Videogame News

16-Core CPU used in Xbox Project "Durango"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The next-generation console rumors are heating up, and this week brought a lot of new detailed gossip on that front.

Microsoft’s next-generation machine is rumored to be code-named Durango. That name was partially verified on Feb. 28, when a senior technical artist at Crytek tweeted that he was “enjoying the Durango developers summit in London. So far, great swag and interesting talks.” He then deleted the tweet and his account. In meetings, Microsoft reportedly showed details of the new console hardware.

Now Xbox World magazine is reporting that development kits for the new console were shipped to developers in March. Those kits include an IBM PowerPC central processing unit (CPU) with 16 cores, compared to just three cores on the Xbox 360′s CPU. The graphics chip is equivalent to an Advanced Micro Devices Radeon HD 7000-series graphics card, and the machine has a Blu-ray optical drive. The report mentioned that Kinect 2 (the sequel to Microsoft’s motion-sensing system) will chew up as many as four cores tracking multiple players.

If Microsoft is shipping the dev kits now, then it is likely on schedule for a launch in 2013. The developers need a year or more to make launch titles for the increasingly complex console hardware.

Nintendo got dinged by unnamed developers who said that the Wii U’s performance isn’t as good as either the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3. It’s a little hard to believe that a brand new Nintendo console debuting in the fall of 2012 won’t be faster than the consoles that debuted in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Nintendo will make the leap to high-definition TVs with the graphics on its new machine, and it has never put a priority on processing power in the first place.

“We do not focus on technology specs,” said a spokesperson for Nintendo of America. “We understand that people like to dissect graphics and processing power, but the experience of playing will always be more important than raw numbers.”

Nintendo isn’t confirming that the report is untrue, but it isn’t denying it either. Do such rumors matter? Based on the news, Macquarie Equities Research analyst Ben Schacter downgraded his stock rating on Nintendo.

Sony’s PlayStation 4, code-named Orbis, got outed by Kotaku last week. The Orbis reportedly has an AMD 64-bit CPU and an AMD Southern Islands GPU (graphics processing unit). The GPU will be capable of displaying games at a resolution of 4096 x 2160. And it will play games in stereoscopic 3D at 1080p high-definition resolution. It will not be compatible with PS 3 games and will not play used games.

VG247 said that the next PlayStation will be released prior to the Durango machine from Microsoft.

We’re checking with the companies to see if they want to comment further, but don’t hold your breath.

I'd also like to thank Mr. Morris Ramsey for quickly telling me about this information seen at Venturebeat.

Note: I will soon be writing an article explaining what I have repeatedly heard about project "Durango" and how it relates to project "Loop."

Xbox Infinity to "Get Official" at CES?

While no official announcement has been made, rumors have been circulating for a while now that Microsoft plans on updating its Xbox console in 2012. Nintendo should be in Vegas showing off the Wii U to CES attendees, and Sony has its Vita handheld system to talk about — but with neither expected to announce big new projects, this leaves the door open for Microsoft to steal the gaming spotlight with the so-called Xbox 720 (which will probably be renamed later this year). 2012 is also Microsoft's last year at CES, so they'll want to make a big impact as they head for the door.

The Xbox 720 (which I, Michael Zoran, believe will be called either Xbox Infinity or Xbox 365) is rumored to have an AMD processor, Blu-ray disc drive, Windows 8 compatibility, and deeper Kinect integration than the Xbox 360.

You can read the initial story when I broke the news about Xbox Infinity to the gaming world, here. The newest information about the 2012 CES confirms everything I said would happen, although I predicted the information about the Xbox Infinity would be revealed behind closed doors. Time will tell what happens, but either way it will be exciting!

Note: I'd like to thank Yahoo for providing this information about CES rumors.

Black Friday and Thanksgiving Day Deals

Black Friday is an excellent time to find deals on videogames. I've actually noticed that Thanksgiving Day is also an excellent day to find deals on videogames. In my opinion, there are two deals in particular that stood out as excellent:

* Target allows you to purchase a 4GB Xbox 360 for only $139 on Black Friday!

