Way back in 1998, well before Microsoft had any pretensions of invading your living room with a game console, their nascent Microsoft Games division put out a little something for PC called Motocross Madness. This was the second in a trio of “Madness” franchises in the late 90s (which also included Monster Truck and Midtown Madness), focusing on the fun of racing and flinging around dirt bikes in far off locations. It was very well received for its wide open sandbox gameplay during a period dominated by claustrophobic shooters like Quake. While there are many other franchises we’d love Microsoft to revisit like MechAssault, it is indeed comforting to see them going back to their roots in commissioning the Xbox Live Arcade version. And fortunately for us, the result is a game that hasn’t betrayed its bloodline, and consequently probably one of the best games to take advantage of our avatars, too!
Motocross Madness Review – Xbox 360 (XBLA)
Sniper Elite V2 Released in North America for Wii U
505 Games, a global publisher of video games, and independent game developer Rebellion today announced that Sniper Elite V2 for Nintendo’s Wii U has shipped to North American retail outlets.
The Wii U version of the highly-acclaimed Sniper Elite V2 gives gamers an all-new, immersive experience via the Wii U GamePad touch screen. Using the GamePad, players can tag enemies and booby traps, track enemy locations and activity as well as monitor the blast radius of planted explosives, never having to leave the battlefield for a second. Gamers also use the GamePad to easily access the weapons/inventory system and play the entire game on the tablet itself, no television required.
Sniper Elite V2 Trailer and Screenshots:
Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon Review – Xbox 360 (XBLA)
For those of us who were born in the 80’s, we were fed movies and games with outlandish plots that featured various versions of the future with cyborg police officers, laser guns, and bleak post-nuclear world wars. The only thing standing in between an entire army of baddies and the end of the world was a single, one-line-giving, super soldier BAMF (Bad Ass Mother F**ker). This is where FarCry 3: Blood Dragon gets its plot.
Donkey Kong Country Returns is Back and Optimized for Portable Play on May 24th
Players all over the world fell in love with many memorable, adventure-filled moments in the well-received Donkey Kong Country Returns game for Wii: jumping around the game’s lush and colourful side-scrolling levels; clinging to the side of a swinging platform; riding on a speeding mine cart; and leaping from barrel to barrel between foreground and background. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, launching May 24 for the Nintendo 3DS system, includes all these great moments, but also offers players a host of new features that were not available in the original Wii game and a beautiful new 3D makeover that makes the graphics look more impressive than ever before.
“Even if you played the original, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D is optimized for portable play with new options and new levels,” said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada’s vice-president and general manager. “The new 3D graphics pop off the screen and add an even greater sense of depth to the layered environments.”
Activision and Bungie Release New 60-Second Destiny Trailer
As part of the run up to E3, Activision and Bungie teamed with director Jon Favreau and actor Giancarlo Esposito to create Destiny trailer called “Law of the Jungle.” This 60-second trailer is will make its broadcast television debut Saturday night, May 25th on TNT during Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference Finals.
But you can watch it now here:
Crafted together with the award-winning visual effects studio Digital Domain, “Law of the Jungle” gives players a taste of Destiny’s action-packed adventures through a live-action and CG interpretation of the epic game universe.
The video also announces the official worldwide Destiny gameplay reveal on June 10th during Sony’s PlayStation E3 Press Conference.
For more information and updates, fans can visit www.DestinyTheGame.com or www.bungie.net, and follow the official Destiny social channels at www.facebook.com/DestinyTheGame and @DestinyTheGame on Twitter.
New Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate Characters, Costumes and Stages Trailer / Screenshots
Team NINJA, today released new details for DEAD OR ALIVE 5 ULTIMATE set for a fall 2013 launch on PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The dream lineup gets even deadlier with the addition of VIRTUA FIGHTER’s Indy Car bad boy and Jeet Kune Do master Jacky Bryant along with long time DOA fan favorite Ein, who returns in incredible fashion, showcasing stunning new character and costume designs. Team NINJA has also revealed two spectacular new stages and additional costumes and modification options for the ultimate Dead or Alive 5 package, a must-have for all fighting game fans.
Jacky Bryant, known as Blue Flash in indie racing circles, is the fourth fighter to crossover from the VIRTUA FIGHTER universe. Older brother to Sarah Bryant, Jacky has resolved to take down the mysterious organization J6 who has targeted Sarah. Entering a new type of battle, Jacky will collect information to prepare for the inevitable showdown with J6. Skilled in the art of Jeet Kune Do, Jacky brings his own style to the arena with mercilessly fast chains and combos forcing opponents to stay on the defensive.
Fan favorite, Ein makes his first return to the franchise since DOA2. Known as “The Iron Fist with a Lost Past”, Ein was discovered deep within the Black Forest of Germany without any memory of his past. Saved by a karate master, he eventually learned his true identity as Hayate, Kasumi’s brother, and of his kidnapping by DOATEC for the purpose of human research for “Project Epsilon”. However, whether his memory has fully returned is questionable. Ein is a well-rounded fighter ideal for fighters new to DOA whose deadly karate punches send opponents flying into walls and Danger Zones.
Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate New Characters Trailer and Screenshots:
EA Announces Battlefield 4 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4
DICE, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc., today announced that the highly-anticipated action blockbuster Battlefield 4 will be available this holiday for early-adopters of the next-generation hardware systems: Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the PlayStation 4. Powered by the advanced Frostbite 3 engine, Battlefield 4 delivers a genre-defining all-out war experience brought to life with unmatched visual and audio fidelity, superior character animations and dynamic destruction that ensures no two matches are alike. Battlefield 4 will be available October 29 for the Xbox 360® game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC. Battlefield 4 will also be available for the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4.
Players that pre-order Battlefield 4 will receive the Battlefield 4 China Rising premium digital expansion pack at no additional cost*. In this sprawling expansion, players fight for dominance across the vast and majestic Chinese mainland in four massive multiplayer maps, using all-new vehicles and high-tech military equipment. Separately, players that pre-order the Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe exclusively on Origin™ will receive the base game, bonus in-game digital items, the Battlefield 4 China Rising digital expansion pack and access to the exclusive Battlefield 4 multiplayer beta*.
At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), DICE will be unveiling Battlefield 4 multiplayer with a spectacular live demo at “The Download: EA 2013 Preview” press conference taking place at 1:00 pm PST on Monday, June 10 on Spike TV and at http://www.ea.com/e3. Fans attending E3 will have the chance to go hands-on with multiplayer in EA’s booth located at #1601 in the South Hall. DICE will also be live streaming their entire E3 booth experience including multiplayer matches complete with commentary. Tune into http://battlefield.com/livestream to catch all the action.
* Conditions and restrictions apply. See http://store.origin.com/promo?promoID=88022500&linkid=BF4_CLP for details.
Call of Duty: Ghosts Reveal Trailer and Behind the Scenes Trailer
During the Microsoft Xbox One Reveal event, Activision showed off a Call of Duty: Ghosts reveal trailer. Here it is in HD:
The behind the scenes video also shown at the Xbox One event can also be watched here:
Microsoft Reveals Xbox One at Media Event / Video
Watch the entire 1 hour event below:
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A new vision for the future comes to life today as Microsoft Corp. unveils Xbox One, the all-in-one gaming and entertainment system created for today and the next generation. At Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash., the company showcased how Xbox One puts you at the center of all your games, TV, movies, music, sports and Skype.
“Xbox One is designed to deliver a whole new generation of blockbuster games, television and entertainment in a powerful, all-in-one device,” said Don Mattrick , president, Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Our unique, modern architecture brings simplicity to the living room and, for the first time ever, the ability to instantly switch across your games and entertainment.”
Introducing Xbox One
With Xbox One, games push the boundaries of realism, and TV obeys your commands.1 Say “Xbox On” to launch your personalized Xbox One Home screen, discover what is popular on TV or see friends’ latest gaming achievements all using the most natural interface — your voice. The more you interact with Xbox One, the more it gets to know you and learns what you like. Some of the breakthrough Xbox One features that put you at the center of your living room entertainment include the following:
TV on Xbox One.
Navigate and watch live TV from your cable, telco or satellite set-top box through your Xbox One. Microsoft is committed to bringing live TV through various solutions to all the markets where Xbox One will be available.
Home.
Turn on your entertainment system with two powerful words, “Xbox On,” and a custom-tailored Home dashboard welcomes you with your favorite games, TV and entertainment.
Snap.
Do two things at once on the biggest screen in your home. Use Snap to jump into a multiplayer battle while watching your favorite movie, talk with friends on Skype while watching live TV, or track your fantasy team on TV as you watch the big game and more.
Skype for Xbox One. Specially designed for Xbox One, talk with friends on your TV in stunning HD, or for the first time ever, hold group Skype calls on your TV.
Trending.
Stay on top of what is hot on TV by discovering the entertainment that is popular among your friends, and see what is trending within the Xbox community.
One Guide.
Find your favorite entertainment easily, searching by network, name or time, all with the sound of your voice and presented in a tailored program guide.
To create the most advanced Xbox system ever designed for games, TV and entertainment, Microsoft created a state-of-the-art gaming operating system and fused it with an equally amazing entertainment platform, so you will not have to switch inputs to watch TV or play a game. An eight-core, x86 processor and more than 5 billion transistors helps make lag and load times a thing of the past, so you can instantly jump between a game and your entertainment at lightning speed or run a host of apps right alongside your game with no loss in performance.
PlayStation 4 See It First June 10th Teaser Video
Sony has released a teaser video with quick glimpses of what seems to be some vent holes, some grills and the top of the PlayStation 4. The teaser video invites you to RSVP to watch the live E3 2013 Sony Press conference on June 10th at 6:00pm Pacific Time.
Here’s the video, don’t blink and full screen it in HD:
