PlayStation-Exclusive Destiny Map Video Helps You Decide PS4/PS3 or Xbox One/360

Are you having trouble deciding whether to get Destiny on a PlayStation or Xbox system? Sony is trying its best to ensure you choose the former, today releasing a video walkthrough for the multiplayer map that is (temporarily) exclusive to the PS3 and PS4 versions.



Described as a "mid-sized" map that works well for both smaller 3v3 matches and full 6v6 matches, the Exodus Blue map is set around the wreckage of the titular Exodus Blue ship. It's playable in the Crucible--the fancy term for competitive multiplayer in Destiny--and supports five modes: Skirmish, Control, Salvage, Clash, and Rumble.

The video provides our best look yet at the full map, which is arguably the most substantial of thePlayStation-exclusive content, provided you're interested in competitive multiplayer. Along with the map, buyers of the PS3 or PS4 versions will also get additional armor and weapons; you can see an overview of all of this in another recent video that Sony released. This content will be exclusive to PS3 and PS4 until at least fall 2015, when it may also be released on Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Destiny launches on September 9 on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. This exclusive content aside, the games are otherwise largely the same, and Bungie says it loves all of its fans--regardless of platform--equally.

If you're buying Destiny, what platform do you plan on getting it for? Let us know in the comments.

Xbox One Minecraft Is Nearly Ready

he Xbox One version of Minecraft, Mojang's open-ended sandbox game, is nearly ready to be released. Developer 4J Studios writes on Twitter that the game has been handed over to Microsoft for final certification testing. If the game passes, you can expect it to be released soon.

Mincraft for Xbox One is already late, as it was originally expected to launch on Microsoft's new console in August.

4J Studios sent the PlayStation 4 version of Minecraft to Sony for certification last month, but the game failed Sony's testing. The developer has since re-submitted the game.

If you already own the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 version of Minecraft, you can get the game on Xbox One or PS4 for $5, and your saves will carry forward. When it's released, the PS Vita version of Minecraft will be available as a cross-buy game with the PS3 iteration.

Minecraft has been an incredible success since its full release on PC in 2011. The game has sold around 54 million copies across all platforms, and it's even possible that it could come to Nintendo platforms like the Wii U or 3DS someday.

Madden NFL 15 Release Date, Price: Already Available to Download on Xbox 360, Xbox One; Where to Purchase, Xbox One Bundle

EA will be releasing the next title to their football game franchise, Madden NFL 15 tomorrow Aug. 26 in the U.S. and on Aug. 29 in Europe.

Madden NFL 15 will be the 26th title in the franchise made by Electronic Arts. Madden is much like the FIFA game franchise being based on the sport itself with its many player and clubs. While FIFA takes its teams from various football leagues like Barclay's Premier League or La Liga, Madden takes it teams from the American National Football League.

The game will be released on the Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, and the Xbox One. The game is now available for purchase in various retailers like Gamestop, Amazon, and Best Buy.

EA's title is priced at $59.99 for all platforms and is already available for download for the Xbox 360, and Xbox One. The game cannot be played, however, until it release at 12:01 a.m. PDT / 3:01 a.m. EST on Aug. 26.

Microsoft is also introducing a bundle for the Xbox One which includes the football game. Consumers can now buy the Xbox One console for $399 inclusive of the Madden NFL 15 title. Essentially, users save the $60 they would otherwise pay for the game.

The cover box art features Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman. The decision was made after a 16-player bracket vote that comprised of both offensive and defensive players. Other players included in the bracket were Jimmy Graham, Luke Keuchly, Nick Foles, Cam Newton, and Alfred Morris among others.

24 Hour Free Xbox One Game Promotion Was A Mistake

Microsoft listed an interesting promotion the other day on Xbox Live showing a 24 hour free game trial. It turns out the listing was a mistake.

As previously reported, the USA Xbox Live store showed an interesting listing. If you went to look at the game listing of Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, there was a chance for you to trial the Xbox One game for 24 hours. This is of course if you are an Xbox Live Gold subscriber.