* K-Mart has a multitude of videogame deals where you can save up to $30 on all sorts of games for the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii. In particular, I noticed some AAA games such as Gears of War 3 and Forza Motorsport 4 which are on sale for only $39.99 on Thanksgiving Day. K-Mart also allows you to purchase a Kinect for only $99 on Thanksgiving Day.

If anyone else out there knows of any other deals on Thanksgiving or Black Friday, please mention them here by writing a Comment for others to see.

Worldwide PS3 Sales Down 25%, Xbox 360 Sales Increase

Reports of year-to-year hardware sales for the financial quarter were recently released. Sony saw a 25% decline in worldwide sales of the PS3 compared to this financial quarter last year. From April 2011 to June 2011, Sony sold 1.8 million PS3 units. During this time period last year, Sony sold 2.4 million PS3 units worldwide.

The PSP saw an increase of sales by 50%, up to 1.8 million. Previously the PSP sold 1.2 million units during this time period last year. The PS2 saw a decline in sales to only 1.4 million units.

The Nintendo Wii sold 1.56 million units worldwide; it had previously sold 3.04 million units during this time period last year, which means sales of the Wii are down about 50%. The Nintendo DS/DSi handhelds sold 1.44 million units, while the 3DS sold 710,000 units. The sales of the 3DS are expected to increase significantly in August when Nintendo decreases the price from $250 to only $170.

The Xbox 360 is the only console to see an annual increase in year-to-year sales. The Xbox 360 sold 1.7 million units worldwide. During this time period last year the Xbox 360 had sold 1.5 million units. The Xbox 360 console continues to dominate the English-speaking parts of the world, particularly North America -- the largest game market in the world. Xbox 360 has also seen a significant increase in sales in Europe.

The large decline in worldwide PS3 sales represents the worst sales performance the PS3 has seen over the last two years. This is probably why Sony is currently developing the PS4 and is shooting for a release of late 2012 in Japan, and spring of 2013 for other parts of the world.

Wii U – Is Price More Important than Power?

Prior to the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo, the biggest source of hype was coming from Nintendo. The reason for this is because Nintendo had said they would be revealing a new console, which was called the “Wii 2” by the media. But during the E3 show, most people were disappointed that Nintendo left so many questions unanswered about their new console, officially unveiled as the Wii U. This is particularly true in areas of pricing and hardware specifications.

In an interview with GameSpot, legendary game developer Shigeru Miyamoto has now made it clear Nintendo’s primary focus is price. This means the hardware specifications of the Wii U may be limited, depending on what price points and bulk deals Nintendo can negotiate. This news may be disappointing to hardcore gamers who want the best graphics, but from Nintendo’s point of view it makes more sense to release a product that is affordable.

Shigeru Myamoto said, "We're trying to find the right balance between the CPU and the GPU, and bringing all of that together with the ability to take advantage of the HD capabilities of the system.” Myamoto-san went on to explain "We're very sensitive, of course, to do all of this at an appropriate price. So I don't know that we would be able to sit here and say that it's going to necessarily dramatically outperform the systems that are out now. It's part of the balance that we strike in terms of trying to find entertainment that is new and unique."

Shigeru Myamoto has arguably the most impressive résumé in the history of the videogame industry to support his thoughts, but how do you feel about this? Over the course of time, the Wii U will drop in price. Should Nintendo release the Wii U at a higher price if it means releasing a better product? Maybe if enough people speak up, Nintendo will change their mind.

Meijer – Great Sales on Xbox 360, Kinect, Wii and PS3

Meijer has some excellent deals this week if you are interested in buying videogame consoles or accessories. Here they are:

* Buy one Xbox 360 4GB console priced at $199 and receive a free $50 Meijer Gift Card! This is essentially giving you a brand new Xbox 360 console for only $149! Each Meijer store has at least five Xbox 360 units, but there are no rain checks or substitutions. With that in mind, I strongly suggest you hurry up and get to your local Meijer store in order to make sure you get one.

