Tomorrow marks the launch of the latest update of the Xbox user interface, the first such makeover since the NXE was launched. Having been a member of the Preview Program, I can assure you it's worth updating to, especially if you own Kinect.
One of the features most touted during its announcement was the addition of live TV to the Xbox. With partners like ESPN, HBO, Verizon, and many more, Microsoft proclaimed themselves the herald of a new generation of TV. That may be what they said, but the reality is that they're simply propagating the current stranglehold of restrictions on video content that already exist.
You've seen it already. The ESPN app on the Xbox only works if you already have a cable/satellite subscription, and it's on a provider that supports watchespn.com. The new apps are no different. HBO Go? Gotta have a subscription. Verizon FIOS? Subscription. Maybe I'm missing something, but can someone please explain to me why the ability to watch the same channels you already pay for, on the same TV you already own, but via the Xbox instead of a cable/satellite box is a big deal? And before anyone says "You won't need to own a cable/satellite box now!" remember that A) You can't get all of your provider's channels, and B) There's no way in the world that you won't be charged a fee of some sort for this "privilege". There's no way the company will give up the box rental revenue.
Microsoft seriously missed the boat here. They could have changed video content distribution forever by making this offering "rogue". What do I mean? Give me the ability to say: "Hey ESPN, I'll buy your channel for $4.95/month. HBO, I'll pay for your channel too. Verizon FIOS offering? Sure, I'll take that as well. By the way, I'm a Time Warner Cable Internet subscriber, and you're going to stream your stuff to me on their network without me subscribing to their video offering."
Now THAT would have been revolutionary. To break free of the traditional mold and let the content live wherever someone wants it. I'm not trying to be a pirate about it, you still have to pay for the content. The idea that I can just pay the content provider directly rather than the middle man is the key. And Microsoft could have done this! Let's look at this objectively. The only value add for existing subscribers is that now they could pair Kinect with the video offering. While that's nice and all, it's nothing most people would pay extra for, as is rumored with the Verizon FIOS offering. Since the service Microsoft is offering isn't doing anything different, they could have approached content providers from the standpoint that Apple approached the music industry. This pitch could have went something like this:
"The times, they are a changin boys. You can either be in on the revolution or swept under by it. We're planning to begin a new service that will deliver subscription video content via the Xbox Live service and we want you in on it. This will give you access to an installed base of 55 million consoles worldwide, and 35 million current (as of June 3rd, 2011 according to Xbox Live's Larry Hyrb) Xbox Live subscribers. You win because subscription fees go directly to you, we do not control any price, and you get to eliminate the middle man and make more profit. Our subscribers win because they get access to the content they want, don't have to subsidize content they don't want, and aren't tied to a specific provider in order to get it. We win because we feel this will drive more desire to own an Xbox with a Live subscription. Whadda ya say guys?"
And I think at first, there would be resistance for sure among the big content providers. But what you would see immediately is the little guys JUMPING at this opportunity. Content providers such as G4 that recently got dealt a huge blow last year by not being renewed by DirecTV (the largest US Satellite provider) could give them the middle finger and get to far more households (35 million versus 18 million as of the research done for this article) than DirecTV could hope to give them. Content providers wanting to get in the game that could never hope to even get past negotiations with content delivery networks could ply their wares to millions without ever having to negotiate a contract. Then at some point, one of the big boys finally sees the market they're missing out on, and the rest fall like dominoes.
This will happen eventually. It's just a matter of time. It's unfortunate that Microsoft with both the power and opportunity to effect change wasted both. The new Xbox Live experience will certainly carry a lot of positives, but it sadly fell short of the revolutionary offering that it could have been.
December 5, 2011
November 24, 2011
Review: Uncharted 3
The Uncharted series is probably most known for being absolutely gorgeous, as well as modernizing the Indiana Jones style exploration genre. Uncharted 3 is no exception. Come on in and let me tell you a tale of a game that could have been an absolute masterpiece.
The story:
The story gives us a peek at Drake's history with Sully, showing us their relationship at its genesis in Columbia. This is integral to the game's overall story, as it also introduces you to the game's main villain in the process. The filling in of the back story with Nate and Sully is awesome. As a fan of the series, it was really neat to see how they met and the tie between them.
Equally riveting is the story between Nate and Elena. You open the game in a mission with Sully, Chloe, and a new character, Cutter. Elena is nowhere to be found at the beginning of the game, and you're given a somewhat vague story of why throughout the game.
The main story this time around revolves around the cause of Sir Francis Drake spending way more time than he should have in one spot for one of his expeditions. You open trying to sell Nate's ring that he's had since the first game, sending us on this whole adventure to start with. The buyer tries to use use counterfeit money to get the ring, and in typical Drake and Sully fashion, it ends up in a brawl.
The game:
Nothing much has changed since the first two games here. Hand to hand combat is still mostly mashing square with a dash of triangle thrown in. Stealth kills haven't changed either, just get near the enemy undetected and tap square and finish them. The only thing really new is that we now have the ability to chuck grenades back at the enemy by timing a press of the triangle button just right. This isn't anything to knock the game for, as the system is certainly fun. What's frustrating to no end that also hasn't changed since the first game, is the clunky controls for controlling Nate during the platforming and climbing sections of the game. Many a time I jumped to my death while seemingly pointed exactly where I wanted to go. Also needing to go away are the all too frequent instant fail sections. Several times you're asked to pursue someone or run away from something and if you're not quick enough or go the wrong way, it's time to restart. This is compounded worse by the fact that on more than one occasion you're running toward the camera and cannot see ahead of you. Note to all developers: This is just cheap. It's annoying and completely luck based, and there's no need for it in the 21st century of gaming. Pile that on top of the sections of the game where you're not really gaming, and it just gets a bit old. I do realize they're using this for effect in the story, but in practice, it's just a cut scene that requires you to hold in a direction to advance it. They'd have been better off simply making it a true cut scene and being done with it, as there's no reason for the player to have control in these instances.
The verdict:
All that said, it's still a great game. It's beautiful, and tells an awesome story. Unfortunately, Uncharted 3 is a frustrating mix of this great story, beautiful scenery, and botched game mechanics. In the end, a game is just that, a game. If the game part is weak, you can't ignore this. It's very much worth playing, but in deciding the final score of this game, the weaknesses in the actual game prevent it from being a must own.
Pros:
The story:
The story gives us a peek at Drake's history with Sully, showing us their relationship at its genesis in Columbia. This is integral to the game's overall story, as it also introduces you to the game's main villain in the process. The filling in of the back story with Nate and Sully is awesome. As a fan of the series, it was really neat to see how they met and the tie between them.
Equally riveting is the story between Nate and Elena. You open the game in a mission with Sully, Chloe, and a new character, Cutter. Elena is nowhere to be found at the beginning of the game, and you're given a somewhat vague story of why throughout the game.
The main story this time around revolves around the cause of Sir Francis Drake spending way more time than he should have in one spot for one of his expeditions. You open trying to sell Nate's ring that he's had since the first game, sending us on this whole adventure to start with. The buyer tries to use use counterfeit money to get the ring, and in typical Drake and Sully fashion, it ends up in a brawl.
The game:
Nothing much has changed since the first two games here. Hand to hand combat is still mostly mashing square with a dash of triangle thrown in. Stealth kills haven't changed either, just get near the enemy undetected and tap square and finish them. The only thing really new is that we now have the ability to chuck grenades back at the enemy by timing a press of the triangle button just right. This isn't anything to knock the game for, as the system is certainly fun. What's frustrating to no end that also hasn't changed since the first game, is the clunky controls for controlling Nate during the platforming and climbing sections of the game. Many a time I jumped to my death while seemingly pointed exactly where I wanted to go. Also needing to go away are the all too frequent instant fail sections. Several times you're asked to pursue someone or run away from something and if you're not quick enough or go the wrong way, it's time to restart. This is compounded worse by the fact that on more than one occasion you're running toward the camera and cannot see ahead of you. Note to all developers: This is just cheap. It's annoying and completely luck based, and there's no need for it in the 21st century of gaming. Pile that on top of the sections of the game where you're not really gaming, and it just gets a bit old. I do realize they're using this for effect in the story, but in practice, it's just a cut scene that requires you to hold in a direction to advance it. They'd have been better off simply making it a true cut scene and being done with it, as there's no reason for the player to have control in these instances.
The verdict:
All that said, it's still a great game. It's beautiful, and tells an awesome story. Unfortunately, Uncharted 3 is a frustrating mix of this great story, beautiful scenery, and botched game mechanics. In the end, a game is just that, a game. If the game part is weak, you can't ignore this. It's very much worth playing, but in deciding the final score of this game, the weaknesses in the actual game prevent it from being a must own.
Pros:
- Probably the most beautiful game you'll see on a console
- Smart story, constantly keeps you guessing
Cons:
- Way too many instant fail sequences
- Controls just aren't that strong
Score: 4 out of 5 stars - Worth Owning
Review System - PS3
Time Played - 16 hours, all single player
Completion: Finished the single player game. Obtained 31 of 55 trophies
November 15, 2011
Want My SWTOR Beta Key? Just Ask!
I couldn't come up with anything creative to give away my Star Wars: The Old Republic beta key. So instead, the first of my Twitter followers to simply ASK will get it! I put this out yesterday and have yet to get a response...
November 14, 2011
SWTOR Beta Key to Give Away
So, I've got this shiny SWTOR beta key here in my hands. The problem for me, is that I don't own a PC to play this thing on. So how exactly should I give this thing away to you, my wonderful readers?
November 7, 2011
Want Some Free Battlefield 3 Custom Dogtags?
If so, easy task for you. A new movie scheduled for release in February next year called "Act of Valor" has partnered with EA to hook you up with some dogtags for watching their pretty BA trailer. Click here to see the preview of what looks to be a pretty awesome movie and score your loot.
November 4, 2011
Early Play - What's the Big Deal?
It appears that a few retailers have jumped the gun and began selling Modern Warfare 3 just a *tad* early. Those that have been able to take advantage of this, of course, started playing. Yesterday, Xbox Live Director of Policy and Enforcement Stephen Toulouse tweeted the following:
Stepto: clarification: dblchk'd with Activision. Mw3 pre-release play not authorized. So pls be patient. Playing early may impact your account! (link to tweet)
Two things are at question here. First, it has been Microsoft's policy in the past that if you've legitimately obtained a game prior to its official release, go nuts. This even came from Toulouse himself earlier in the day tweeting:
Stepto: For those asking about MW3 pre-release play: If your copy is legit and obtained legitly, have fun. It's a great game. (link to tweet)
So why the reversal? Is Activision now dictating to Microsoft what its policy should be? Moreover, if they're really that concerned about people playing it before release, here's a novel thought. Turn off the multiplayer servers until release. That'll teach those bastards to pay you money before they're supposed to!
And that brings me to point number two. Why does it really matter? These people are not pirates. They're paying customers. I could totally understand if these were leaked copies of the game being spread far and wide across the Internet. This is not the case. Here, you're punishing your most rabid fans for legitimately obtaining the game early. You want to take it out on someone? Find the retailer that sold it early and tell them they don't get the game next time. Or if it was really that severe in your eyes, blacklist them from getting other games published from your company. Don't punish the consumer, they're innocent in this scenario. Who of us *wouldn't* take that opportunity?
The conspiracy theorist in me isn't entirely sure this hasn't been orchestrated since Battlefield 3 is enjoying some pretty ridiculous sales numbers with no opposition and Activision can't have it. This could be the *wink wink, nudge nudge* "Now you're not supposed to be doing this yet guys!" in order to get some free publicity and to undercut the competition.
It's moderate level d-baggery at its worst, and crappy publicity stunt at its best. Either way, the consumer that did no wrong ends up standing to lose the most.
Update - Toulouse later went on to say that nobody would see retribution for early play but to "wait til Tuesday to play with everybody", whatever that meant.
