’s Touring Car discipline shows how this famously competitive style of racing will be experienced in-game. Cars go head-to-head in robust packs, with drivers trading paint and crashing out as no quarter is asked, nor given, out on the track. The video also features Touring Car racing drivers explaining what players need to succeed in this discipline, including 2013 BTCC Champion Andrew Jordan from Pirtek Racing, Team Dynamics’ Matt Neal, and Motorbase Performance’s eight-time touring car title winner Fabrizio Giovanardi who comments, “You need to be fast, you need to be clever – it’s a fighting race, not just a speed race.”

Touring Cars was a popular style of racing from Codemasters’ classic TOCA series and to bring this style of racing into GRID Autosport, Codemasters has consulted with drivers to authentically recreate the handling of the cars and bring alive this unique racing experience. Matt Neal, three-time winner of the BTCC and one of the drivers who has lent his expertise to the Codemasters development team, explains the enduring appeal of this style of racing in the video, “It’s the cut and thrust, it’s the physicality of it all, getting your elbows out and getting stuck in. You need to know when to be aggressive at the right point and you’ve got to be very wary of who you’ve got around you.”

Touring Cars represented in the game include both modern and classic cars. Contemporary examples include the Honda Civic Touring Car, Ford Focus ST Touring Car, the Holden VF Commodore and its rival the Ford Falcon FG plus many more. Classic content includes the Nissan 1991 (R32) Skyline GT-R Group A and the Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth Group A, two cars which fought out dramatic battles on track, plus the MINI Miglia and more. Touring races are held on the game’s real-world circuits, including the world famous Brands Hatch and Bathurst tracks, and offer players truly dramatic, immediate and intense racing.

grid autosport

In GRID Autosport’s huge career, gamers will specialise in their favourite racing discipline or conquer them all; players will feel the aggression of the pack in Touring Cars, manage tyre wear and race into the night in Endurance events, race Open-Wheel cars with precision, show car control in Tuner events and react on the fly in Street races. Each unique category features series dedicated to different classes, including Touring Cars, Hypercars, Endurance GT Cars, Prototypes, Single-Seaters, Super Modified vehicles, Drift cars and many, many more. Bursting with content, GRID Autosport features over 100 routes across 22 incredible locations and the world’s most exciting contemporary and classic high-performance racing cars to collect, tune and upgrade.

GRID Autosport is set to ship on 24th June in the USA and release on 27th June in Europe for the Xbox 360, Windows PC from Steam and for the PS3. A limited edition of GRID Autosport featuring exclusive additional content including the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Black Series Car, GRID Autosport Black Edition, is available to pre-order from GAME in the UK.

New Dev Speak video released for WildStar – Raids

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Carbine Studio’s has released a new Dev Speak video for Wildstar.

This new Dev Speak video is all about Raids:

At a recent event I had the opportunity to talk with Stephan Frost (the voice of Dev Speak) about Raids:

Wildstar will be released on the PC next month.

What do you think of Wildstar? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

A Closer Look at the new Motorola Moto E Android Smartphone

Motorola just announced their new £89 Android KitKit smartphone, the Moto E and we got some hands-on with it.

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Here are some more images:

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And here is a short video showing it in action:

What do you think of the new Moto E? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Moto G gets updated with 4G model

Motorola today also announced an updated version of the Motorola Moto G.  The new Motorola Moto G will come equipped with added 4G, so you’ll be able to get a fast connection on the move. The new Moto G will also have a microSD card slot, so you’ll be able to expand the storage beyond the slightly limited 8GB that the original model shipped with.

moto g

That means an extra 32GB of storage on the go. Plus the new Moto G 4G should be available in 8GB or 16GB versions. The Moto G 4G is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor running at 1.2GHz and backed by 1GB of RAM.

The 4.3-inch screen will pump out a 1280 x 720 resolution for 329ppi. The camera on the new Moto G with 4G, there’s been no upgrade to the 5-megapixel shooter with LED flash that will come with the Moto G 4G.

The new handset will be on sale within a few weeks and it will be priced at £149, and will be available in white or black variants and will come with the latest Android 4.4 KitKat OS.

 

Motorola Welcomes the Moto E to the family

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Motorola has announced its new Moto E, so all the leaks from the past was all correct. The device said by Motorola is affordable handset that’s also tough.

