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Understanding Microsoft's lack of third-party exclusives
Gamers are concerned about Microsoft and the Xbox brand as a whole. They're concerned that Project Scorpio might not have too many games that leverage its high-end hardware. Now that Scalebound has been cancelled, Xbox gamers are doubting Microsoft. But how did a single game's cancellation cause this?
In the video above, I explain what's happening with the Xbox division, and why Microsoft isn't necessarily courting too many third-party exclusives these days. The Xbox brand we knew has evolved; it's changed, and it's no longer its own facet of Microsoft. Instead, the Xbox brand now bleeds over into the company's unified approach--a unified family of hardware that's tethered to the same flexible, scale-able Windows 10 operating system.
The reality is that Microsoft is doing many different things, and has lots of moving parts. Conversely, Sony has made a bid to go all-in on the PlayStation brand. Microsoft doesn't have to, and isn't, taking this same approach. Microsoft is more interested in the long-term game: laying all these different seeds for its Universal Windows Platform that will unify all of its current and upcoming hardware.
Continue reading: Understanding Microsoft's lack of third-party exclusives (full post)
Plextor showcases new high-performance SSD fleet
CES 2017 - Plextor's new high-end memory fleet consists of some interesting solutions that will be armed with 3D NAND flash memory to ensure reliability, fast speeds across all protocols, and improved capacities.
Among Plextor's new SSDs, the M8Se Series is the most eye-catching. The M8Se SSD Series now has a blazing fast contender that taps the NVMe PCIe Gen 3x 4 M.2 protocol to deliver amazing transfers of up to 2.45GB/sec reads and 1GB/sec writes, with IOPS up to 210,000 read and 175,000 writes.
The M8Se Series leverages Toshiba's 15nm Super High Performance TLC NAND flash memory to expand capacities up to 1TB, with a 1.5 million MTBF rating and an onboard Marvell 88ss1093 memory controller for optimum reliability. This series comes in both HHHL and M.2 form factors.
Continue reading: Plextor showcases new high-performance SSD fleet (full post)
Scion-32 hybrid melds desktop tower into a monitor
CES 2017 - CES is all about pushing the forefront of technology to new heights with interesting prototypes and amazing builds; first we saw Razer's Project Valerie, which packs three 4K G-Sync displays into a laptop. Now E-BLUE has created the Scion-32, the world's first hybrid-tower monitor.
The Scion-32 Hybrid Tower essentially melds a Mini-ATX build with a QHD display, with a mini tower on its backside that houses the components. The Scion-32 is touted as a flexible and modular custom-built "revolutionary all-in-one masterpiece unifies the mainframe computer with HD monitor, unleashing limitless gaming experience."
E-BLUE's hybrid-tower supports Micro-ATX and Mini-ATX motherboards, but we're not sure if it's compatible will full-sized desktop video cards or not. E-BLUE affirms the Scion-32 rocks enough space and ports for "multiple devices and USB connection," and features two storage slots--one each for a HDD and SSD.
Continue reading: Scion-32 hybrid melds desktop tower into a monitor (full post)
Wii U emulator breaks 4K resolution barrier
Wii U emulator Cemu can now play the console's games at 3840 x 2160 resolution, which is more than four times the system's native 720p resolution.
The latest version of Cemu 1.70 allows users to play Wii U games like Bayonetta 2, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Super Mario 3D World in pristine 4K, provided they download the required 4K texture packs. Thanks to its lackluster and outdated hardware, the Wii U is only capable of rendering games at a max 1080p resolution, however most of its games are simply rendered in native 720p and upscaled to 1080p.
Cemu can break that barrier thanks to the flexibility of Windows and the raw might of dedicated desktop-grade video cards. In fact, Cemu itself is quite intensive and requires dedicated GPUs and barely runs on integrated Intel graphics. Enabling 4K graphics on Wii U games was quite a complicated endeavor, and required the Cemu dev team to actually patch the game code itself.
Continue reading: Wii U emulator breaks 4K resolution barrier (full post)
Nintendo Switch may launch with 15 games
If you've been paying attention to our news feed, then you'll see lots of Nintendo Switch news posted up in the past few days. Considering the official Switch presentation event kicks off tomorrow, you should probably expect to see more! But this time we have some official verified content rather than speculations, rumors and reports.
