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Sony PS4 Announcement

So it looks like some of the info we posted previously was correct, including the controller.  Here are some of my notes from the announcement to get the discussion rolling.  What are your thoughts and comments?

Also, you can thank me for watching this press conference for you.  OMG!  Did anyone else think it was incredibly slow and not very moving?

Playstation Promise:  Simple, Personalization, Immediate, Integrated, Social

Focused on gamers but platform for other stuff?

Sharing experiences, connectivity between devices and ease of connection

Expand vita’s stuff

Expand titles and programs, instant game collection and day 1 digital

Living room no longer the center

How does next gen gamer want to play

Want to change gaming landscape – mobility, mobility, mobility…

Access to entertainment, social media and more = new platform?

Accessing content better and most personalized gaming experience

Socially enriched content

Leading authority on play – gamers think playstation is best place to play

Explain how PS3 was connected and changed the type of system gamers used, and then focus back on games?

X86cpu, Enhanced PC GPU, 8 GB Unified memory, local storage HDD, GDDR5 for system memory

Controller looks like the one that was leaked – new features, touch pad for input, share button and headphone jack, light bar as more friendly way to ID players, designed w/ stereo camera to track position of controller via light bar.  Share button on controller is central

Power button enters low power state – no longer booting, etc. – more like hibernation

Digital titles playable even as they are being downloaded

Social play is important, added hardware to support it, always on video compression and decompression systems

Transitioning to friends network based on real world friends, keeping alias and icon for anonymity, but most of new social dimensions will be interacting with friends from existing social networks.  Applications on smart phones, tablets, web platforms and Vita to allow gaming experience to carry beyond living room.

System can get to know you and bring you closer to games you want to play.  System learns your likes and dislikes and discover content PRELOADED on your console (WTF?).  Vision to download titles before you even have a chance to tell them you want the game?

Want to have a connected experience.  Gamer at center of playstation network.  Delivery of what gamers want most from their entertainment experience.  Fastest, most powerful network in the world.

Try it now feature of any game in store.  Instantly experience anything you want?

Buy only what you love?  So you get the game free and only pay if you like the game?

Facebook and UStream are partnering up with them.  Create first social gaming network for gaming.

Spectating on games.  This feature was on OnLive.  Use share button on PS4 controller.  Can broadcast from your game live to your friends.  Friends can post comments to your screen.  Ask your friend to take over your controller and assist.  They’re “building” this into the system – not yet?  New spectating tools for developers.

Enhancing their PS4 games on second screens.  Key feature is remote play.  It has been built into architecture of the hardware.  PS vita is the ultimate companion device for PS4.  Using full graphics of PS4 and taking advantage of PS Vita screen.  Long term goal is to make all titles playable on the PS Vita.

PS3 titles are NOT natively supported on PS4 – exploring vision of making PS3 games (or any other PS games) playable on any device by using some sort of cloud device.  Anything everywhere is the challenge and is vision of Playstation Cloud service.

POSSIBLE TITLES– at release?

Knack

Killzone Shadow Fall?

Drive Club – team based racing

Second Son – Sucker Punch’s exclusive title for PS4 – super powers, similar to infamous?

The Witness – from developer of Braid

 

Self-publishing on Playstation Network – smaller developers can bring breakthrough titles to PS gamers (then they showed The Witness) – how open will it be for other Indie developers?

Can get over 30,000 polygons – first attempt at using advanced stuff to permit real time rendering similar to CG films – quality they will get in future games

How many polygons were there in Halo4?

The Creative Console – Using the Move controller to create stuff in 3D via sculpting or collage and create sets, game levels, stories with the simplest possible interface.  And to have a creepy dream where you control dolls having a rock concert or something.

The panty raid engine from Capcom can bring all sorts of new experiences

Developers think this is an easy platform to program for…

The game Watch Dogs looks pretty freaking awesome

From Bungie – Destiny will be on PS4 and PS3.  Exclusive playable content just for Playstation community

Category: Entertainment, Gaming, Sony TAG: , , ,

Bungie Tour

One of the other Xbox MVPs (kilam0mjaro) is friends with the community manager at Bungie and set up a tour for us tonight. It was pretty awesome.

Here are some photos:

Have you all seen the Destiny video? It looks like a pretty bad ass epic sci-fi space romp. What do you all think?

Category: Entertainment, Gaming, Microsoft TAG: , ,

New Xbox or New Playstation?

Peench | February 7, 2013 | COMMENTS:7 Comments »

Rumors abound about the new Playstation and a possible new Xbox to be released this year. Talk is that Sony will announce something more specific on the 20th of February though they are downplaying that and haven’t commented on any rumors.  Microsoft, on the other hand, hasn’t released any news.  Here are some of the rumors and thoughts.

Playstation 4

  • Dualshock 3 shaped controller with Vita like touch sensitive surface
  • Sharing with friends while playing
  • Ditching Cell processors and using processors from AMD
  • Possibly same chip as new Xbox
  • Possibly using Gaikai cloud service
  • Year end launch
  • Cost over $400
  • Power efficient, less energy draw and quieter
  • Possibly 4K (ultra HD) output
  • No backwards compatibility
  • Games tied to your PS account (cutting out resale market)
  • New PS Eye camera for improved motion control gaming

Sources: Kotaku and TechRadar

Xbox 720

  • Greatly improved speech recognition
  • Integration with Skype
  • Interface similar to Win 8
  • Smaller, less expensive and more Kinect-focused
  • Similar controller to Xbox 360
  • Possible augmented reality 3D integration later
  • Dual GPUs from AMD
  • 16 core CPU
  • Included Blu-Ray Drive
  • 1080p and DVR support
  • Games tied to internet (cutting out resale market)
  • Pre-Christmas 2013 release date
  • Priced around $300

Sources: CVG, and TechRadar

With all those rumors out there, what do you think?  Will we see new consoles from Microsoft and Sony this year?  Or do they have more to milk out of their existing consoles?  Let us know your thoughts!