* Buy one Xbox 360 Kinect Sensor Bundle with Kinect Adventures packed in for the price of $149. Once you make this purchase you get a $25 Meijer Gift Card for free! There are at least six Kinect units per store, but there are no rain checks or substitutions. If you are interested, I recommend that you do not waste time getting to Meijer.

* Buy one Nintendo Wii console, and you get a free “Meijer Custom Coupon.” This coupon is valid on your next videogame department purchase. This coupon is valid from June 26 to July 9. This deal isn’t quite as good as the ones Meijer offers for the Xbox 360, but if you are interested in a Wii it is better than nothing.

* You can also buy a PS3 bundle on sale for only $299. The bundle includes Call of Duty: Black Ops packed in. Although Meijer tries to promote this as a savings of $59, this is not really the case because you can buy Call of Duty: Black Ops new on store shelves for as little as $29.99. But, if you are interested in this game, it is still a savings of $30.

* You can also buy “All Video Game Software” for a discount of 15% off! In other words, a $60 game will be $51, and a $40 game will be priced at $34. No matter which console or handheld device you own, Meijer is the place you want to buy from this week!

Winner of 2011 E3: Microsoft - Software Overpowers Hardware!

The E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) is traditionally an event where people get excited about futuristic products that will be released at later points in time. Generally speaking, a new hardware device tends to carry more weight than a new game. When games are announced that focus on the future, it usually generates more excitement than games being released that year. However, the E3 show is an opportunity to place publicity on current products that will be sold later that same year.

Sony tends to have a reputation for focusing on games being released years down the road. Some critics have pointed out the reason for this is because Sony has nothing to show “that particular year.” This year, Sony unveiled a new portable console called the PSVita, while still showing a lot of games for the PS3 being released later this year. The games Sony displayed for the PS3 were the ones expected (and the ones rumored), but Sony actually did not show off several PS3 games that were available to be shown. This may suggest the games will be delayed.

I believe the PSVita disappointed a lot of people in several different ways. The name of “PSVita” is considered relatively stupid. The price of the PSVita is between $249 to $299, but this is too expensive for Sony to expect a large market anytime soon. There is no doubt Nintendo will remain champion of the handheld game market for many years to come.

The PS3 has a relatively strong lineup of games scheduled for release this year, but none of these games are “best-sellers.” Games like Uncharted 3 and Resistance 3 are considered good games born in the PS3 era, but both of these series are known for experiencing disappointing sales that were lower than expected. I believe Sony did the right thing trying to focus on this year’s games rather than Gran Turismo 6, which won’t be released for a very long time. But it was a mistake for Sony to try and shine all the light on just a couple of this year’s games rather than evenly distribute the light on others in niche markets.

Sony: B
The PSVita announcement was handled nicely, but the name actually left people disappointed. Sony has a nice lineup of PS3 games for 2011, but several of the games Sony announced were rather disappointing. Sony’s lack of desire to show several games also suggests some of the games on the show floor may be delayed.

Nintendo is the company I really thought had the best chance of winning this year’s E3. Nintendo was said to be unveiling a new “next-generation console.” But here at Controversy, we knew the console would not be a “next-gen” console with “next-gen” graphics due to the fact that the hardware specifications would not allow it – as we discussed here. Nevertheless, I really thought any form of new console from Nintendo would carry so much excitement along with it that Nintendo would easily be crowned the winner of the 2011 E3.

Unfortunately, Nintendo’s presentation of the Wii U left a lot of people disappointed and confused. Nintendo has made it clear the Wii U is not a portable gaming device. But the Wii U does seem to be both a console and a controller in one. And the evidence suggests that as long as the Wii U is kept within a certain distance of your TV set, it can be used as a portable gaming device.