Short and Sweet Reviews reports Microsoft has now released an official statement on the listing and has admitted it as an “error”. They apologize “for any inconvenience”. However, Microsoft said they are still exploring ways of benefiting Xbox Live Gold members in the future. They will keep everyone updated when special offers are to become available for Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners.

It’s likely this 24 hour thing wasn’t supposed to be up so soon. Still, a chance to play select Xbox One games for 24 hours seems like a good thing. They already give out free games each month which was a method Microsoft borrowed from PlayStation Plus.

It will be interesting if Microsoft decides to implement the 24 hour trial to select Xbox One games sometime in the future. It would be a good way to let players decide if they want to purchase the full game or not. After all, not every game available out there is worth paying for…

The Sony PlayStation 4 Continues to Put The Microsoft Xbox One to Shame

Although many in the media have dubbed the sales showdown between the Sony PlayStation 4 and the Microsoft  Xbox

Source: Sony.

One the video game "console wars," it really hasn't been a fair fight.

The PlayStation 4 gained a dominant lead over the Xbox One when the two devices were launched within a week of one another last November and hasn't looked back. Microsoft's recent revamp of a few key aspects for the Xbox One does not appear to have made any meaningful difference at present. And as investors and gaming enthusiasts learned recently, Sony's device remains as dominant as ever.

Sony surges and Microsoft meanders
Last week, Sony announced that the PlayStation 4 had surpassed 10 million total end-user sales in the 10 months since the console's market debut. This makes the PS4 Sony's fastest-selling video game console in company history and helps to further paint Microsoft's Xbox One as an increasingly inferior product (although it's hard to pin down exactly how inferior it really is).

Microsoft has been notably tight-lipped in providing periodic updates on Xbox One shipments, a sign most interpret as an attempt to avoid outright embarrassment over the console's seemingly abysmal performance versus the PS4. In April, Microsoft reported it had shipped 5 million Xbox One units into its retail channel. However, it's worth noting that Microsoft reporting shipments into its retail channel isn't necessarily the same thing as sales to consumers, Sony's preferred measuring stick for console shipment health.

Investors have attempted to establish a more current comparison between Xbox One and PS4 shipments from the recent quarterly reports from Microsoft and Sony. Although not a perfect barometer, it appeared that Sony's total console sales (PS4 and PS3) outdid Microsoft's gaming hardware (Xbox One and Xbox 360) by a rough ratio of three-to-one. Judged through this lens, it appears that Microsoft's cutting the Xbox One's price tag by $100 (to $399) to match Sony's pricing has done little to shift demand away from the PS4.

What this means going forward
If you guessed "nothing good" for Microsoft, you'd be correct.

Source: Microsoft.

Although quantifying the exact impact is difficult, Microsoft undeniably disenchanted a lot of its core user base with several decisions made in the Xbox One's rollout. Moves such as forcibly including Microsoft's Kinect motion sensing device, pricing the Xbox One $100 above the PS4, and requiring users to maintain a paid Xbox Gold subscription were all key tactical errors. That is particularly true in the context of today's gaming market, which is rife with console alternatives thanks to the proliferation of tablets and smartphones, Microsoft might find it harder than originally imagined to grow, or even keep, its once-loyal user base.

Video game hardware cycles are extremely long at about eight years between console refreshes, so there's plenty of time for Xbox One sales to catch up to the PS4. It's also important to note that Sony's console currently enjoys a substantial distribution advantage over Microsoft's device. At last tally, Sony sold the PlayStation 4 in over 100 countries and regions, while the  Xbox retails in far fewer markets. Regardless, it appears the sales discrepancy between the two cannot be entirely explained away simply because of Sony's distribution advantages.

Ultimately, this is a narrative about consumer preference, and we have little evidence suggesting user penchants will shift anytime soon. So try as Microsoft might, it still appears 2014 will be the year of the PS4 in gaming circles, and that's certainly worth noting today.

Leaked: Apple's next smart device (warning, it may shock you)
Apple recently recruited a secret-development "dream team" to guarantee its newest smart device was kept hidden from the public for as long as possible. But the secret is out, and some early viewers are claiming its everyday impact could trump the iPod, iPhone, and the iPad. In fact, ABI Research predicts 485 million of this type of device will be sold per year. But one small company makes Apple's gadget possible. And its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors.