The Motorola also said that the Moto E is water-resistant, scratch-resistant, with a all day battery and will get the latest Android updates when they’re released. All that and it’s affordable enough for everyone.

Moto E

Priced at £89 unlocked with no contract.

Android v4.4 (KitKat) OS

  • Wi-Fi Enabled
  • 3G connectivity, no LTE
  • FM Radio
  • 1.2 GHz MSM8x10 (Snapdragon 200) Dual Core Processor with Adreno 302 graphics
  • Corning Gorilla Glass 3
  • Dual Standby SIM (GSM + GSM)
  • 5 MP Primary Camera, no front-facing shooter
  • 4.3-inch Touchscreen @ 960×540 resolution
  • 1GB of RAM
  • 4GB internal storage with up to 32GB of microSD expansion
  • Dual-SIM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5Asedlj2cw

There’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.2GHz dual-core chipset under the hood and 1GB of RAM, with ppi of 256.

There’s only 4GB of storage internally, although there is a microSD card slot of expansion of up to 32GB.

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It launches with Android 4.4 KitKat, as seen in the Moto G, The 1980mAh battery is enough to offer all day use claims Motorola.

The Moto E is 124.8 x 64.8 x 12.3mm and weighs in at 140g. It comes with 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS with GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.0, micro USB, FM radio and a 3.5mm audio jack.

The Moto E will be available in black, lemon and turquoise among other colours as you can change the black of the smartphones like you can with the Moto G. The Moto E will hit the shelves this week in nine different colours.

New Guardians of the Galaxy images released

From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team—the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Guardians

An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand—with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.

Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy</p>
<p>Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt)</p>
<p>Ph: Jay Maidment</p>
<p>©Marvel 2014Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy</p>
<p>Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt)</p>
<p>Ph: Jay Maidment</p>
<p>©Marvel 2014Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy</p>
<p>Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt)</p>
<p>Ph: Jay Maidment</p>
<p>©Marvel 2014Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy</p>
<p>Nebula (Karen Gillan)</p>
<p>Ph: Jay Maidment</p>
<p>©Marvel 2014Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy</p>
<p>Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt)</p>
<p>Ph: Jay Maidment</p>
<p>©Marvel 2014Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy</p>
<p>Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt)</p>
<p>Ph: Jay Maidment</p>
<p>©Marvel 2014Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy</p>
<p>L to R: Star-Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Groot (Voiced by Vin Diesel), Rocket Racoon (Voiced by Bradley Cooper), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) and Gamora (Zoe Saldana).  </p>
<p>©Marvel 2014

Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which first appeared in comic books in Marvel Super-Heroes, Issue #18 (Jan. 1969). James Gunn is the director of the film with Kevin Feige producing, and Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Alan Fine and Stan Lee serve as executive producers. The story is by Nicole Perlman and James Gunn, with screenplay by James Gunn. Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” releases in UK cinemas on August 1, 2014.

Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition Coming to Consoles 19th August

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Today Blizzard has announced the release date for Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls Evil Edition coming 19th August. The Ultimate Evil edition contains Diablo 3 and the first expansion pack, Reaper of Souls, its was originally announced for the PS4.

How its confirmed also for PS3, Xbox 360 and the Xbox One, with a suggested retail price of $59.99 on PS4 and Xbox One, and $39.99 on PS3 and Xbox 360.

diablo 3 Reap of Souls consoles

Diablo 3 characters from the PS3 version will be transferable to either the PS3 or PS4 version of Ultimate Evil Edition, and Xbox 360 characters to the Xbox 360 or Xbox One version.

In addition to the Crusader hero and Act V, the Ultimate Evil Edition includes a revamp of the game’s loot system, an expanded Paragon progression system for max-level characters, and several other improvements to the Diablo III game experience, including:

  • Adventure Mode: A new game mode that gives players the freedom to go anywhere and slay anything
  • Bounties: Randomized objectives that reward players in new ways for exploring Sanctuary
  • Nephalem Rifts: Fully randomized dungeons offering endless replayability and heaps of loot
  • Level Cap to 70: Formidable new spells and abilities that take players to new heights of power
  • The Mystic: A powerful new artisan who provides heroes with loot-customization options

Those who preorder their copy of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edition will also receive the exclusive Infernal Pauldrons bonus in-game item. Wearable at level 1, these devilishly sharp transmogrifiable shoulderplates provide Health, Life regeneration, and Cooldown Reduction. The key for the Infernal Pauldrons will be available in launch day copies of the Ultimate Evil Edition (cannot be transferred across platforms).
In addition, players who fought the forces of evil in the original PS3 or Xbox 360 versions of Diablo III will be able to continue their crusade against death. PS3 characters from the original game can be transferred to either the PS3 or PS4 version of the Ultimate Evil Edition, and Xbox 360 characters can be transferred to the Xbox 360 or Xbox One version.

