Are Microsoft Points Going to be Scrapped?

Chris Hare
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Are Microsoft Points Going to be Scrapped?

Microsoft Points will be scrapped in favour of gift cards and credit card transactions, a report has suggested. The new system is expected to be introduced at E3 or Microsoft’s next Xbox unveiling event, according to The Verge, although it is unlikely to extend to the Xbox 360.

xbox 360

 

A Microsoft spokesperson said that it is “clear its points system is in the early stages of being phased out fully in favour of a local currency one”.

The gift cards, which will be similar to Apple iTunes vouchers, are expected to work across a range of Windows 8 products.

The future of MS Points was called into question last year, after it was revealed that the latest Windows 8 beta enabled users to pay for video content using cash instead of Microsoft’s own currency system.

Microsoft will likely explain its plans at the next Xbox unveiling event on May 21, which is believed to focus on hardware and services.

‘Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag’ Edward Kenway Talks About a Pirates Life

Chris Hare
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0
‘Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag’ Edward Kenway Talks About a Pirates Life

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag has been given a new gameplay trailer by Ubisoft. The latest Black Flag video is narrated by lead character Edward Kenway, who talks about the pirate way of life.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iys4wq7O_fQ?feature=player_detailpage%5D

The trailer also teases multiple gaming environments, from lush jungle temples to occupied cities. Kenway is also seen assassinating targets and boarding rival ships.

Confirmed earlier this year, Assassin’s Creed 4 will be set in the Caribbean in 1715, with players taking control of Edward Kenway, the grandfather of Assassin’s Creed 3 protagonist Connor Kenway.

Said to be the biggest Assassin’s Creed game yet, it will feature 50 unique locations including the cities of Havana, Kingston and Nassau, as well as fishing villages, smugglers’ coves, plantations and jungles.

With Desmond’s story concluded, the player themselves will assume the hero in the present day setting, working for Abstergo and researching Kenway’s backstory.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag will release on 1st November in Europe and 29th October  in North America on Xbox 360, PC, Wii U, the PS3 and PS4.

Sony Trademarks “Greatness Awaits” Slogan

Chris Hare
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0
Sony Trademarks “Greatness Awaits” Slogan

Sony has trademarked PS4 marketing slogan “Greatness Awaits”, it has been revealed. The trademark was discovered by Siliconera, the same source that leaked Sony’s alleged PS4 advertising plans.

ps4-controller

The PS4 TV advert will reportedly feature football players, giant robots, dragons, smoke, fire, explosions, overturned cars and spaceships from Killzone.

It begins with a man speaking to the camera while making his way through a quiet town. As the actor poses more questions to the viewer, the scenes become increasingly chaotic.

Unveiled earlier this year, the PS4 has been compared to a “supercharged PC”. It features an x86 CPU, enhanced PC GPU and 8GB RAM. Sony recently confirmed that the PS4 will include a headset and a large hard drive, and that controllers will be able to charge while the system is in standby mode.

BBC iPlayer launches on Windows Phone 8 Out Now

Chris Hare
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0
BBC iPlayer launches on Windows Phone 8 Out Now

BBC iPlayer is available on Windows Phone 8 devices. The free streaming app can be downloaded from the Window Phone Store from today (15th May).

bbc_iplayer_mobile

The BBC iPlayer app allows users to stream weekly on-demand TV and radio content over WiFi and 3G from Windows handsets.

However, despite plans to make the BBC iPlayer app available for Windows Phone 7.5, platform limitations have led to its cancellation.

“Unfortunately, platform limitations with Windows Phone 7.5 have meant we’ve been unable to provide the same quality playback experience as on Windows Phone 8,” explained the BBC’s Dave Price.

“This led to the joint decision not to make BBC iPlayer available on Windows Phone 7.5.

“Although this is disappointing, Windows Phone 8 currently make up the majority of all Windows Phones on the market and this number is expected to grow.

“I therefore hope more of you will get to enjoy BBC programmes on the go with iPlayer with Windows Phone 8 devices.”