PS4 Outpaces Xbox One In July, 'The Last Of Us' Tops Software Charts

Coming as a surprise to absolutely nobody, Sony has confirmed that once again the PlayStation 4 was the best-selling console in July. This marks the seventh month in a row with the PS4 taking the NPD’s proverbial blue ribbon.



July NPD numbers show US spending on physical games and game hardware was up in July over last year.

Sony confirmed that the PS4 has sold-through over 10 million units to-date. Microsoft has not released hard numbers for the Xbox One yet, though the console continues to fall behind Sony’s even with the Kinect-free $399 sku. Nintendo’s Wii U continues to struggle against the competition even as it outpaces last year’s sales by 60%.

Consumers spent $514.3 million on new gaming hardware, software, and accessories, which is up 16 percent over last year. Last July consumers spent just $443.1 million. The PS4 and Xbox One account for the majority of that spending.

Consumers dropped $198.8 million on consoles in July, up 100 percent year-over-year, while software sales were down 15 percent from last July. Less cash on hand after an expensive console purchase means fewer software units sell through.

“Similar to the pattern seen in seven out of the last nine months, strong growth in hardware sales offset declines in software sales in July 2014 while accessory sales had modest growth,” said NPD analyst Liam Callahan.

“Two other factors caused seen in July 2014 software sales,” he continued. “Reduced sales for new launches and the decline in [last-gen] software not entirely being offset by [new-gen] sales.”

Best-Selling Games

Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us topped software charts in July, thanks to its re-release on PS4. It was followed by the everlasting Minecraft with FIFA 14, Watch Dogs, and Mario Kart 8 taking up the top five.

Nintendo confirmed that over 1 million units of Mario Kart 8 have been sold in the US alone since its launch at the end of May.

1. The Last of Us (PS4, PS3)
2. Minecraft (360, PS3)
3. FIFA 14 (360, PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Vita)
4. Watch Dogs (PS4, 360, PS3, Xbox One, PC)
5. Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)
6. Call of Duty: Ghosts (Xbox One, 360, PS4, PS3, Wii U, PC)
7. Grand Theft Auto V (360, PS3)
8. Sniper Elite III (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3)
9. NBA 2K14 (360, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, PC)
10. Lego Marvel Super Heroes (360, PS3, 3DS, DS, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One, Vita, PC)

“When combining life-to-date sales of Xbox One and PS4 after nine months, and comparing them to the combined totals of nine months of sales for Xbox 360 and PS3, sales of the newest consoles are larger than the prior generation by close to 80 percent,” said NPD’s Callahan.

All told, July holds to the year-long trend of increased sales across the industry as more and more consumers migrate to new-gen machines despite a continuing lack of stellar new-gen-only content.

Pinball FX2 launches on Xbox One with Xbox 360 table import

Pinball FX2 is now available on Xbox One, and customers who purchased certain tables on Xbox 360 can import them for free, developer Zen Studios announced today.

When Zen announced the original release date for the Xbox One version — July 31 — the studio said the game would not offer cross-buy support for tables purchased on Xbox 360. At the time, a Microsoft representative told Polygon that it was working with Zen to make that happen. A couple of weeks later, Zen happily announced a reversal: Players would be able to import tables from Xbox 360, although the Xbox One version wouldn't be available until August.

Pinball FX2 on Xbox One is a free download, as it is on other platforms; customers buy individual tables or table packs from within the app. The Xbox One version includes the Sorcerer's Lair table for free. Most, not all, existing tables are available for importation from Xbox 360, but according to Zen, the studio will soon add support for the ones that can't be imported right now. Those include the four Marvel Pinball tables, as well as Earth Defense and Excalibur.

Major Xbox One update rolls out to preview members

Microsoft has begun rolling out its latest Xbox One update promising a hefty number of new features and enhancements.

The update is making its way to Xbox Live consoles now. However, it's targeted only to people who are part of the Xbox Live preview program, which lets you test out the latest updates ahead of the general Xbox One population. Announced in February, the preview program is available to select Xbox Live subscribers through invitation.

The Xbox One has consistently underperformed Sony's PlayStation 4 in terms of sales, so Microsoft needs to make sure it keeps its console relevant and appealing. Sony on Tuesday said its PlayStation 4 has sold more than 10 million units worldwide since its November 2013 launch. In April, Microsoft announced it had shipped 5 million Xbox One units to retailers but has remained silent on sales figures.

The company has been on a tear to update the Xbox One on a regular basis to make current users happy and potentially draw in additional buyers with the promise of exciting new features.

What can preview members expect in the new update? Microsoft's Xbox Live Chief Larry Hyrb, aka Major Nelson, outlined the following features in his latest blog posted on Friday:

• Parties - The Party App has been re-organized, so you can now see what activities everyone in your party is doing and tell more clearly who is playing in the same game with you. You can also more quickly perform common actions like muting, joining, or sending game invites. Also, Parties now have a Party Leader. This person can change whether the party requires invitations, and she/he can remove others from the party.
• New Friends Section - The new Friends section has been available for a few early access preview members and we're expanding it to additional participants enrolled in the preview program. The new Friends section enables you to see at a glance what's going on with your friends. You can stay up-to-date with your current activities, the most popular games your friends are playing, and a Gamerscore leaderboard to see who has improved their Gamerscore the most over the last 30 days.We'll continue to roll this feature out to all participants in the coming updates.
• Media Player - A new app will be available soon that enables you to play media files from either an attached USB device or from a network connected home media server that supports DLNA protocols. The preview version of the Media Player app will initially only support USB devices, with DLNA support coming soon. Xbox One will support more formats than Xbox 360, including support for dozens of new file formats like mpeg 2 TS, animated gifs, and mkv which will be added by the end of the year. See below for additional file formats.
• Xbox One Digital TV Tuner - Announced last week, this new hardware accessory will enter a limited preview program in Europe (UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain), in advance of its retail launch beginning in October.
• Stream TV to SmartGlass - Launching first in markets receiving the Xbox One Digital TV Tuner, you will be able to stream your TV across your home network to your smartphones and tablets using the Xbox SmartGlass app. You can also pause, play and rewind as well as change channels, without interrupting gameplay on Xbox One.
• Boot to TV - Now you will be able to set your console to boot directly to television when coming out of connected standby.
• Live TV Miniguide - For markets where OneGuide is available, a new mini guide on the bottom of the screen will display details about the TV content that is currently playing. You can quickly change channels and see what's on other channels, while still watching TV.
• SmartGlass Updates - You can now post status messages from the Activity Feed as well as add comments and share items from both your Activity Feed and from Game Clips. Along with the new comment and share features, a personalized Activity Feed has been added to your profile. Messages have been updated to a new layout supporting a full conversation view. Additionally, we are adding the ability to record game clips directly from the Now Playing bar. Finally, if you upgrade the app directly we have introduced a What's New page highlighting the features of each release.
• "Xbox On" in New Markets - Adding support for additional markets to use the "Xbox On" Kinect voice command to power on consoles: Australia, Canada (French), Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Brazil -- a top used feature.
• Country Expansion - We're doing a lot of work on the back end to prepare for Xbox One to launch in 29 new markets in the coming weeks.
• Multiple GameDVR Deletes - You will be able to choose multiple GameDVR clips to delete at once in the Upload app.
• Save your Avatar Gamerpic - A new option is now available to save Avatar GamerPics to your OneDrive.
• Settings Updates - New options help you manage your controllers and accessories. Also, Instant Sign-In is being moved to Settings, to the Sign-in, security & Passkey area.
• Bandwidth Usage Display - Located in Network Settings under the Troubleshooting column, Bandwidth Usage will show you how much bandwidth your Xbox One is consuming over a period of time. This is useful if you want to track against bandwidth caps set by ISPs in certain markets.

Hyrb called those just "some" of the new features rolling out, so there may be more in store. Okay, so when will all Xbox One users receive this update? After checking out the update, the folks at WP Centralidentified it as the September Update Preview, which means that all Xbox One gamers should see it pop up on their consoles sometime next month.