In preparation for the Nintendo Switch's pre-order rush, retailers across the globe are setting up their digital and storefront inventories for the new wave of games, accessories, and the Switch console itself. So it's only natural that a few of these listings get uncovered ahead of schedule. North American Retailer Target is preparing alongside with other retailers, and we've found something interesting on their inventory list.
According to BrickSeek data, Target has added fifteen different Nintendo Switch games into its inventory. This indicates the system may launch with fifteen titles, matching Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima's affirmations that the console will launch with a "full software lineup."
Continue reading: Nintendo Switch may launch with 15 games (full post)
Intel's new CPUs flawed: full system control over USB
It looks like Intel could be in for a world of hurt, and a massive explanation for the reason behind some of its new processors being stupidly easy to hack into a PC - through a simple USB port.
Positive Technologies, a security vendor, has discovered that some of Intel's new CPUs have a debugging interface that can be accessed through USB 3.0 ports. This provides the hacker - and at the point of using as USB flash drive, any person in the world that can hold a USB stick in their hands - full control over the PC. Worse yet, it is completely undetectable by current security tools.
The possibilities of this are virtually unlimited, as someone could plug a USB 3.0 stick in and upload malicious code, keyloggers, and virtually anything else they want. The same flaw allows someone to make the PC completely inoperable, where it is capable of rewriting the entire BIOS. Yeah, that's a pretty big deal.
Continue reading: Intel's new CPUs flawed: full system control over USB (full post)
Nintendo Switch accessories leaked
HORI's complete Nintendo Switch accessory lineup has been leaked out into the wild, giving us a good idea of the Switch's hardware and confirms some of our recent reports.
The leaked accessory fleet confirms that the Nintendo Switch won't have a gigabit Ethernet port, instead requiring a USB LAN adapter for wired play. Nintendo made up for this by including 2.4GHz and 5GHz 802.11ac MIMO Wi-Fi support within the Switch tablet itself. The Switch will also have at least one fighting game at some point, possibly Tekken 7 and/or Capcom's latest Marvel vs Capcom Infinite; both Namco Bandai and Capcom are confirmed third-party Nintendo Switch partners.
We also have an awesome Switch JoyPad Pro controller that clearly shows a dedicated button for recording in-game footage, similar to the PS4's DualShock 4 controller. HORI also has a Compact PlayStand that allows you to play on the Switch and charge it via USB Type-C while its JoyPad controllers are detached--this would've been impossible as the Switch's kickstand isn't tall enough to leave enough room for a Type-C cord and keep the device stable, unless, of course, you used a 90-degree USB Type-C cord.
Continue reading: Nintendo Switch accessories leaked (full post)
Leaked GameStop docs reveal Switch launch lineup?
Yesterday we reported on a possible leaked Nintendo Switch presentation schedule that purportedly revealed the console's launch games lineup. Now yet another leaked games list has surfaced, this time from a German GameStop store.
The leaked document comes by way of what appears to be a photo of a GameStop inventory terminal that shows possible launch games for the new Nintendo Switch console-and-handheld hybrid. It's worth noting that some of these games, including Mario Kart 8, Skyrim: Special Edition, and Breath of the Wild apparently don't have PEGI ratings. Also what's up with those prices? 100 Euros for a Nintendo Switch game? Does that mean the games will come with add-on controllers like these that slot onto the Switch's handheld tablet?
The following games are listed on the "leaked" document, but remember we have no way to confirm the veracity of this information, so take it with a grain of salt:
Continue reading: Leaked GameStop docs reveal Switch launch lineup? (full post)
Latest Windows 10 update has broken multi-screen gaming
Microsoft has just released its new Cumulative Update for Windows 10 (KB3213986) which has broken multi-screen gaming, with the company noting that there are "known issues".
This means gamers that are running triple-display setups with AMD EyeFinity and NVIDIA Surround Sound will experiencing stuttering or clipped screens when running a game, but it should be fine in 2D applications. There's a workaround for this issue, with Microsoft adding that gamers can run their 3D apps in non-fullscreen mode - either in window-maximized, or just windowed modes.
But it gets better. Microsoft suggests that gamers disconnect their other displays, leaving just a single display connected to the PC for the game to work. Because, you know - that's why you spend thousands of dollars for the bleeding edge of high-end gaming, to disconnect those expensive LCDs.
Continue reading: Latest Windows 10 update has broken multi-screen gaming (full post)
New 'Cars 3' trailer revs into view
With a combined gross of over a billion dollars as well as continued merchandise strength, there's no doubt that Disney/Pixar's 'Cars' franchise is one that's worth returning to - and that's just what they're planning on doing. In this newly released theatrical trailer, the CG wizards reveal just where the franchise is going next.