Nintendo did not officially unveil hardware specifications or pricing for the Wii U. But our industry insider sources at Controversy have already provided us with information relating to Wii U specifications. As expected, the Wii U has graphics similar to the Xbox 360 and PS3. In fact, it actually appears the graphics of the Wii U are less impressive than the Xbox 360 and PS3. For example, there is no doubt the Tekken games on Xbox 360 and PS3 look better than Tekken on the Wii U.

This is a bit surprising because according to the reported specifications, the GPU and CPU of the Wii U are very impressive. The Wii U has a GPU nearly identical to the Xbox 360 GPU, and the same can be said about the CPU. Similarly, the Wii U has the same 512MB amount of RAM as the Xbox 360 and PS3. I think the reason why the Wii U probably has graphics less impressive than the Xbox 360 and PS3 is because so much processing power is devoted to other functions that Xbox 360 and PS3 don’t need to deal with.

Nintendo: B-
Nintendo focused on the Wii and 3DS consoles very nicely. But the Wii U ended up being a confusing disappointment. Whenever an audience is confused, you can say something was handled incorrectly.

Microsoft is a company known for using trade shows such as E3 to focus the spotlight on products being released relatively soon. From a business point of view, this is a very smart decision. High-profile games receive all the attention they deserve, which can help boost preorders. And if enough spotlight focus is placed on a low-profile game, market status can be raised to new heights.

I really thought Microsoft would be given the lowest rating this year at E3, simply because both Nintendo and Sony would be announcing new forms of hardware. I knew Microsoft had the strongest lineup of popular software this year, with amazing games such as Gears of War 3 and Forza Motorsport 4 – both considered the best game ever released in their particular genre. I also knew Microsoft may be announcing a couple rumored games, such as some form of Halo Anniversary Edition. Thankfully, Microsoft lived up to all these promises.

What really won the 2011 E3 show for Microsoft was the announcement of a new Halo “trilogy” starting with Halo 4! Microsoft is known for their tradition of saving exciting announcements until the end of their E3 presentation. Some people thought Halo 4 might be announced, due to the fact that hours earlier the xbox.com page apparently listed Halo 4 as an upcoming game as an accident (since Halo 4 was deleted from the list shortly after being posted). But nobody thought an entirely new “trilogy” of Halo games involving Master Chief John 117 would be announced for Xbox 360!

Halo: Reach is an amazing game, which is why it is so awesome to watch Master Chief use that form of jetpack in Halo 4! The anniversary edition of Halo: Combat Evolved is completely updated to high-definition. The game also adds a variety of new game play elements not included in the original Halo: CE game. This additional game play will link the anniversary edition of Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo 4, Halo: Reach, the Forerunners, and other elements of the Halo plot.

Microsoft also focused on some amazing games and features associated with Kinect. The theme of making games better with Kinect is very important to Microsoft. It’s very cool the way games such as Ghost Recon: Future Soldier will actually have custom modes only available if you are using Kinect!

The anniversary edition of Halo: Combat Evolved will be released on 11/11/11. We were told Halo 4 will be launched during the Holiday shopping season of 2012. Gears of War 3 will be released in September and Forza Motorsport 4 will be released on 10/11/11.

This lineup of games is amazing! Halo has been called the greatest First-Person Shooter ever made. Gears of War is considered the greatest Third-Person Shooter ever made. Forza Motorsport 3 is now considered the greatest racing game ever made, and Forza Motorsport 4 races further ahead than ever. The announcement of the Halo 4 “trilogy” pushed this over the top for the Xbox 360!

Microsoft: A
The Xbox 360 holiday lineup of games for 2011 is literally the strongest lineup of games in the history of the videogame industry! The only other year to come close was 2007 for the Xbox 360. But getting Halo, Gears of War, Forza, and all of the other third-party exclusives, Xbox Live Arcade games, Xbox Live Indie games, and the surprise announcement of a new Halo trilogy makes it so Xbox 360 and Microsoft easily win this year’s E3.