The Golf Club launching Aug. 19 on Xbox One and PC, later in August on PS4

The Golf Club, the simulation golf title from indie developer HB Studios, will be released Aug. 19 on Windows PC and Xbox One, the company announced today.

According to HB, the PlayStation 4 version of the game is still "pending certification approval," but the studio expects to launch it later this month. The Golf Club will cost $34.99 on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

HB had initially planned for a simultaneous release on all three platforms, but said today that it "decided not to artificially hold the game back" on PC and Xbox One just because the PS4 version wasn't quite ready to go. The Golf Club launched in April on PC via Steam Early Access, so Aug. 19 is the date when the PC version will leave beta.

"We are incredibly excited to give golf fans the game they've always wanted," said Anthony Kyne, producer at HB Studios, in a press release today. "We've worked extremely hard to get The Golf Club ready for launch, so it's really rewarding to officially announce the launch date and share that with our fans."

The Golf Club's main draw is its course creator, which lets players design full 18-hole golf courses from scratch. The course creator can also use procedural generation to build courses based on a few parameters that users set. Those playgrounds can then be shared with others across all three platforms. Stroke play, match play and 4-ball modes will be available at launch, along with asynchronous online play, and there's no loading between holes on a course.

New Xbox One Bundles Are Bad News For The Kinect

Yesterday, Microsoft announced a couple of new bundles for its Xbox One console. On its own, this isn’t particularly shocking news: console manufacturers have been bundling games with hardware for a while now, and while it’s exciting to have a white console paired with Sunset Overdrive and a grim-looking one for the always grim Call of Duty, it’s not going to change the way people perceive the Xbox One. Both bundles, however, are notable not so much for what they have as for what they don’t: a Kinect.



For those just tuning it, the Kinect is Microsoft’s proprietary depth sensing camera system and, until recently, an ostensibly central feature of the company’s vision for the Xbox One. It has some problems. Not only are the voice commands unreliable and the gesture commands more or less broken, there’s still no compelling software to prove that the hardware is actually worth it. And since mandatory bundling added $100 to the price, it makes a whole lot of sense that Microsoft took it out of the equation and started selling a Kinect-less bundle for $399 to achieve price parity with the ascendant PS4.


This slew of bundles — there’s also one for Madden 15 — confirm what we already suspected: the standard version of the Xbox One has no Kinect attached to it. They are good deals for anyone looking to pick up a current-gen console, so I’d imagine that most of the Xbox Ones sold this holiday season will come in this form. Most telling is the fact that Microsoft is selling the Sunset Overdrive bundle for $399, the same price as a Kinect-less Xbox One, but it’s selling the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare bundle for $499, the price of an Xbox with Kinect. But what does that extra $100 buy you? Not a Kinect, but rather a full terrabyte of memory. By pricing the two major holiday bundles like it has, Microsoft sends the signal that even the premium version of the console does not need to have a Kinect with it.

It’s going to be an uphill battle for Microsoft’s weird little peripheral.  It may have some life in it, just perhaps not yet. Xbox head Phil Spencer has said that removing it from the bundle will ultimately sell more of them, and I tend to agree — Microsoft’s main priority needed to be getting machines in homes, and the Kinect question will be attended to later.

'Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare' is getting a custom Xbox One with 1TB of storage

The long-running relationship between Microsoft's Xbox consoles and the Call of Duty brand is expanding into hardware: a custom Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Xbox One is in the works for this holiday. Better yet, it comes ready for all that downloadable content you're going to buy, packing a one terabyte hard drive internally. And what about Kinect? No Kinect, sadly. We say "sadly" because the bundle costs $500. Which is to say, "It costs the same amount as an Xbox One with a 500GB hard drive and a Kinect." Sure, you get Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and you get a custom Xbox One with a larger HDD, but will $500 still be too much for mainstream folks who haven't picked up an Xbox One just yet? We'll see when it arrives on November 4th.