Stepto: clarification: dblchk'd with Activision. Mw3 pre-release play not authorized. So pls be patient. Playing early may impact your account! (link to tweet)
Two things are at question here. First, it has been Microsoft's policy in the past that if you've legitimately obtained a game prior to its official release, go nuts. This even came from Toulouse himself earlier in the day tweeting:
Stepto: For those asking about MW3 pre-release play: If your copy is legit and obtained legitly, have fun. It's a great game. (link to tweet)
So why the reversal? Is Activision now dictating to Microsoft what its policy should be? Moreover, if they're really that concerned about people playing it before release, here's a novel thought. Turn off the multiplayer servers until release. That'll teach those bastards to pay you money before they're supposed to!
And that brings me to point number two. Why does it really matter? These people are not pirates. They're paying customers. I could totally understand if these were leaked copies of the game being spread far and wide across the Internet. This is not the case. Here, you're punishing your most rabid fans for legitimately obtaining the game early. You want to take it out on someone? Find the retailer that sold it early and tell them they don't get the game next time. Or if it was really that severe in your eyes, blacklist them from getting other games published from your company. Don't punish the consumer, they're innocent in this scenario. Who of us *wouldn't* take that opportunity?
The conspiracy theorist in me isn't entirely sure this hasn't been orchestrated since Battlefield 3 is enjoying some pretty ridiculous sales numbers with no opposition and Activision can't have it. This could be the *wink wink, nudge nudge* "Now you're not supposed to be doing this yet guys!" in order to get some free publicity and to undercut the competition.
It's moderate level d-baggery at its worst, and crappy publicity stunt at its best. Either way, the consumer that did no wrong ends up standing to lose the most.
Update - Toulouse later went on to say that nobody would see retribution for early play but to "wait til Tuesday to play with everybody", whatever that meant.
October 31, 2011
Games Journalism Isn't Objective
So I've come out from hiding (and basically insanely busy work and personal life schedules) to comment on this:
Any of you that follow games journalism should recognize Justin McElroy in the video above embracing his beloved copy of Skyrim. This video is certainly meant to be funny, and a bit serious as well since nobody honestly will be seeing Justin for probably 100+ hours now that he has the game.
But it has fueled the ire of those over at NeoGaf claiming "TEH BIAS!!!!11!1!". Here's the deal everyone, a game review is simply an opinion of the person playing it. And that person, no matter how much they want to admit it, will have a bias if they're already a fan of the game, its series, or its publisher even.
Now *normally* I wouldn't have a problem with a video of this type. The problem in this instance though is Joystiq's mantra that they are unbiased in their work. They have put themselves in this ivory tower over and over and over again. So when an editor is such an unabashed fan of something, and your site makes it a HUGE deal that its reviews and reviewers are unbiased, editorial has an easy fix for this. Don't let that person review that game. This of course is a problem if the person with the problem is the site's managing editor that refuses to give up the review.
On his personal blog Justin goes on to defend his video and the fact that he will still be reviewing the game for Joystiq. He says near the end:
This would be EXACTLY RIGHT except for the site's stated policy that everything is unbiased, and the lengths they go to in order to "provide unbiased coverage and criticism of the video game industry."
I know, it's easy for me to talk with a po-dunk personal blog that receives exactly squat for free. But here's the thing, if anyone anywhere ever wants to send me anything for free, I'm taking it, disclosing it to the public, and then publishing my thoughts on what I got. That's *my* stated policy. We'll see whether or not Joystiq's Editor-in-Chief Chris Grant sacks up and tells Justin he needs to stand down in order to preserve the site's ethics. Either way it goes, it's made for high comedy.
Any of you that follow games journalism should recognize Justin McElroy in the video above embracing his beloved copy of Skyrim. This video is certainly meant to be funny, and a bit serious as well since nobody honestly will be seeing Justin for probably 100+ hours now that he has the game.
But it has fueled the ire of those over at NeoGaf claiming "TEH BIAS!!!!11!1!". Here's the deal everyone, a game review is simply an opinion of the person playing it. And that person, no matter how much they want to admit it, will have a bias if they're already a fan of the game, its series, or its publisher even.
Now *normally* I wouldn't have a problem with a video of this type. The problem in this instance though is Joystiq's mantra that they are unbiased in their work. They have put themselves in this ivory tower over and over and over again. So when an editor is such an unabashed fan of something, and your site makes it a HUGE deal that its reviews and reviewers are unbiased, editorial has an easy fix for this. Don't let that person review that game. This of course is a problem if the person with the problem is the site's managing editor that refuses to give up the review.
On his personal blog Justin goes on to defend his video and the fact that he will still be reviewing the game for Joystiq. He says near the end:
"The trick, to crib a line from Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical Rent, is finding a critic with baggage that goes with yours."
This would be EXACTLY RIGHT except for the site's stated policy that everything is unbiased, and the lengths they go to in order to "provide unbiased coverage and criticism of the video game industry."
I know, it's easy for me to talk with a po-dunk personal blog that receives exactly squat for free. But here's the thing, if anyone anywhere ever wants to send me anything for free, I'm taking it, disclosing it to the public, and then publishing my thoughts on what I got. That's *my* stated policy. We'll see whether or not Joystiq's Editor-in-Chief Chris Grant sacks up and tells Justin he needs to stand down in order to preserve the site's ethics. Either way it goes, it's made for high comedy.
September 12, 2011
Xbox Live, NAT, and You
I've always been a network geek. I've always heard of people with issues with NAT and Xbox Live and thought "They just must not know what they're doing" and dismissed it as an 1D10T error.
Until now.
Now that I'm in a job that requires me to understand Live and NAT, it seriously makes me wonder about the forethought put into the creation of the Live service. They admittedly do some really cool stuff to get around some of the NAT problems, but I can't help but think that it's actually over-engineered.
What follows will be a HIGHLY technical article. While I'm going to make every effort to make this as accessible as possible to Joe Everyman, it is without a doubt still very technical. If you're not curious about the technical nature of Live, have no understanding of networking and don't care, or otherwise don't feel the need to know what's under the hood of your 360, you can click off now, as this article isn't for you. It will, without a doubt, put you to sleep.
I'll give the uninterested people a few minutes to disperse.
