Among some of the atypical aspects of the game includes an ever-evolving story and character customization.

It is speculated that this may be the very same MOBA worked on by Visceral as a break-off distinct of Deadspace.

Source: Waystone Games

True All-Around Entertainment

There have been several reports that the next Xbox will attempt to be the all-around entertainment gaming system taking control of devices such as your TV and cable box. Not much of what’s on the market right now can claim this. The seemingly strongest competitor in this field would have to be the Apple TV, which can stream Netflix videos without the additional fee for an online service, as does the PS3 and Wii U. If Microsoft can ditch the need for a Gold membership in order to use an already paid service then they’d already be on par with one of the features of their competitors. Further device integration, which would most likely include the SmartGlass, should be built upon to allow for an incentive to enjoy our favorite movies and TV shows on devices such as tablets and phones. Unlike with Sony’s Vita and other devices, tablets and phones are already an integral part of our lives and would make for more meaningful, convenient parts of the entertainment center.

Games for the Gamers

The push from Microsoft on overall entertainment can lead gamers to be doubtful of whether or not the next Xbox will outperform its competition in the gaming market. During this last generation, aside from an online service fee, the biggest difference between the Xbox 360 and PS3 were the console exclusives. Since we already know that the PS4 will be highly focused on games, if the next Xbox truly sticks to its goal to control the living room space with devices like the Illumiroom, we could have two very different consoles. At best, technology like this is seen as gimmicky by hardcore gamers and would hardly catch their attention. If Microsoft wants to make sure they secure the hardcore gamers, they have to prove that, along with the all-around home entertainment features, they too can have a good relationship with game developers and provide quality games. Sony has already let us known they have built the PS4 around the idea of “For the devs, by the devs,” and Microsoft must follow suit.

Powerful Kinect 2.0

People will say it over and over again: the Kinect has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, the Kinect felt more like an unnecessary addition to the Xbox that only had a few decent games and seemed most useful to those willing to get exercise while segregating itself completely from the hardcore gamers. According to rumors,  the Kinect 2.0 may come standard with every next-gen Xbox, so Microsoft needs to push the idea that this iteration will be incredibly entertaining and practical. Microsoft advocates the use of the Kinect through the “Better with Kinect” model on certain games that support its microphone feature such as Dead Space 3, Skyrim, and Mass Effect 3. While it may seem to be more of an immersive experience, it’s not entirely necessary in a tactical sense, as there is a slight delay when issuing voice commands. The best thing about the inclusion of the Kinect 2.0 with the new Xbox is that developers may feel more inclined to use its features since it’s already built-in as opposed to being a completely separate peripheral, which only serves as further incentive to get it right this time.

Backwards Compatibility

If there’s one thing gamers love or hate about transitioning to a new generation of consoles, it’s whether or not they’ll be able to play their favorite current-gen games on the new console. Sony has stated that the PS4 will not be supporting backwards compatibility on the console itself but they will be partnered with Gaikai to develop a cloud service that could allow for the download of PS3 games onto the PS4. It is uncertain, however, if we will have to pay again for the titles we already own. With rumors that the next Xbox will have a system on chip (SOC) that will allow players to play their current-gen games, the next Xbox certainly sounds exciting. One of the factors for wanting backwards compatibility on a next-gen system is that some players who want to switch over to another company’s next-gen console (e.g. from Microsoft’s Xbox 360 to PlayStation 4) want a chance at playing the older game franchises they missed. If Microsoft reveals they have backwards compatibility, it can reassure players that they will be buying a console that will not only allow them to play their older games but also let new consumers try them out.

Convincing DRM

No one really likes DRM (“Digital Rights Management” or more popularly “Digital Restrictions Management”), especially after the issues it caused for Diablo III and SimCity. The act of making software “always online” is mainly to prevent people from pirating it, which sounds like a solid plan but only hurts consumers more than it prevents piracy. It doesn’t not allow them to play the game outside of an internet connection and creates the potential for connectivity issues, as in the cases mentioned above, which can prove to be rather frustrating. A series of rumors, in addition to a controversial series of tweets from former employee Adam Orth, has already hinted that the next Xbox will have a pesky always online requirement. In order to quell fears, Microsoft needs to convince us that there are legitimate reasons for certain features of the next Xbox to require a constant internet connection and to show us how it can be unintrusive, such as in the case of PC digital distribution giant Steam’s case.

While it can be safely assumed that Microsoft will not show absolutely everything this Tuesday and save a lot more for E3, they will want to reveal just enough to beat out the hype for Sony’s own next generation console. In order to do so, the five aforementioned concepts would be indispensable  Either way, most of the speculation along with the worries of said speculation about the next-generation Xbox will finally be answered come this Tuesday.