Microsoft Debuts New White and 1 TB Xbox One Bundles

The big news out of Gamescom this morning is that Microsoft MSFT +0.37% has landed the Tomb Raider sequel as a platform exclusive from Crystal Dynamics, but it was hardly the only story to come out of their presentation.



Now that the Xbox One is free of Kinect, more and more new bundles are going to be released for the system, and two of them were on display this morning. The first is a $499 Advanced Warfare bundle, which includes the game and continues Microsoft’s longstanding bromance with Activision’s Call of Duty series. If that math doesn’t quite make sense to you, it’s because the new system comes with a double-sized 1 TB hard drive, the first of its kind in this new console generation (at least provided by the manufacturer themselves). Advanced Warfare comes pre-loaded onto the hard drive, because this is the age we live in now.

The second was a worse-kept secret, a $399 white Xbox One that comes bundled with the MS exclusive Sunset Overdrive. This bundle hits October 28th, while the COD: Advanced Warfare variant will be out November 3rd. There’s also a European FIFA 2015 bundle for £349.99 out September 25th, but that doesn’t have a special console attached to it.

The white Xbox One is nothing surprising, given the leak, and given that any system that comes in black will inevitably come in white at some point, or any white system will be black eventually, as with Microsoft’s Xbox 360. Though usually it takes a bit longer than this, and is usually complimented by a “slim” modifier. And the Xbox One is still a long way from slim, in any of these versions.

EA Access On Xbox One Is a "Game-Changer," Microsoft Says

EA Access, the recently announced Xbox One subscription program from Battlefield and Mass Effect publisher Electronic Arts, is a "game-changer," according to Microsoft.

"That was announced last week as well and is very much a game-changer," senior Xbox evangelist Jeff Rubenstein said during Major Nelson's latest podcast.

An EA Access subscription is $5/month or $30/year and lets you play any game in "The Vault" for as long as your subscription is active. You also get a 10 percent discount on EA digital games and content, as well as access to upcoming games five days before they are released. Rubenstein also shed some additional light on this last point during the podcast, saying that early access to upcoming EA games will offer "at least two hours" of gameplay. In addition, he said he thinks "pretty much every [upcoming EA] game" will be available to play ahead of time if you're a subscriber.

According to the official EA Access FAQ, early access for upcoming EA games will vary by game. For some games, you'll be able to play one mode for a limited time, while other games will allow you to play a full version for a limited time. In all cases, if you decide to buy the game when it is released, your progress will be saved, allowing you to pick up where you left off.

When asked for greater clarity on the limitations for EA Access trial games, an EA representative told GameSpot, "Each EA Access trial will be different and the amount of time you have with each free trial will differ depending on the game."

EA Access is currently in beta on Xbox One, with a public release date to be announced soon. As for why EA Access is only available on Xbox One and not PlayStation 4, Sony said last week that it did not think the service offered the kind of value PlayStation fans have come to expect.

The first four games confirmed for The Vault are FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, Peggle 2, and Battlefield 4. More will be added in the future, and might includes titles like EA Sports UFC, Need for Speed Rivals, and Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, if box art featured on the EA Access is anything to go on. Earlier this week, EA COO Peter Moore promised that the company will not remove games from The Vault.

Dead Rising 3, Forza 5 and other Xbox One launch titles get permanent price cut

Dead Rising 3, Forza Motorsport 5, Kinect Sports Rivals and Ryse: Son of Rome have been permanently discounted from $59.99 to $49.99, Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb announced via his blog.

All four titles were released in the launch window of the new console last November. The discount applies to both the retail and digital copies of each game.

This week, Xbox Live Gold subscribers can get discounts on Xbox One titles such as Angry Birds: Star Wars and Call of Duty: Ghosts. Capcom is also holding a sale for many of its games on Xbox 360, from DmC Devil May Cry to Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD. The full list of discounts is available on Hryb's blog.

Earlier today, Deep Silver announced that Ryse would be released for PC as well.

Bungie: Destiny Xbox One Is Not "Dumbed Down" Compared To PS4

Though Sony wants PlayStation to be "the best place to play" Bungie's upcoming shooter Destiny, the developer now assures fans that it is doing its best to ensure that the experience is equal across PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. In an interview with GamingBolt, Bungie senior environment artist Jason Sussman was asked if the Xbox One version was "dumbed down" compared to PS4.