Still with me?
Good.
Here comes more than you'll probably ever want to know about Xbox Live and NATs.
Let's begin with basics for the uninitiated few that did stick around. All devices connected to the internet get an IP (Internet Protocol) address. That address cannot be used by any other device. Years ago, when precious few IP addresses were available (we're actually out of IPv4 addresses now!) smart people long ago established NAT (Network Address Translation) as a way to share a single address to multiple devices. A NAT router is the piece of magic that allows all of your devices at home to harmoniously use the single IP address that nearly every ISP (Internet Service Provider) gives you. Most people will refer to this as a Linksys or Cisco router, but many manufacturers (D-Link, Belkin, Netgear, to name a few) make these devices. Some are better than others, but they all serve the same basic purpose. To everyone but gamers, these devices for the most part magically work and no thought should ever really be given to them. But in our case, we care greatly about their capabilities.
How Xbox Live works
There are five ports that Xbox Live uses:
TCP 80, 443, 3074
UDP 88, 3074
The critical port of the bunch though, is that UDP 3074 guy. You see, not only do the servers operated by Microsoft care about him, but every other Xbox on the planet does as well. Yes friends, Xbox Live is a peer-to-peer service as well as a client-server service. This fact is until recently where I was blissfully ignorant. I thought, "That's simple, just allow the ports through your firewall and you're done." Not so fast slick. Not only does the 360 phone home to Live and expect to carry on a conversation, but other 360s will want to talk to you as well. This is the part where NAT becomes a pain in the neck for many people.
How NAT works
First off, there are three types of NAT: Open (Full Cone), Moderate (Restricted Cone), and Strict (Symmetric). For your Xbox to work at its best, you want to have an Open NAT. Let's look at a little detail of what each of these types means in the real world.
To start with, all NAT types contain a state table. This is the computer's way of knowing what traffic coming in from the outside world is supposed to go to what address in the private, translated world. The table however, will be different depending on the NAT type. The second thing that should be kept in mind is that by default in all NAT types, a client on the inside must initiate traffic before an entry is created in the state table. Until that happens, no traffic from the outside can be forwarded to the inside. In all the examples that follow, assume the following:
Your own internal IP address is 192.168.1.10
The IP you've received from your ISP is 10.1.1.10
The IP of the Xbox Live service is 172.16.1.36
The IP "Remote Live Player A" received from their ISP is 10.2.2.20
The internal IP address of "Remote Live Player A" is 192.168.2.20
The IP "Remote Live Player B" received from their ISP is 10.3.3.30
The internal IP address of "Remote Live Player B" is 192.168.3.30
Open NAT:
Open NAT is the simplest form of NAT. It only cares about the internal client's information, and could care less about where the traffic from the outside world is coming from. An Open NAT's state table might look something like this:
192.168.1.10:3074 <-> 10.1.1.10:5000
This is the device saying "Hey, anything that comes in from the outside world to port 5000, it should go to 192.168.1.10 on port 3074."
Moderate NAT:
Moderate NAT goes a step further in that it not only cares about the translation of your internal address to a public one, but it will only allow that translation to work specifically with a given remote port. A Moderate NAT's state table might look something like this:
This is the device saying "Hey, anything that comes in from the outside world going to port 5000 AND is from source port 10000, it should go to 192.168.1.10 on port 3074."
This introduces our first wrinkle in how Xbox Live works in cooperation with a NAT. As you see in our examples, most NAT routers will take the port you're talking on, and use a completely random different port to talk to the outside world on. Because of this, we can't know what port a conversation will come in from when another 360 tries to talk to us. So when the following happens, we have a problem:
Remote Live Player A is able to talk with no issue because the connection is established and the 360 is aware of Player A. However, Remote Live Player B is a sad panda, because the NAT router is expecting all traffic to come in from port 10000 instead of 12000.
Strict NAT:
Strict NAT goes even further, and specifically restricts source port AND IP. A Strict NAT state table might look something like this:
This is the device saying "Hey, anything that comes in from the outside world going to port 5000 AND is from address 10.2.2.20 AND is coming from port 10000, it should go to 192.168.1.10 on port 3074. Also, anything that comes in from the outside world to port 6000 AND is from address 10.3.3.30 and is coming from port 12000, that also should go to 192.168.1.30 on port 3074"
Here is where it really gets fun. Here the NAT router, despite the fact that the communication is being made from the same port by the local client, creates another public facing port for the communication. This is vastly more secure on the part of the NAT router, and for everyday life, preferable. However, it's the Xbox Live service breaking equivalent of dumping Thermite into a steel furnace. It's broken and NOBODY gets to use it!
NAT Hole Punching:
However, Microsoft employs some pretty smart people, and they foresaw this. Even with an Open NAT type, the remote 360 needs a way to know which port to communicate with your 360. So when you sign into Live it records the port you're talking to it on. In the case of an Open NAT, this is pretty much the end of the story, because when you are matched with another player, their 360 is told what port to talk to you on, and everything works:
Gaming bliss is achieved.
In a Moderate NAT situation, we've got a problem. Since our NAT routers have determined a source port at random ahead of time, AND our router cares about the port traffic arriving to it is coming from, AND we can't change the port of other devices talking to us, we've got to employ some trickery to make things work. Let's look at the same conversation above and why it fails when the user's 360 attempts to talk to Remote Live Player A. We've got the same conversation, but I'm going to show you the NAT state table that is created in addition to the network conversation:
Again though, we have some smart people at Microsoft, so for Moderate NAT users, we have this instead:
Again, we have gaming bliss.
So far, we have ways around different NAT types. The problem comes when we get to the Strict type. Since every connection out from a Strict NAT results in a new public facing port being used, Xbox Live can't use the same tactic of hole punching since we have no way of knowing what port will be used as the public facing port. The whole process breaks down then when trying to hole punch:
In Ghostbusters speak, we have a crossing of the streams. We made our connections out, but because our source port changed, we aren't listening on the ports that the conversation is occurring on. As a result, those with Strict NAT types are pretty well up the creek when being matched. They have to rely on being matched with ONLY Open NAT types. Only an Open NAT will work with a Strict, because they don't care where the conversation is coming from, just as long as it's on the right port. Since Live can inform the Strict user of this, the Strict user initiates the connection to the Open user, and there is no problem. But since the local port randomization occurs, even a Moderate user cannot talk with a Strict user since they will be unable to know what port to talk to the Strict user on.
Oh no, that's terrible, how do you fix it?
Well, there's a couple ways to fix this for a home user. Newer NAT routers, the ones above that I mentioned are "better than others" contain a technology called Universal Plug and Play, or UPnP for short. UPnP, without giving you the highly technical explanation above, realizes what's happened here, and ensures that the traffic reaches the proper destination without any user intervention. This is by far the easiest method to fix this. It will also enable you to have more than one 360 using Live at a time in your household. It is also security stupidity as well. Allowing a device to create firewall rules simply by virtue of being behind the firewall is pretty foolish, and this is why nearly no enterprise firewall supports this behavior.
However, it can be fixed on some other NAT routers as well. They key is that UDP 3074 guy once again. Since this is the ONLY port that some random 360 will talk to you on, you can use this information to your advantage. One way of fixing this on a non-UPnP enabled router is to add the 360 to the DMZ, if the router has one. This will cause most NAT routers to forward any traffic not destined for a valid NAT state table entry to the DMZ. However, this isn't always the case. If your router behaves somewhat differently than some, and uses the local source port as the public facing source port, your easy solution here is to redirect UDP 3074 to the 360. This has the unfortunate side effect that only one 360 will be working AT ALL in your household, should you happen to have more than one.
That seems reasonable, what's your problem then?
Well, my problem, as a network admin is that beyond being an administrative nightmare to assign a reserved DHCP address and set up port redirecting from an external address to that reserved internal address for every 360 on my network, I simply don't have that many public IP addresses available. If I did, I wouldn't be using NAT, and I wouldn't be making this post. Now granted, my need to support Xbox Live as a service on my network is one that isn't terribly pervasive, but it is certainly one that Microsoft should care about. I'm sure that colleges, some small ISPs, even some home users with several 360s likely run into this problem quite frequently. With my specific network setup, I can make a single 360 absolutely sing without much effort. The problem is getting *all* of them in harmony. I can't fathom why when knowing that the NAT problem exists, and knowing that they require all users to fork over their $60 (only suckers pay full price for Live, by the way) each year, that all traffic isn't handled by either the Live servers, or a required dedicated server owned by the developer of the game. Granted that IPv6 should fix this problem, but we are some time off before it is widely implemented, and currently I'm unaware of any gaming device at all that even supports it.
So for now, we're stuck with NAT. But now you know what's going on if your 360 is complaining about a Strict or Moderate NAT type, and what you potentially can do about it!
Until now.
Now that I'm in a job that requires me to understand Live and NAT, it seriously makes me wonder about the forethought put into the creation of the Live service. They admittedly do some really cool stuff to get around some of the NAT problems, but I can't help but think that it's actually over-engineered.
What follows will be a HIGHLY technical article. While I'm going to make every effort to make this as accessible as possible to Joe Everyman, it is without a doubt still very technical. If you're not curious about the technical nature of Live, have no understanding of networking and don't care, or otherwise don't feel the need to know what's under the hood of your 360, you can click off now, as this article isn't for you. It will, without a doubt, put you to sleep.
I'll give the uninterested people a few minutes to disperse.
Still with me?
Good.
Here comes more than you'll probably ever want to know about Xbox Live and NATs.
Let's begin with basics for the uninitiated few that did stick around. All devices connected to the internet get an IP (Internet Protocol) address. That address cannot be used by any other device. Years ago, when precious few IP addresses were available (we're actually out of IPv4 addresses now!) smart people long ago established NAT (Network Address Translation) as a way to share a single address to multiple devices. A NAT router is the piece of magic that allows all of your devices at home to harmoniously use the single IP address that nearly every ISP (Internet Service Provider) gives you. Most people will refer to this as a Linksys or Cisco router, but many manufacturers (D-Link, Belkin, Netgear, to name a few) make these devices. Some are better than others, but they all serve the same basic purpose. To everyone but gamers, these devices for the most part magically work and no thought should ever really be given to them. But in our case, we care greatly about their capabilities.
How Xbox Live works
There are five ports that Xbox Live uses:
TCP 80, 443, 3074
UDP 88, 3074
The critical port of the bunch though, is that UDP 3074 guy. You see, not only do the servers operated by Microsoft care about him, but every other Xbox on the planet does as well. Yes friends, Xbox Live is a peer-to-peer service as well as a client-server service. This fact is until recently where I was blissfully ignorant. I thought, "That's simple, just allow the ports through your firewall and you're done." Not so fast slick. Not only does the 360 phone home to Live and expect to carry on a conversation, but other 360s will want to talk to you as well. This is the part where NAT becomes a pain in the neck for many people.
How NAT works
First off, there are three types of NAT: Open (Full Cone), Moderate (Restricted Cone), and Strict (Symmetric). For your Xbox to work at its best, you want to have an Open NAT. Let's look at a little detail of what each of these types means in the real world.
To start with, all NAT types contain a state table. This is the computer's way of knowing what traffic coming in from the outside world is supposed to go to what address in the private, translated world. The table however, will be different depending on the NAT type. The second thing that should be kept in mind is that by default in all NAT types, a client on the inside must initiate traffic before an entry is created in the state table. Until that happens, no traffic from the outside can be forwarded to the inside. In all the examples that follow, assume the following:
Your own internal IP address is 192.168.1.10
The IP you've received from your ISP is 10.1.1.10
The IP of the Xbox Live service is 172.16.1.36
The IP "Remote Live Player A" received from their ISP is 10.2.2.20
The internal IP address of "Remote Live Player A" is 192.168.2.20
The IP "Remote Live Player B" received from their ISP is 10.3.3.30
The internal IP address of "Remote Live Player B" is 192.168.3.30
Open NAT:
Open NAT is the simplest form of NAT. It only cares about the internal client's information, and could care less about where the traffic from the outside world is coming from. An Open NAT's state table might look something like this:
192.168.1.10:3074 <-> 10.1.1.10:5000
This is the device saying "Hey, anything that comes in from the outside world to port 5000, it should go to 192.168.1.10 on port 3074."