Get drawing your favourite Pokémon in Pokémon Art Academy

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Get your stylus and start your Pokémon-drawing journey in Pokémon Art Academy launching on 4th, exclusively on Nintendo 2DS and the 3DS systems. This Pokémon-themed iteration of the Art Academy series offers budding illustrators and Pokémon fans alike 40 lessons to learn how to paint, sketch and draw with beloved Pokémon characters. Along the way, students of Pokémon Art Academy can pick up actual illustration skills that they can transfer onto real canvas or paper, or share their digital masterpieces with the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S8ORG7HCdk

The Art Academy series made its debut on Nintendo DS in 2009, offering a comprehensive virtual art studio with a variety of realistically behaving art materials. Wield the stylus with tactile precision on the Touch Screen to use the plethora of paint, pencils and pastels. What sets the Art Academy series apart are its easy-to-follow lessons with step-by-step guides that teach genuine painting and drawing techniques. A friendly tutor takes students of all ages through these lessons, each of which breaks down complex-looking images into simple steps.

Gradually, players pick up more and new techniques that allow anyone to create artwork they can be proud of. Whilst previous Art Academy titles were focused on traditional and fine art, this Pokémon-themed iteration lets players try their hand at illustration. So join the Pokémon Art Academy and meet Professor Andy, who teaches players to draw and train their creative skills – beginning with starter Pokémon and working up to legendary masterpieces.

draw pokemon

Every artist needs tools, and the Touch Screen toolbox once again houses a bright range of pencils, pastels and paint. There are also art materials brand new to the series, such as Markers that make block colours with clean sharp edges, and Airbrushes that allow for a fine graduation of colour. In addition, the new Outline Pen leaves a smooth line that cannot be coloured over – perfect for cartoon drawings with slick borders. Finally, players need not worry about making mistakes when experimenting, as the new Undo feature allows the removal of several previously made steps from a masterpiece-in-progress.

Pokémon Art Academy boasts 40 lessons in which players can encounter favourite Pokémon from throughout the series – even including those from the recent Pokémon X and Pokémon Y games – such as Pikachu, Oshawott, Charizard, Torchic, Fletchling, Fennekin and many more! Students can progress through four different levels of lesson, beginning with first drawings in Starter, discovering new skills during Novice and Apprentice, and culminating with mastering a new talent in Graduate courses. They will first learn how to draw colourful Pokémon profiles, then build up Pokémon out of simple shapes like a cartoonist. Later lessons introduce colouring techniques such shading, shadow and depth that bring drawings to life. For the first time in the Art Academy series, it’s even possible to add a finishing touch by placing completed artwork against a selection of backgrounds for dramatic effect.

As players hone their skills, they can try out Free Paint mode, where Pokémon can be created in any style using the full range of tools. Over 100 reference pictures of Pokémon are included for inspiration, while images taken with Nintendo 3DS Camera can also be imported into the game. For those who want to keep their artistic juices flowing, there’s the new Quick Sketch mode where players can jump into short, simple drawings and practice producing Pokémon sketches quickly – perfect when out and about, or as daily practice.

All accomplishments can be saved into an album, as a truly personal collection of character cards featuring your artwork as the illustration, together with your signature. Share masterpieces locally with other Pokémon Art Academy players, or post them to Miiverse to show the world your greatest artistic triumphs.

Watch the X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST UK Premiere live stream tonight

The X-Men: Days of Future Past X-perience Global Tour is only just beginning! Join us tonight in London for the UK Premiere and see the stars arrive by watching the live stream!

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The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods in X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. The beloved characters from the original “X-Men” film trilogy join forces with their younger selves from “X-Men: First Class,” in an epic battle that must change the past – to save our future.

Here are some pictures from the New York Premiere:

Twentieth Century Fox Global Premiere of 'X-Men: Days of Future Past'Twentieth Century Fox Global Premiere of 'X-Men: Days of Future Past'Twentieth Century Fox Global Premiere of 'X-Men: Days of Future Past'Twentieth Century Fox Global Premiere of 'X-Men: Days of Future Past'

And watch the UK Premiere live stream at 5.45pm by clicking here.

X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST is released by Twentieth Century Fox Film Company nationwide on 22 May 2014.

All the Press Conferences Times for E3 2014 in one place

Here are the times of the Press Conferences for this years E3 event, we will be at all the events getting hands on, with all the new games and more. We got interviews and more already lined up for you all here at Connected Digital World.

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Here are the Press Conferences Times for this years E3 event

Microsoft   Monday, 9th June at 9:30 am PT, 12.30pm (ET), 5.30pm (BST)  
EA   Monday, 9th June at 1pm PT, 4pm (ET), 9pm (BST)  
Ubisoft   Monday 9th June at 3pm PT, 6pm (ET),11pm (BST)  
Sony   Monday, 9th June 9 at 6pm PT,9pm (ET) . Tuesday 10th June 2am (BST)  
Nintendo   Tuesday, 10th June at 9am PT, 12pm (ET), 5pm (BST)

New images released for TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION

Some new images have been released for TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION.

Optimus Still #1 (Optimus on his knees).jpg

A new chapter in the Transformers universe, “TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION” stars an all new live action cast lead by Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Li Bingbing , Kelsey Grammer, Sophia Myles, T. J. Miller, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor and Titus Welliver.

Bumblebee Still
“TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION” begins after an epic battle that left a great city torn, but with the world saved. As humanity picks up the pieces, a shadowy group reveals itself in an attempt to control the direction of history… while an ancient, powerful new menace sets Earth in its crosshairs.

Optimus still #2 (Sword pointing)

With help from a new cast of humans, Optimus Prime and the Autobots rise to meet their most fearsome challenge yet. In an incredible adventure, they are swept up in a war of good and evil, ultimately leading to a climactic battle across the world.

TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION is released July 10th.

Are you going to see it? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Two new power pieces released for X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

20th Century Fox have released two new power pieces featuring Mystique and Quicksilver.

XMEN

The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods in X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. The beloved characters from the original “X-Men” film trilogy join forces with their younger selves from “X-Men: First Class,” in an epic battle that must change the past – to save our future.

Mystique Power Piece

Quicksilver Power Piece

X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST is released by Twentieth Century Fox Film Company nationwide on 22 May 2014.

The Winners of our Dragon Age The Masked Empire from Titan Books contest

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Dragon Age The Masked Empire is the new Dragon Age novel from Titan Books, and we had 3 copies of the book to give away – here are the winners.

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Empress Celene of Orlais rose to the throne of the most powerful nation in Thedas through wisdom, wit, and ruthless manipulation. Now, the empire she has guided into an age of enlightenment is threatened from within by imminent war between the templars and the mages, even as rebellion stirs among the downtrodden elves To save Orlais, Celene must keep her hold on the throne by any means necessary.

Fighting with the legendary skill of the Orlesian Chevaliers , Grand Duke Gaspard has won countless battles for the empire and the empress But has he fought in vain? As the Circle fails and chaos looms, Gaspard begins to doubt that Celene’s diplomatic approach to the mage problem or the elven uprisings will keep the empire safe. Perhaps it is time for a new leader, one who lives by the tenets of the Chevalier’s Code, to make Orlais strong again.

Briala has been Celene’s handmaid since the two of them were children, subtly using her position to help improve the lives of elves across Orlais. She is Celene’s confidante, spymaster, and lover, but when politics force the empress to choose between the rights of Briala’s people and the Orlesian throne, Briala must in turn decide where her true loyalties lie.
Alliances are forged and promises broken as Celene and Gaspard battle for the throne of Orlais But in the end, the elves who hide in the forests or starve in the alienages may decide the fate of the masked empire.

The Winners

Mark Chamberlin

Julie Tift

Georgina Adams

Congratulations to the three winners – your books will be on their way to you shortly.

And thanks again to Titan Books for the books – keep checking Connected Digital World for more contests soon.