E3 Champion of 2011: Microsoft
The Xbox 360 software overpowered the relatively disappointing hardware announcements from Nintendo and Sony. The Xbox 360 has the best software lineup this holiday season. Microsoft easily wins the 2011 E3.

Nintendo Officially Announces the “Wii-U” Console – Wii 2 Becomes Wii U

The Wii U has been officially announced by Nintendo. This unit is essentially a portable game console, hardware game console, and controller with motion sensitivity all rolled into one. For example, you can use controller to help target exactly where you want a fastball in a baseball game. Although, Nintendo does specifically say the Wii U is not classified as a "portable" game device. This seems to suggest that although you may be able to use the Wii U within a certain range of your TV, you would not be able to use it as a portable console in your car.

The Wii-U is based on a 6.2” screen and is fully backward compatible with all Wii and Gamecube products. The controller includes two Circle Pads, a D Pad, a Gyroscope, L & R buttongs, and ZL and ZR buttons. There is also a touch screen controller in the Wii-U.

The Wii-U uses high-definition images connected to an HDTV without using any form of wires at all for connection. You can also use the screen and the TV at the same time if the game calls for it, such as a baseball game.

The Wii U is even compatible with the Nintendo 3DS. For example, Nintendo announced a Smash Bros. game where you can play the game using these two different devices simultaneously. The Wii U is absolutely amazing, and we will continue to learn from it as time passes. The Wii U will be released in time for the Holiday of 2012.

For information regarding the Wii U hardware specifications (previously known as the Wii 2) please click here. The Wii U hardware offers graphics similar to the Xbox 360 and PS3. This is exactly the same prediction the staff of Controversy made in previous articles. Also, Nintendo will not be focusing on 3D technology from Sony. The 3D technology used by Nintendo will use the 3DS in order to produce true 3D, rather than simulated 3D.

Ubisoft Unveils Lineup at E3

Ubisoft revealed some very impressive games for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. In addition, Ubisoft did an excellent job of showing how games can be optimized to be made better with Kinect. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is a perfect example of this! Simply put, there are features you never would have thought possible if it weren't for Kinect. For example, there is a gun smith mode where you can literally build a weapon with Kinect!

Assassins Creed: Revelations looked absolutely amazing when it was put on display. The plot is as good as ever, yet the graphics have somehow managed to get even better than ever! As we learn more about this game over the next few days, it will be very exciting. This is particularly true with the multiplayer aspects, but we will need to wait until tomorrow for the booth presentation from Ubisoft.

Brother in Arms: Furious 4 is a First-Perosn Shooter with a World War 2 theme. This is the most high-profile game like that since Call of Duty 2 in 2005. I'm really looking forward to learning more about this game.

Far Cry 3: Insane in the Membrane is a shooter where the character you play as appears to be insane! That's right, Vaas seems like a madman with a mission in an illogical way. Many people have said Far Cry 3 is a lot like having The Joker in the game, if you are a fan of Batman. One thing everyone agrees on is that Far Cry 3 appears to have noticably better graphics than Far Cry 2.

Beyond Good and Evil 2 is a game that was completely overlooked because it was placed in the middle of such high-profile games. This is the reason why I decided to talk about Beyond Good and Evil 2 last. If you were a fan of the original game (which was re-released in an HD format on Xbox Live earlier in the year) you will love the sequel. This is the second game, which was marketed as a trilogy and does have a loyal following.

I'm looking forward to see what else Ubisoft has to show! Please share your thoughts.

Videogame News - Daily News Updates

Videogame News is a special blog focusing on daily news updates in the videogame industry. We will also be exploring controversial rumors given to us from reliable sources inside the videogame industry. Our blog is dedicated to Xbox 360, PS3, Wii 2, and Wii.

Note: Dozens of other articles relating to the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and Wii 2 can be found by clicking on Controversy Home above, and then selecting Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, or Wii 2. For example, a five-page analysis of the Gears of War 3 beta is available. We also examine game sales. But Videogame News has outgrown that part of the blog and will now focus entirely on videogames.