Moderate NAT:
Moderate NAT goes a step further in that it not only cares about the translation of your internal address to a public one, but it will only allow that translation to work specifically with a given remote port. A Moderate NAT's state table might look something like this:
192.168.1.10:3074 <-> 10.1.1.10:5000 <-> [Any IP]:10000
This is the device saying "Hey, anything that comes in from the outside world going to port 5000 AND is from source port 10000, it should go to 192.168.1.10 on port 3074."
This introduces our first wrinkle in how Xbox Live works in cooperation with a NAT. As you see in our examples, most NAT routers will take the port you're talking on, and use a completely random different port to talk to the outside world on. Because of this, we can't know what port a conversation will come in from when another 360 tries to talk to us. So when the following happens, we have a problem:
192.168.1.10:3074 <-> 10.1.1.10:5000 <-> 10.2.2.20:10000 <-> 192.168.2.20:3074 = YAY!
192.168.1.10:3074 X-X 10.1.1.10:5000 <-> 10.3.3.30:12000 <-> 192.168.3.30:3074 = FAIL!
Remote Live Player A is able to talk with no issue because the connection is established and the 360 is aware of Player A. However, Remote Live Player B is a sad panda, because the NAT router is expecting all traffic to come in from port 10000 instead of 12000.
Strict NAT:
Strict NAT goes even further, and specifically restricts source port AND IP. A Strict NAT state table might look something like this:
192.168.1.10:3074 <-> 10.1.1.10:5000 <-> 10.2.2.20:10000
192.168.1.10:3074 <-> 10.1.1.10:6000 <-> 10.3.3.30:12000
This is the device saying "Hey, anything that comes in from the outside world going to port 5000 AND is from address 10.2.2.20 AND is coming from port 10000, it should go to 192.168.1.10 on port 3074. Also, anything that comes in from the outside world to port 6000 AND is from address 10.3.3.30 and is coming from port 12000, that also should go to 192.168.1.30 on port 3074"
Here is where it really gets fun. Here the NAT router, despite the fact that the communication is being made from the same port by the local client, creates another public facing port for the communication. This is vastly more secure on the part of the NAT router, and for everyday life, preferable. However, it's the Xbox Live service breaking equivalent of dumping Thermite into a steel furnace. It's broken and NOBODY gets to use it!
NAT Hole Punching:
However, Microsoft employs some pretty smart people, and they foresaw this. Even with an Open NAT type, the remote 360 needs a way to know which port to communicate with your 360. So when you sign into Live it records the port you're talking to it on. In the case of an Open NAT, this is pretty much the end of the story, because when you are matched with another player, their 360 is told what port to talk to you on, and everything works:
You: Hey Live, I'm signing in!
192.168.1.10:3074 <-> 10.1.1.10:5000 <-> 172.16.1.36:3074
Live: Thanks User, I see you're on port 5000... I'll remember that for later.
Player A: Hey Live, I'm signing in!
192.168.2.20:3074 <-> 10.2.2.20:10000 <-> 172.16.1.36:3074
Live: Thanks Player A, I see you're on port 10000... I'll remember that for later.
You and Player A then get matched in a game...
Live: Hey User, you're going to be matched with Player A. Talk to him on port 10000.
192.168.1.10:3074 <-> 10.1.1.10:5000 <-> 10.2.2.20:10000 <-> 192.168.2.20:3074
Gaming bliss is achieved.
In a Moderate NAT situation, we've got a problem. Since our NAT routers have determined a source port at random ahead of time, AND our router cares about the port traffic arriving to it is coming from, AND we can't change the port of other devices talking to us, we've got to employ some trickery to make things work. Let's look at the same conversation above and why it fails when the user's 360 attempts to talk to Remote Live Player A. We've got the same conversation, but I'm going to show you the NAT state table that is created in addition to the network conversation:
You: Hey Live, I'm signing in!
User's network conversation:
192.168.1.10:3074 <-> 10.1.1.10:5000 <-> 172.16.1.36:3074
User's NAT state table:
192.168.1.10:3074 <-> 10.1.1.10:5000 <-> [Any IP]:3074
Live: Thanks User, I see you're on port 5000... I'll remember that for later.
Player A: Hey Live, I'm signing in!
Player A's network conversation:
192.168.2.20:3074 <-> 10.2.2.20:10000 <-> 172.16.1.36:3074
Player A's NAT state table:
192.168.2.20:3074 <-> 10.2.2.20:10000 <-> [Any IP]:3074
Live: Thanks Player A, I see you're on port 10000... I'll remember that for later.
You and Player A then get matched in a game...
Live: Hey User, you're going to be matched with Player A. Talk to him on port 10000.
Failed network conversation between User and Player A:
192.168.1.10:3074 <-> 10.1.1.10:5000 <-> 10.2.2.20:10000 X-X 192.168.2.20:3074
Player A's NAT Router: Uh, some guy out there is trying to talk to me on port 10000 from port 5000... I don't have an entry for that. GO AWAY!
Again though, we have some smart people at Microsoft, so for Moderate NAT users, we have this instead:
You and Player A then get matched in a game...
Live: Hey User, you're going to be matched with Player A. Talk to him on port 10000. By the way, he's not an Open NAT type so before we can start playing, you need to speak to him first before the game begins.
Live: Hey Player A, you're going to be matched with User. Talk to him on port 5000. By the way, he's not an Open NAT type so before we can start playing, you need to speak to him first before the game begins.
