"We don't want a goofy L.A actor who went to a fancy school".
Well, you can't say Rockstar isn't committed to authenticity. Turns out that instead of hiring trained luvvies to play the part of hardened criminals, the studio just went out and found the real thing, recording audio in houses and recording studios up and down the country.
Fancy a free copy of FIFA 14? You'll need to preorder from one of these guys.
A mighty hurrah for Eurogamer, which has taken the time to round up which UK retailers still have the coveted Xbox One Day One Edition in stock. FIFA 14 only comes free with preorders of the Day One Edition, don't forget, so if you're at all interested in next gen football simulations, you might want to make your move.
Crytek explains jump to new platform, talks "core" and "casual" appeal.
Ryse: Son of Rome wasn't always the ruggedly good-looking Roman general who now stands before you, awaiting your instructions as to the disposal of a bleeding foe. Once upon a time, it was a first-person Kinect game. Hence, leading man Marius wouldn't have "stood before you". Yes, it's a perspective joke. Let's move on.
Manufacturer won't insist that third parties release trials on the service.
Here's a titbit we missed from last night's IGN AMA with Microsoft's Marc Whitten - publishers aren't required to release trial versions of Xbox One games, as they currently are on Xbox Live Arcade.
A chat with Microsoft's planning and marketing chief about motion sensitivity's future.
Kinect may not be required for Xbox One to run, but Microsoft will ship a sensor with every console nonetheless. This has annoyed those who aren't convinced by the manufacturer's claims about the new Kinect's accuracy and responsiveness, in light of its predecessor's less-than-stellar track record on Xbox 360, but planning and marketing director Albert Penello assures us that hands-on (that's to say, hands-off) time will bring the nay-sayers round.
"Player retention is very important.".
A quick update on Tom Clancy's The Division, that opulently raggedy always-online shooter with the fancy holographic bracelet. Ubisoft Massive's Ryan Bernard has suggested that the Xbox One and PS4-bound title will keep fans busy long after the storyline (which we're still mostly in the dark about) has rolled to a stop, thanks to a steady diet of dynamic events.
Title update 13 now under discussion, no release date yet.
4J Studios has confirmed that the next Minecraft Xbox 360 update will focus on stamping out any and all bugs loosed by Minecraft Xbox 360 update 12, which added Iron Golems, Ocelots and texture pack support to the mix. Which is another way of saying that it probably won't be stuffed with new features and content, yes.
Current gen version will be "delivered at the same level of polish and quality".
If you're buying an Xbox One for any particular game, odds are it's for Titanfall - Respawn Entertainment's blisteringly quick-witted, always-online mech 'em up. "It could be a genre-defining achievement," I brayed in a first look preview, but why read my ramblings when you could just re-watch the Attrition trailer, below? Go on, I'll wait.
From Call of Duty: Classic to Black Ops 2.
Are you so blind and deaf to the appeal of first-person face-shooting that you've disregarded the Call of Duty franchise up till now? The latest Deal of the Week, sir or madam, is for you. Microsoft's chopped up to 50% off the price of every single Call of Duty game on the Xbox Games store (hitherto known as the Live Marketplace).
Hopes of a Lost Odyssey 2 at release brutally crushed.
Microsoft will make a number of Xbox One announcements at the Tokyo Game Show, which kicks off 19th September and runs till the 22nd. Alas, it seems a new first-party Japanese role-playing game won't be among the offerings. Woe unto the disciples of Blue Dragon. Woe unto the followers of Lost Odyssey.
But what about the whole "six logins maximum" thing?.
Xbox One can support up to eight controllers, Microsoft has confirmed, and thus thrown myself and the OXM Office into a whirlwind of confusion. Planning and marketing director Albert Penello told us that only six simultaneous logins were possible on the new console, you see. What gives?
Also: everybody starts with a clean Rep on Xbox One.
Xbox One owners won't be able to "pre-load" digital games ahead of release at the console's launch, but Microsoft will introduce this feature down the line, chief Xbox One platform architect Mark Whitten has revealed.
Fans get beta access by attending Community Day.
Gearbox's Randy Pitchford has confirmed that the Borderlands 2 developer has not one, but two new games on the next generation console hotplate. We know that at least one of them's a new IP. What could the other be?
"Who's to say that they didn't leak that name out?".
The original Xbox was once known internally as the "Microsoft Entertainment Activator" and "Real Performance Machine", among other things. A little more sanely, the manufacturer once dreamed of titling its third Xbox console "Xbox Infinity". Thanks to Xbox One marketing and planning director Albert Penello and Forbes for that particular revelation.
DICE explains High Value Targets, and why they're worthy slaying.
Battlefield 4 continues to take shape under the Battleblog's unrelenting, drill sergeant-esque scrutiny. Next up for inspection is Commander Mode, the strategy subgame which allows one player to boss the rest around from on high, dropping supplies, scanning areas and calling in missile strikes. You can even do it via a tablet on the bus, if you're too cool for a sofa. And you're playing the Xbox One, PS4 or PC version. And the bus has wifi.
Special commemorative console available "while stocks last".
It seems Microsoft's statement about free FIFA 14 for all Xbox One preorders only applies to those who buy the Day One Edition, a special, launch day boxset that's available for the same price as the regular Xbox One, and packs a commemorative controller plus a token for an exclusive Achievement.
Send us a text, win seriously flashy technology.
Apologies for butting in your game-scented daydreams, brethren, but we thought you might be interested in the below #163;10,000 gadget giveaway, which runs from today, 2nd September, through to 30th November. There are 45 gizmos up for grabs, and only one entrant can bag them all. Could that entrant be you? It certainly could, providing you've got the wherewithal to send us a text message or mail us a letter.
"I don't want to sit in a studio full of blokes," opines Gary Carr.
Here's a happy fact for you: according to a recent Game Developer Magazine survey, only four per cent of game programmers are women, and those women are generally paid thousands of dollars less than their male compatriots. Evidence that women just aren't as interested in videogames or the creation of videogames as men? Not really: the Electronic Software Agency suggests that 45 per cent of games enthusiasts are female.
First texture add-on includes Themed World modelled on Mass Effect 3 level.
Like Mass Effect in your Minecraft? Well, how do you like these apples? They're not apples, actually, they're screenshots - apologies for the confusion there. Screenshots, that is, of Minecraft Xbox 360's first Mash-Up pack, which reskins the whole game to resemble that Voxel-based space RPG BioWare never created.
Peter Moore says it's "heads down" at EA from now until next gen launch.
EA's COO Peter Moore thinks that it's time you announced a firm release date for the Xbox One, Microsoft, and we have to say, we kind of agree.