Download the BBC iPlayer app from the Windows Phone Store

Namco Bandai to Host ‘Tales of Xillia’ & ‘Project X Zone’ Comps at MCM London Comic Con

Chris Hare
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0
Namco Bandai to Host ‘Tales of Xillia’ & ‘Project X Zone’ Comps at MCM London Comic Con

Namco Bandai to Host ‘Tales of Xillia’ and ‘Project X Zone’ Comps at MCM London Comic Con

To celebrate the launch of Tales of Xillia and Project X Zone, Namco Bandai Games UK is playing host to two awesome competitions at the MCM London Comic Con – both taking place between 10.00am and 11.00am on Saturday 25 May.

mcm expo london 2013

The help get the party started, Tales of Xillia producer Hideo Baba-San will be selecting three of his favourite ‘Tales of…’ fans, based on their love for the series; the lucky winners could not only scoop a Tales of Xillia X limited edition PS3 but also have lunch with the man himself. For more details on how to enter the competition, just follow this link: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=528907090503713&set=a.233302696730822.59518.233213603406398&type=1&theatre

mcm expo london 2013 2

Next up is Namco Bandai’s Project X Zone cosplay competition where the rules are simple – come dressed as any of the characters on the box art and the best dressed will win a copy of the game at launch! To see the box art and for more details, click here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=530263653701390&set=a.233302696730822.59518.233213603406398&type=1&theater

Tickets for MCM London Comic Con are available at: www.mcmcomiccon.com/london/tickets

Black Ops 2 Double XP This Weekend (17th/20th May)

Chris Hare
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0
Black Ops 2 Double XP This Weekend (17th/20th May)

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 developer Treyarch will be hosting a Double weapon XP event this weekend. The news comes via a new in-game message, confirming that the Double XP weekender would start 17th May.

Black Ops 2 Double Weapon XP

“Don’t even think about resting those thumbs, because Double Weapon XP weekend is coming this Friday, 17th May, starting at 10am/PDT and running though Monday, 20th May at 10am/PDT,” says the message.

‘Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures’ Announced by Namco Bandai

Chris Hare
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0
‘Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures’ Announced by Namco Bandai

Namco Bandai has announced Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures. The game will see the return of the classic character on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U, with a separate side-scrolling version for the Nintendo 3DS.

It will follow the story of the forthcoming Disney XD animated series of the same name.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbC6b3gl3Lc?feature=player_detailpage%5D

“The game revolves around the vibrant universe of Pac-World, where Pacworlders lived in peace until the mischievous Netherworld ghosts, led by their wicked leader Betrayus, escaped from their ghoulish domain to forcibly take control of Pac-World,” said the company.

“Pac-World’s only hope lies in the last surviving yellow Pacworlder, our hero with a voracious appetite.”

Pac Man and the Ghostly Adventures

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures will combine the classic game mechanics with a series of new power ups.

“As one of the most iconic and popular video game characters, Pac-Man has virtually become the symbol of our company,” said senior vice-president of Namco Bandai Games Europe Olivier Comte.

“As a wish to renew the Pac-Man franchise and bring it to the new generation of gamers, we are proud to introduce a brand new concept in the Pac-Man universe, with Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures.”

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures will debut in winter 2013.

A closer look at accessories for the Nokia Lumia 925 in pictures

Andrew Edney
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0
A closer look at accessories for the Nokia Lumia 925 in pictures

CDW - Nokia Lumia 925 Reveal - 76

Yesterday in London Nokia announced their new Lumia 925 Windows 8 Smartphone and we were on hand to get a look at it – so here are some pictures of some of the accessories that will be available.

There is a wireless charging cover available in all the Nokia Lumia colours:

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And some of the other accessories include wireless headphones, charging stands, speakers and more.

Monster have a Nokia Purity Pro Stereo Headset (the BH-940):

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There are JBL PowerUp Wireless Charging Speakers:

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Charging mats:

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A wireless charging car charger (the CR-200):

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There is even a range of Man of Steel accessories to coincide with the new film:

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We also recorded an exclusive 15 minute video in which we get to take a closer look at the Lumia 925 and also see a number of the new features in action:

What do you think of the Nokia Lumia 925? Let is know by leaving a comment below.

EA to Open LA Dice Studio

Chris Hare
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0
EA to Open LA Dice Studio
EA is to open a new LA studio which will house a new section of Battlefield developer DICE. According to a report on the Wall Street Journal begins, “Electronic Arts, fresh off announcing it cut 10 percent of its workforce to trim costs, is investing in a new Los Angeles studio for its Stockholm-based DICE game developer with the goal of poaching talent from rivals like Activision Blizzard.”
DICE’s general manager Karl-Magnus Troedsson also told the site, “There is an extreme talent pool over that we want a part of. It’s no secret that our main competitor is there,” not doubt referring to Activision.
EA logo
EA has already revealed that DICE, Visceral Games and BioWare would be making Star Wars games, so it seems very possible that the first project for this new studio could very well be set in the world of Luke Skywalker.