He replied: "No. We're working really hard to make sure that the best experience and the quality of the game we're trying to deliver is equal across the platforms." The interviewer also asked Sussman about the Xbox One's eSRAM, which reportedly caused issues for developers looking to reach 1080p on the system. He said every console has its subtle differences, but it won't keep Destiny from looking "good" on Xbox One.

"Each console has their own nuances; there is always like little tweaks and things," he said. "That's standard. Anytime you're working cross-platforms there is a-lot of new nuances to each console and we're making sure that the game looks best on all of them and it does; it looks really good. I think we've succeeded. It definitely looks good."



Bungie has confirmed that Destiny will run in 1080p on PS4, but the Xbox One's resolution is still not finalized. However, Bungie is hopeful that it can reach 1080p, thanks in part to the June Xbox One SDK that boosts console GPU power.

The interview also touches on a number of hot-button topics like microtransactions and a potential PC version of Destiny. Addressing microtransactions, Sussman said, "Currently, there are no microtransactions, everything is in-game." Microtransactions for Destiny have not been ruled out altogether, however. Asked about the topic in a separate interview this year, Bungie community manager Eric Osborne said if Destiny ends up adding microtransactions some day, Bungie won't offer "pay-for-power type stuff" to avoid schemes that nickel and dime players. "We're not going to do that," he said at the time.

Regarding a PC version of Destiny, Sussman said, "Wouldn't that be awesome?! Dude, I honestly like playing PC games. But honestly we've been so focused on delivering the game on four consoles and it's such an undertaking. It's the most inclusive thing that the Bungie has been working on. We'll see what the future holds, but for right now we're focused on these four consoles."

Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, said previously that Destiny is a "natural fit" for PC. Destiny launches September 9 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, and PS4. For more, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

Diablo 3 to run in 1080p on Xbox One as well as PS4 with day-one patch

Diablo 3's resolution on Xbox One will be bumped up to native 1080p with a launch-day patch, developer Blizzard Entertainment confirmed to Polygon today.

"With a day 1 (August 19th) patch the Xbox One version of the game will display in 1080p at 60 fps," said a Blizzard representative in an email to Polygon. The update was first reported by GameSpot.

Prior to installing the patch, the Xbox One version of Diablo 3 will run in 900p. Earlier, Blizzard had expressed hope that it would eventually be able to boost the resolution to 1080p, but indicated that it didn't expect to be able to get there by launch. The studio previously confirmed that the game runs in native 1080p on PS4; both versions feature a frame rate of 60 frames per second.

Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition, the console package that includes the expansion Reaper of Souls, is set for release Aug. 19 on PlayStation 3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Existing PS3 and Xbox 360 players can transfer their characters to PS4 or Xbox One.

Activision Blizzard announced earlier this week that sales of Diablo 3 and Reaper of Souls had reached a combined 20 million copies by the end of June. For more on the console version of Diablo 3, check out our preview from E3.

Resident Evil Remake Coming to Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, and PC

Capcom will release a remastered version of the original Resident Evil game for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC, the company announced today. Set to launch as a download in early 2015, the game is based on the 2002 GameCube "REmake" of the 1996 original. It will be released in North America and Europe, though pricing was not specified.



The Resident Evil remake includes "additional enhancements" that will make it the "definitive" version, Capcom says in a post today on its blog. Character models and backgrounds have been improved, and there is a "scrolling" camera that will help integrate the original game's 4x3 presentation into a 16x9 view. This means that when you move Chris or Jill out of the frame, the view will "smoothly" scroll along with you, Capcom says.

In addition, Capcom says that while the original "tank" controls will remain intact, players will also have a "modern option" where the character will move in the direction of the analog stick. If you don't want the new control or 16x9 option, you can revert to the original experience, Capcom says. Finally, the Resident Evil remake for consoles and PC has 5.1 surround sound support.

The Resident Evil series is one of the biggest and well-known franchises in gaming; it has sold more than 61 million units to date across 92 different games. A seventh installment in the main series--Resident Evil 7--is rumored to be in the works.