On next week’s Friday Five, we’ll be taking a look at what we liked the most from Microsoft’s event being held next Tuesday May, 21^st.

What do you hope to see happen with the new Xbox? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: Official press release

The moonrunes read as follows:

“The world is stained over in ‘Blue’, the colossal project has been set into motion!  Anime adaptation planned!”

Being one of the more bearable fighting games in terms of story, the Blazblue series always seemed like the perfect series to adapt into the 2nd dimension as opposed to other games (looking at you Street Fighter).  Since the game came to consoles in America around 2008, the game has racked up a number of sequels, thus expanding the universe giving plenty of source material to use.  Thankfully, the series will be starting from the beginning with Blazblue Calamity Trigger, instead of from a more popular installment.  This will definitely add to the series’ fandom,  though veteran players should prepare themselves for the incoming wave of casuals.  No release date has been hinted at yet, stay tuned for further details.

Almost immediately, players will likely be turned off by the game’s whole presentation and premise. Players star as Zack, who seems to be a superhero with a myriad of powers associated with one of three elements – fire, ice, and earth. It sounds like an episode of Captain Planet and feels no different. It is undeniably sterile in both presentation and story, with generic dinosaur-like enemies and a bland protagonist, there’s little to keep players intrigued. On the bright side, it’s perfect for babysitting kids with.

Complimenting the bland character and enemy designs, story segments are told through a series of drawn stills, voiced by unenthusiastic actors. It’s really a shame that this aspect of the presentation is so lacking, because the game’s  environments do prove promising. They’re detailed, clean, and really embody that futuristic atmosphere that Zack Zero is reaching for. However, it’s still lost among everything else in this game.

The story actually leads into one of the biggest gameplay issues with Zack Zero. Early on, players lose all their powers from some freak accident where Zack’s power suit loses all its battery. Throughout the game, players will have to collect power-ups in order to level up again and regain these lost powers. The very premise feels fruitless – despite having every power already during the tutorial level, the game slowly gives it all back and it just feels like there’s no progression at all. The upgrades themselves are incredibly linear, giving players no choices in which aspect to upgrade and having mostly minute effects on the powers. If not for the large text across the screen, I wouldn’t have known that I had leveled up, if that even means anything.

“The upgrades themselves are incredibly linear, giving players no choices in which aspect to upgrade and having mostly minute effects on the powers.”

When all the powers are available, there is an interesting difference between all of them, with the normal power suit powers being optimal for taking out baddies without wasting energy, fire allowing players to surf across the sky (for some reason), earth allowing players to gain extra strength to slam through cracks in the ground or pull switches, and ice allows him to shoot beams that can take out crowds more easily.

Though interesting, the implementation for these powers is a bit problematic. With each one draining away precious energy, frantic use will force players to sit idly by while the suit recharges itself. Honestly, outside of specific segments where I absolutely had to use some power, I would have just chosen to use the normal powers instead. In addition, the need to switch back and forth in order to access different powers simply felt like too much of a nuisance for me to deal with in the middle of the game.

Perhaps that’s in part due to the game’s ease. Quite often, the game will throw groups of enemies at players, who probably won’t find it too difficult to dispatch them. Even without switching to other elements and testing out Zack’s other powers, players will have no issue mashing on the same button repeatedly from a safe range to take out a group of baddies. Occasionally, stronger enemies will come out, but they all have such predictable,  static patterns that it will hardly take more than one try to catch on to their tactics.

Zack Zero tries some interesting things, but its design, which was perhaps hampered by the fact that it was developed by only two people, keeps it from going anywhere. With a bland story and unrewarding gameplay, the game is hard to recommend for anyone other than parents who want their children to play games devoid of personality.

Available on: PC, PS3; Publisher: Crocodile Entertainment; Developer: Crocodile Entertainment; Players: 1; Released: April 29, 2013; ESRB: NA; MSRP: $9.99: Official Site

Note: A promotional code was provided to Denkiphile for review purposes by the publisher.

Source: BatmanArkhamCity YouTube

Rubin has stated that Metro: Last Light was developed with a very meager budget compared to triple A titles with its budget being “a mere 10 percent of its biggest competitors” and that the 4A staff developed the game while sitting “on folding wedding chairs, literally elbow to elbow at card tables in what looks more like a packed grade school cafeteria than a development studio.”

It was also revealed that THQ intended for the game to “include multiplayer and co-op into the same deadline and budget.”

Source: GamesIndustryInternational

Fans can look forward to Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag October 29th, 2013.

Source: Assassin’s Creed YouTube

Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure is due for release this fall.

Source: Warner Bros. YouTube