'Cars 3' returns the iconic red speeder Lightning McQueen, who's finding himself struggling to compete against a new generation of faster, more agressive race cars. Voice artists Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Bonnie Hunt and Cheech Marin will all lend their voices to the next installment.
'Cars 3' is set to hit cinemas in 2D and 3D worldwide from June 2017.
Continue reading: New 'Cars 3' trailer revs into view (full post)
J.J. Abrams promises no more remakes, reboots
Director J.J. Abrams has announced that he's turning his back on sequels and reboots and will instead focus on producing original content from now. Of the five films that he's helmed during his career, just one has been an original screenplay, while two have been sequels and the other two reboots.
Dark Horizons reports that Abrams told media assembled for the Golden Globes red carpet that he felt "incredibly lucky to have gotten involved in things that I loved when I was a kid... But I don't feel any desire to do that again. I feel like I've done enough of that that I'm more excited about working on things that are original ideas that perhaps one day someone else will have to reboot. I do think that if you're telling a story that is not moving anything forward, not introducing anything that's relevant, that's not creating a new mythology or an extension of it, then a complete remake of something feels like a mistake."
Still, he's already announced that he'll serve as producer on the upcoming sixth 'Mission Impossible' for Paramount.
Continue reading: J.J. Abrams promises no more remakes, reboots (full post)
Apple reportedly working with Carl Zeiss on AR glasses
CES 2017 - We know that Apple has some ambitious plans for 2017 and beyond, but after the rather disappointing last two years (Watch is pretty much nowhere to be seen, and the iPhone hasn't had any true innovation for years now) - I don't know what to think.
But, UploadVR boss and super nerd Robert Scoble talked with Carl Zeiss AG during CES, where he said that Apple has forced Zeiss to stay quiet on a pair of augmented reality glasses that they're working together on. Scoble said: "Exclusive news: Apple and Zeiss working together on augmented reality optics".
Scoble continued: "A Zeiss employee confirmed the rumors that Apple and Carl Zeiss AG are working on a light pair of augmented reality/mixed reality glasses that may be announced this year. (I thought it was next year but now that I saw this I believe it will happen this year)".
Continue reading: Apple reportedly working with Carl Zeiss on AR glasses (full post)
Final Fantasy VII: Remake might not release in 2017
Square Enix's hotly anticipated Final Fantasy VII: Remake may not release in 2017 as we anticipated: Tetsuya Nomura, the director of the game, now says that the game is still a ways off.
In this week's issue of Famitsu, Square Enix's Tetsuya Nomura affirms that both Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy VII: Remake have quite a ways to go before they're finished, and has apologized for the inconvenience. We originally predicted that the first chapter of FF7: Remake's new multi-volume strategy would launch in 2017, but Nomura's words has us thinking otherwise.
Square Enix has confirmed that the remaster would release in a three-chapter trilogy with 90 hours of content, and the game will feature a vastly different combat system by scrapping the old ATB system and going for a fully-fledged action-based combat akin to Final Fantasy 15.
Continue reading: Final Fantasy VII: Remake might not release in 2017 (full post)
Corsair demos new RGB flavored Vengeance DDR4 RAM
CES 2017 - Corsair made good on its flavorful teases and showcased its new scintillating RAM at this year's Consumer Electronics Show.
Hardware-makers today are quite interested in adding colorful flair to every gaming product; we have all the traditional peripherals like gaming mice, keyboards and fans outfitted with fluxing RGB color, but the trend has passed onto PSUs, motherboards, mousepads, and now RAM.
Corsair is the latest to add fluxing prismatic glow to its high-performance Vengeance DDR4 RAM modules which sport "virtually unlimited lighting configurations" across a huge 16.7 million-color RGB palette.
Continue reading: Corsair demos new RGB flavored Vengeance DDR4 RAM (full post)
Mushkin showcases first M.2 PCIe Helix Series SSDs
CES 2017 - Mushkin's 2017 storage lineup is pretty beefy, featuring a myriad of SSDs and flash memory to suit the needs of all consumers, from enterprise-grade PCIe M.2 solutions to SATA III drives with 3D flash memory.