Category: Entertainment, Gaming, Microsoft, Sony TAG: , ,

Gamers for giving

I received the following email from fellow MVP Zach Wigal. If you are in Eastern Michigan please show your support. This is a great cause!

Zach here. For those who don’t know, I help manage a charity organization called Gamers Outreach Foundation. We fund the construction of portable gaming carts for children’s hospitals, and we also send video game care packages to troops overseas. Each year, we host a fundraising event called Gamers for Giving within the state of Michigan. It’s a competitive gaming event / LAN party that helps support our organization’s activities during the course of the year.

We’ll be hosting Gamers for Giving 2013 at the Eastern Michigan University Student Center during the weekend of February 16th & 17th. At the moment, we’re trying to get the word out to the gaming community. If any of you would be willing to help promote across your social media channels / websites, that would be a huge help! We’re trying to raise $15,000 to support our programs in 2013. We’re managed on a volunteer basis, and entry fees from the event as well as public donations will be directly supporting our initiatives.

I’ve attached our event’s press release to this email. You’ll also find some photos you can use to accompany any content you’d like to produce below. If you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to reach out! cc @GamersOutreach on Twitter and we’ll RT your coverage. We’re also using the hashtag #GFG2013 for our event.

Here is the press release:

Gamers for Giving 2013

Eastern Michigan University attracts video game industry influencers & companies for a weekend of eSports competition benefitting charity.

Saline, Mich. – Over the course of February 16th & 17th, the eyes of the interactive entertainment industry will focus on Eastern Michigan University as video game enthusiasts from across the country convene to participate in one of the Midwest’s premier gaming events, Gamers for Giving.

Founded in 2008 by current Eastern Michigan University student Zach Wigal, Gamers for Giving is a non-profit competitive gaming tournament & LAN party that helps raise money for the charity initiatives of Gamers Outreach Foundation. The organization, a 501(c)(3) non-profit within the video game industry, facilitates activities such as building portable gaming carts for children’s hospitals (dubbed “GO Karts”) and sending video game care packages to troops overseas.

“Gamers for Giving is an opportunity for people who love to play video games to come together, share their passion for gaming, and raise money for charity,” says Wigal. “This year, we’re trying to raise $15,000.00 to support the programs of Gamers Outreach. We’ve been able to deliver GO Karts to medical facilities in Michigan, but we’d like to expand the program to additional hospitals both within and outside the state. We’ll also be supporting Eastern’s ROTC program in connection with our military initiatives.”

Supported by the likes of Astro Gaming and the Intel LANFest series, Gamers for Giving features tournaments with cash prizes for the hardcore enthusiast, as well as casual activities for those who enjoy the light-spirited side of gaming. Headline activities include a Halo 4 tournament, a Call of Duty Black Ops 2 tournament, a League of Legends tournament, a StarCraft 2 tournament, and a BYOC (bring your own computer) LAN Party. Entry fees from the event directly support Gamers Outreach programs.

Gamers for Giving 2013 begins on Saturday, February 16th and will end on Sunday, February 17th. The event is taking place within the Eastern Michigan University Student Center Grand Ballroom. Information and registration for this year’s event can be found at http://www.GamersforGiving.org. A live stream will broadcast at twitch.tv/LANFest.

For more information, contact Zach Wigal by email at zwigal@gamersoutreach.org or by phone at 734.476.7506.

And some photos:

Gamers for Giving Halo players
Helen DeVos GO Kart
Gamers Outreach military package
Gamers for Giving StarCraft 2 player

Category: Gaming, PC TAG: , , , ,

Please welcome our new (dream)host

Peench | January 17, 2013 | COMMENTS:8 Comments »

Okay so I’m not entirely sure that I did this correctly so for now I’m keeping my fingers crossed.  If I did everything correctly I signed up for new hosting at Dreamhost (2 year package for $214.80 – $8.95/mo) and I created and them imported the old database and then I uploaded the old files.

I didn’t upload our old forum so that link in the last post won’t work anymore.  I was trying to figure out what the actual IP address was for our site to see if we could get to it that way but I can’t figure it out.  Perhaps someone with more knowledge of these things can figure it out.  If so then I’ll hold off on canceling our old hosting so we can get to the old forum and grab some of the old posts.  If not, then we’re old postless for now and we’ll just have to forge ahead and create new information and posts here.

While I think the site is resolving to the new host (I updated the DNS settings on our domain about an hour ago), I can’t be certain. When I ping pregamelobby.com I am still getting a reply from Site5 so this one is up in the air for right now.  BUT, shortly after I changed the DNS servers I was able to access the new site on the new host and I’m pretty sure we’re on the new host now.

Anyway, I’m pretty excited I didn’t screw anything up too badly (other than perhaps not giving you all enough time to grab old posts from the old forum – SORRY!) and that we’re back up and running on a new host without too much difficulty.  In fact, I’m pretty proud of myself considering I really have no idea what I’m doing! haha!

Oh yeah, one other thing. When we switched to the new host we lost all of our old PGL email accounts. If you had one, email me at my gmail account (yes, it is peench), and let me know what the settings were and I’ll re-create it. Thanks!

Alright, enough rambling from me for now.  Start poking around and let me know if anything seems broken so I can try to fix it.  If all is good then we’ll forge ahead with our new host Dreamhost and leave Site 5 behind us!

Category: Entertainment TAG: , ,