User sends a packet to Player A:
192.168.1.10:3074 -> 10.1.1.10:5000 -> 10.2.2.20:10000
User's new NAT state table:
192.168.1.10:3074 <-> 10.1.1.10:5000 <-> [Any IP]:3074
192.168.1.10:3074 <-> 10.1.1.10:5000 <-> [Any IP]:10000
Player A sends a packet to User:
192.168.2.20:3074 -> 10.2.2.20:10000 -> 10.1.1.10:5000
Player A's new NAT state table:
192.168.2.20:3074 <-> 10.2.2.20:10000 <-> [Any IP]:3074
192.168.2.20:3074 <-> 10.2.2.20:10000 <-> [Any IP]:5000
Network conversation between User and Player A:
192.168.1.10:3074 <-> 10.1.1.10:5000 <-> 10.2.2.20:10000 <-> 192.168.2.20:3074
Again, we have gaming bliss.
So far, we have ways around different NAT types. The problem comes when we get to the Strict type. Since every connection out from a Strict NAT results in a new public facing port being used, Xbox Live can't use the same tactic of hole punching since we have no way of knowing what port will be used as the public facing port. The whole process breaks down then when trying to hole punch:
You: Hey Live, I'm signing in!
User's network conversation:
192.168.1.10:3074 <-> 10.1.1.10:5000 <-> 172.16.1.36:3074
User's NAT state table:
192.168.1.10:3074 <-> 10.1.1.10:5000 <-> 172.16.1.36:3074
Live: Thanks User, I see you're on port 5000... I'll remember that for later.
Player A: Hey Live, I'm signing in!
Player A's network conversation:
192.168.2.20:3074 <-> 10.2.2.20:10000 <-> 172.16.1.36:3074
Player A's NAT state table:
192.168.2.20:3074 <-> 10.2.2.20:10000 <-> 172.16.1.36:3074
Live: Thanks Player A, I see you're on port 10000... I'll remember that for later.
You and Player A then get matched in a game...
Live: Hey User, you're going to be matched with Player A. Talk to him on port 10000. By the way, he's not an Open NAT type so before we can start playing, you need to speak to him first before the game begins.
Live: Hey Player A, you're going to be matched with User. Talk to him on port 5000. By the way, he's not an Open NAT type so before we can start playing, you need to speak to him first before the game begins.
User sends a packet to Player A:
192.168.1.10:3074 -> 10.1.1.10:6000 -> 10.2.2.20:10000
User's new NAT state table:
192.168.1.10:3074 <-> 10.1.1.10:5000 <-> 172.16.1.36:3074
192.168.1.10:3074 <-> 10.1.1.10:6000 <-> 10.2.2.20:10000
Player A sends a packet to User:
192.168.2.20:3074 -> 10.2.2.20:12000 -> 10.1.1.10:5000
Player A's new NAT state table:
192.168.2.20:3074 <-> 10.2.2.20:10000 <-> 172.16.1.36:3074
192.168.2.20:3074 <-> 10.2.2.20:12000 <-> 10.1.1.10:5000
Failed Network conversation between User and Player A:
192.168.1.10:3074 -> 10.1.1.10:6000 -X 10.2.2.20:10000
10.1.1.10:5000 X- 10.2.2.20:12000 <-> 192.168.2.20:3074
Player A's NAT Router: Uh, some guy out there is trying to talk to me on port 10000 from 10.1.1.10 port 6000... I don't have an entry for that. GO AWAY!
User's NAT Router: Uh, some guy out there is trying to talk to me on port 5000 from 10.2.2.20 port 12000... I don't have an entry for that. GO AWAY!
In Ghostbusters speak, we have a crossing of the streams. We made our connections out, but because our source port changed, we aren't listening on the ports that the conversation is occurring on. As a result, those with Strict NAT types are pretty well up the creek when being matched. They have to rely on being matched with ONLY Open NAT types. Only an Open NAT will work with a Strict, because they don't care where the conversation is coming from, just as long as it's on the right port. Since Live can inform the Strict user of this, the Strict user initiates the connection to the Open user, and there is no problem. But since the local port randomization occurs, even a Moderate user cannot talk with a Strict user since they will be unable to know what port to talk to the Strict user on.
Oh no, that's terrible, how do you fix it?
Well, there's a couple ways to fix this for a home user. Newer NAT routers, the ones above that I mentioned are "better than others" contain a technology called Universal Plug and Play, or UPnP for short. UPnP, without giving you the highly technical explanation above, realizes what's happened here, and ensures that the traffic reaches the proper destination without any user intervention. This is by far the easiest method to fix this. It will also enable you to have more than one 360 using Live at a time in your household. It is also security stupidity as well. Allowing a device to create firewall rules simply by virtue of being behind the firewall is pretty foolish, and this is why nearly no enterprise firewall supports this behavior.
However, it can be fixed on some other NAT routers as well. They key is that UDP 3074 guy once again. Since this is the ONLY port that some random 360 will talk to you on, you can use this information to your advantage. One way of fixing this on a non-UPnP enabled router is to add the 360 to the DMZ, if the router has one. This will cause most NAT routers to forward any traffic not destined for a valid NAT state table entry to the DMZ. However, this isn't always the case. If your router behaves somewhat differently than some, and uses the local source port as the public facing source port, your easy solution here is to redirect UDP 3074 to the 360. This has the unfortunate side effect that only one 360 will be working AT ALL in your household, should you happen to have more than one.
That seems reasonable, what's your problem then?
Well, my problem, as a network admin is that beyond being an administrative nightmare to assign a reserved DHCP address and set up port redirecting from an external address to that reserved internal address for every 360 on my network, I simply don't have that many public IP addresses available. If I did, I wouldn't be using NAT, and I wouldn't be making this post. Now granted, my need to support Xbox Live as a service on my network is one that isn't terribly pervasive, but it is certainly one that Microsoft should care about. I'm sure that colleges, some small ISPs, even some home users with several 360s likely run into this problem quite frequently. With my specific network setup, I can make a single 360 absolutely sing without much effort. The problem is getting *all* of them in harmony. I can't fathom why when knowing that the NAT problem exists, and knowing that they require all users to fork over their $60 (only suckers pay full price for Live, by the way) each year, that all traffic isn't handled by either the Live servers, or a required dedicated server owned by the developer of the game. Granted that IPv6 should fix this problem, but we are some time off before it is widely implemented, and currently I'm unaware of any gaming device at all that even supports it.