Xbox 'Games with Gold' August 2014 preview: Free awesome games for members with Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles

Xbox is definitely putting up a fight when it comes to their free games for members. Many have said that Sony's PS Plus gives away better games, but Microsoft does not agree. For the August selection, Games with Gold members are treated to two awesome free games.

For Xbox 360 and Xbox One owners, there are two games available for download. These are completely free with your Games with Gold subscription.

For the Xbox 360, the game available from August 1 to August 15 is "Motocross Madness," which is priced at $9.99. The other game that will be available from August 16 to August 31 is Bethesda's "Dishonored," which is originally priced at $19.99.

"Motocross Madness" is an off-road motorcycle racing game where players can race in obstacle courses and perform tricks. "Dishonored" is a stealth action game, wherein the player's task is to save the princess, gain control of the empire and doing these undetected. Players will have gadgets, weapons and magical powers.

For the Xbox One, the two games available for the month of August are "Crimson Dragon" and "Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut." Both are priced at $19.99 each. These games will replace "Guacamelee! Super Championship Edition" and "Max: The Curse of the Brotherhood."

"Crimson Dragon" is a game where players control a dragon and fight with enemy life forms. The player can train the dragon and add new skills to it. Meanwhile, the "Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut" is a game where the player joins in fleet battles to save the Earth.

All games are available for a limited time only, so make sure you grab them on time. Once you have the game, you can keep it forever. In addition, all games are free for the Xbox One games. However, you should be an Xbox Live Gold member to be able to download Xbox 360 games for free.

WWE 2K15: First Xbox One/PS4 In-Game Screenshot Revealed, $100 Collector's Edition Announced

The first in-game screenshot for upcoming professional wrestling game WWE 2K15 was released today by none other than cover star John Cena. He dispatched the image today through his Twitter account, and publisher 2K Sports followed that up with the bigger version above.

In the work-in-progress image, Cena is staring down fellow fighter Randy Orton. 2K Sports says the image represents what WWE 2K15 will look like on "next-gen consoles," though it is not clear if the screenshot was captured on Xbox One or PlayStation 4.

WWE 2K15 launches October 28 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PS4. If you preorder the game, you'll receive two playable Sting characters at no extra cost.

The game's $100 special edition was also revealed today, by way of IGN. The "Hulkmania" collector's edition--which will only be available on Xbox One and PS4 and is limited to 25,000 units--includes a copy of the game and a collectible card hand-signed by Hulk Hogan. It also includes an actual piece of the ring canvas from Hogan's Monday Night Raw appearance on March 10 this year, making it worthy of the "collector's edition" description, indeed.

Call of Duty Ghosts DLC 4 Release Date: ‘Nemesis’ Coming to Xbox One, Xbox 360 on Aug 5; PS4, PS3

The final Call of Duty: Ghosts DLC is set for a release on Tuesday.

‘Nemesis’ will be available on all Xbox platforms on Aug. 5. Activision has yet to announce the DLC release date for the PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3.

There are four new multiplayer maps available in “Nemesis“:

Goldrush: This map is set in an abandoned gold mine in USA. Narrow tunnels and shafts make it a map suited for close to medium range engagements. Players can ride two mine carts to get around the battlefield quickly.

Subzero: Set in an abandoned Canadian submarine base, this medium-sized map has a traditional three-lane design that allows for engagements of all ranges to take place.

Dynasty: This medium-sized map takes players to a Chinese lakeside village with a variety of elevations for players to take advantage of.

Showtime: This map is a remake of the classic Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare map “Shipment.” The smallest CoD map has been reimagined as a “futuristic death arena.”

“Nemesis” also includes the fourth episode of Extinction mode. Entitled “Exodus,” this map allows players to craft more new weapons, and has new Cryptid aliens for players to face.

Almost all Cryptids from the previous episodes will make an appearance, including the Ancestors which are “the deadliest of enemies with a range of lethal powers including mind control and psionic attacks.”

“Nemesis” is priced at $15, and will be available for download for those who purchase the $50 season pass.