BlackBerry Launches New Social Media Service BBM Channels

Chris Hare
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0
BlackBerry Launches New Social Media Service BBM Channels

Yesterday BlackBerry unveiled a new social media service, BBM Channels. The smartphone company launched its latest product at the BlackBerry Live 2013 event with the support of F1 driver Lewis Hamilton.

BBM Logo blackberry-bbm-channels-lewis-hamilton

BBM Channels will enable users to chat about topics on their favourite companies or artists, as well as interact with them.

BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins revealed that the F1 Mercedes AMG Petronas team would be among the first companies to feature on BBM Channels.

BBM Channels is currently available in beta with a full release due later in the year.

The news comes as BlackBerry also announced that it would make the popular BBM messaging app available on iPhone and Android for free later this summer.

A closer look at the Nokia Lumia 925 in pictures

Andrew Edney
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1
A closer look at the Nokia Lumia 925 in pictures

CDW - Nokia Lumia 925 Reveal - 3

Yesterday in London Nokia announced their new Lumia 925 Windows 8 Smartphone and we were on hand to get a look at it – so here are some pictures.

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And here are some closer shots:

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Here is the new Lumia 925 with my iPhone 5:

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And the complete range of Lumia Windows 8 phones:

CDW - Nokia Lumia 925 Reveal - 82

We also recorded an exclusive 15 minute video in which we get to take a closer look at the Lumia 925 and also see a number of the new features in action:

What do you think of the Nokia Lumia 925? Let is know by leaving a comment below.

Watch the first 10 minutes of Remember Me

Andrew Edney
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0
Watch the first 10 minutes of Remember Me

RM_PressTour_nologo_19_thumb1_thumb

Capcom and DontNod will be releasing Remember Me in a few weeks and we have the first 10 minutes of gameplay for you.

And here it is:

And you can check out our preview of Remember Me here.

Remember Me will be available in June 2013 on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, is developed by DONTNOD Entertainment and published by Capcom. You can learn more from the Remember Me website.

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

Grid 2 WSR Part 3: Asia, New Frontiers video released

Andrew Edney
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0
Grid 2 WSR Part 3: Asia, New Frontiers video released

Codemasters have released a new video for Grid 2.

RaceNet-_In-Game_Drift_01_thumb3_thu

The WSR is heading to Asia in this latest video and features, clubs and locations from the region set to star in GRID 2.

Racers earn points for style and form in Drift events on steep and aggressive mountain roads filled with hairpins inspired by Okutama in Japan. Open Road racing is represented with Touge events in Hong Kong, where players must close the gap and take their chance to pass in one-on-one, contactless sprints.

The Street Racing category is showcased in Dubai, as cars power down highways and speed past stunning skyscrapers in this distinctive city fuelled by petrol-powered wealth. Track Racing is shown at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi, one of the most advanced and thrilling dedicated racing circuits in the world which has played host to a wide range of motorsport up to the very highest level.

And here it is:

GRID 2, the long-awaited sequel to the BAFTA-award winning, critically acclaimed Race Driver: GRID, will race into retail on 31st May for the Xbox 360 , PLAYSTATION 3 computer and PC.

There is also the Grid 2 website to check out.

Free Gears of War Judgment DLC Map Dreadnought out today

Andrew Edney
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0
Free Gears of War Judgment DLC Map Dreadnought out today

Gears of War: Judgment has unveiled new DLC. The second Maxim-sponsored multiplayer map, Dreadnought is available today.

gears-of-war-judgment-dreadnought

Playable in OverRun mode, Dreadnought is set on the naval vessel CNV Pomeroy, on which the COG transported captured Locust Berserkers following Emergence Day.

“Little did they know that the Locust had waterborne beasts from the underground rivers of the Hollow, or that the Locust soldiers would use them so relentlessly to rescue the captured Berserkers,” reads the map’s description.

“The Pomeroy was corralled into a narrow channel and forced ashore, where the Locust sent a mass of troops to assault and overwhelm the beached vessel.”

gears-of-war-judgment-dreadnought-2

Maxim sponsored a previous DLC featuring the Haven map and new Execution mode, which debuted in March. The DLC will be available for free for a limited time. The first Maxim DLC remains free at this time. The new Gears of War: Judgment DLC is out now.

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