Mushkin's new storage fleet includes its first-ever M.2 PCIe 3 SSD lineup, the Helix Series. The Helix SSDs feature up to 2TB of 3D MLC flash memory that leverages the M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 protocol to hit blazing fast 2.5GB/sec read speeds and 1.1GB/sec write speeds. The Helix line features a reliable 1 million MTBF rating, and is built on a Silicon Motions SM2260 SSD processor.
The fleet also includes some familiar hardware that's been upgraded with high-end 3D NAND stacked flash memory for expanded capacities and performance. Mushkin's REACTOR and TRIACTOR SSDs now have stacked 3D MLC and 3D TLC flash memory, respectively, and have been rebranded as the REACTOR ARMOR3D and TRIACTOR 3D. Both of these SSDs use the SATA III 6Gbs protocol to deliver 565MB/sec reads and 525MB/sec writes, with the TRIACTOR hitting 520MB/sec writes.
Continue reading: Mushkin showcases first M.2 PCIe Helix Series SSDs (full post)
Final Fantasy 15 shipment & digital sales top 6 million
Despite having a rather troublesome development cycle that spanned almost ten years, Final Fantasy 15 has proven to be a landmark success for Square Enix, and has successfully revitalized the franchise with its impressive visuals and action-packed gameplay. In fact, Square Enix today announced that FF15's shipment and digital sales have topped 6 million.
Now that the latest Final Fantasy hit an impressive sales milestone by becoming the fastest-selling game in the franchise, the title has pushed through yet another achievement by tacking on another million shipments and sales across the globe.
Although the game is absolutely massive in scope and content, Square Enix opened up a new level of replayability by adding NewGame+ to let gamers run through the storyline again. A new update also brought a batch of free content, and Square Enix will roll out even more updates to expand and tighten the gameplay experiences.
Continue reading: Final Fantasy 15 shipment & digital sales top 6 million (full post)
ASUS reveals the price of the ZenFone 3 Zoom
ASUS' ZenFone 3 Zoom was officially revealed at CES last week, but the price of the phone wasn't mentioned at ASUS' press conference.
However, the company has now announced some more details in Taiwan. The phone, which will be available next month, will be priced at CNY 3,699 in China (for the top model with 128GB of internal storage). That translates to around $535, but have in mind that the phone might come with a slightly higher price in the US.
Obviously, the 32GB and 64GB models of the phone will be cheaper, but we don't know the exact price yet.
Continue reading: ASUS reveals the price of the ZenFone 3 Zoom (full post)
Huawei P10 and P10 Plus arrive in March or April
Huawei's next flagship phones, the Huawei P10 and P10 Plus, will launch in March or April this year, said the company's chairman and CEO of the consumer division Yu Chengdong, according to The Android Soul.
The Huawei P9 and P9 Plus were released in April last year, so the timing makes sense.
There have also been numerous leaks about Huawei's upcoming flagship and it is expected that the device will be powered by Huawei's Kirin 960 processor, currently in the Mate 9, and it will come with a 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The more powerful model should come with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.
Continue reading: Huawei P10 and P10 Plus arrive in March or April (full post)
Nokia's new AI assistant is named Viki
There were times when we all thought that Nokia is gone for good, but lately, we are hearing more and more about the once top phone manufacturer in the world.
However, it seems that Nokia is aiming to be competitive in the market once again. HMD Global recently announced their first Nokia-branded Android smartphone, and now the company Nokia Solutions and Networks (not to be confused with HMD Global) filed for an EU trademark for a virtual assistant.
Google has Now, Apple's Siri is widely known, Microsoft made Cortana, and it looks like Nokia will have Viki.
Continue reading: Nokia's new AI assistant is named Viki (full post)
Microsoft pulling Scalebound videos from YouTube
In a rather strange move, it appears that Microsoft has started scrubbing videos and gameplay trailers of its recently cancelled Xbox exclusive Scalebound off of YouTube.
Microsoft and Platinum Games today confirmed that the Xbox exclusive Scalebound has been cancelled. Now it appears the company is going into damage control mode and starting to pull videos of the game off of YouTube, as well as making said content private.
Scalebound's E3 2014 reveal trailer has been set to private, and the official Xbox YouTube channel has been scrubbed clean of almost all mention of the game. In fact, I only found mention of Scalebound on a single video on the channel dating back to August 2015. Microsoft even removed Scalebound from its E3 2014 games lineup montage.
Continue reading: Microsoft pulling Scalebound videos from YouTube (full post)