So for now, we're stuck with NAT. But now you know what's going on if your 360 is complaining about a Strict or Moderate NAT type, and what you potentially can do about it!
July 22, 2011
June 29, 2011
Uncharted 3 Beta Code Giveaway
So I've got two Uncharted 3 Beta keys to give away! It's a Twitter contest, and I'll give away one this morning and one in the afternoon. Simply follow @VeteranGamer on Twitter and direct message the answer to the question before anyone else to win. The first question is already up. Good luck!
June 7, 2011
Project Cafe Becomes Wii U.
It was shown in a few unique ways that certainly gives developers some things to think about. It's main thrust was that in much the same way the DS line of handhelds allowed you to have one thing on the main screen and another on the lower screen, this allowed you to do the same. From using an interesting AR technique in pointing the flat side toward the screen and using the rear camera to display a piece of the big screen on the controller, to actually laying the controller on the floor to show your lie for a golf shot and swinging with the Wii Remote. Another big feature showcased was the ability to play the game on either the big screen or the controller itself via the system's streaming capability. The first shot in the demo reel showed a kid stopping his game so his dad could watch a baseball game while he picked the controller back up and played some Mario. There was a lot to digest in the conference that I'm sure someone would find interesting that I missed, but I hope I hit the high points.
The big thing that Nintendo fans get to take away is the myriad of hardcore titles announced for the system. Darksiders II, Tekken, Batman Arkham City, Metro Last Light, Ninja Gaiden 3, Assassin's Creed Revelations, and more were announced to be in development for the console. In addition, John Riccitello, CEO of Electronic Arts took the stage and pondered what it would be like to play Madden, Battlefield 3, and many other EA games on the console and confirmed EA's support of it. It appears that Nintendo finally has the third party support it has lacked since the Super Nintendo days.
For all the positive things and all the announcements made, many question still linger. What does the console actually look like? How much storage will it have? How will it connect to the Internet? How will you link up with friends? Surely all of this couldn't be mentioned today, but at least some things related to the console itself could have been announced. In true Nintendo secretive fashion, I suppose we'll have to wait for another day to learn about the console.
Nintendo E3 Press Conference Liveblog
Alright Nintendo, Microsoft didn't have a lot, and Sony laid down the gauntlet. Suck me in like you always do with a new console!
12:06pm - Starting off with a Zelda montage with music played by a live orchestra...
12:10pm - The trailer was for Zelda 25th Anniversary. Shigeru Miyamoto comes to the stage.
12:12pm - Having the orchestra play some of the classic music cues from Zelda games... received item, found secret, and fairy's fountain.
12:15pm - Launching a game for each of their hardware platforms for the 25th anniversary. First to be released is Link's Awakening from the Gameboy Color Virtual Console on the 3DS. This will be followed by the Ocarina of Time remake next week.
12:16pm - On DSi, the Legend of Zelda - The Four Swords, will be a free download for DSi owners. Lastly, Skyward Sword will be launched for Wii this holiday season.
12:18pm - There will be a Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony concert held in each region around the world. Specific dates will follow at a later time. In addition, two music CDs will be released. The Ocarina of Time 3D soundtrack will be released to those that are the first to register their copy of the game with Club Nintendo. Also, the other CD will be recordings from the symphony events to be released alongside Skyward Sword.
12:20pm - Miyamoto introduces some key team members that have worked on Zelda over the years.
12:22pm - Satoru Iwata now takes the stage.
12:24pm - Paraphrasing: We intend to create a platform for casual and hardcore gamers.
12:25pm - And he's a big tease and says the details will be coming later in the presentation.
12:26pm - Confirms that new console will be for next year, but introduces games coming this year in a following trailer.
12:27pm - The Regginator is on stage!
12:28pm - "We hear you. You want what you've always wanted, but you also want something new."
12:29pm - Announcing new titles coming for 3DS. First up, Mariokart for 3DS. Looks a lot like Mariokart.
12:30pm - Kart customization looks to make a real appearance for the first time. It will be ready this holiday season.
12:31pm - Number two is Starfox for 3DS, but, pretty sure that was already announced. New feature is with group play, the pictures instead of the pics of Slippy and company, it will be video of your opponent. Releases in September.
12:32pm - Super Mario 3D up next. Think Super Mario 64 meets Super Mario Bros. 3 and you've got a pretty good description of what this game is. Released before the year is out.
12:34pm - Kid Icarus Uprising shows now.
12:35pm - Unlike the previous 2D side-scroller, this appears to be a 3rd person shooter/brawler with a multiplayer mode. There also looks to be an AR game teased at the very end as well. No details on this, and it will be released "later this year".
12:37pm - Lastly, Luigi's Mansion 2 is being shown. Much like the first despite Reggie's claims, just on the 3DS.
12:39pm - Sizzle reel of third party games shown. Both previously announced Resident Evil games, Mario and Sonic at the London Olympic Games, Ace Combat 3D, Tetris Online, Cave Story 3D, Driver Renegade, Pac-Man and Galaga Dimensions, Tekken 3D, Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D.
12:42pm - Recapping eShop now. Going through the Pokemon Pokedex 3D. To fill it out, you'll need to trade with friends, find special AR markers and cards, and other ways. A free download for all 3DS users after picking up the eShop firmware update.
12:45pm - Project Cafe is dubbed "Wii U"
12:48pm - Trailer shows. Showing features allowing you to stream your game to the controller while someone else watches TV.
12:49pm - Controller contains a front and rear camera, and does contain the touch screen as rumored. The thing looks HUGE in the demo hands. Iwata back on stage.
12:58pm - Smash Brothers announced for 3DS and Wii U and they can interact. No timeline given.
12:59pm - Reggie back on stage to show a trailer for Wii U games/concepts.
1:00pm - New play mechanic using the rear camera. The Wii U can display a piece of the big screen on it's own screen.
1:02pm - First announced title for Wii U is "Lego City Stories". Will be released for 3DS as well.
1:04pm - Developer video on screen showing many developers commenting on the new system.
1:05pm - Darksiders II (launch title), Tekken, Batman Arkham City, Assassin's Creed, and Ghost Recon Online announced for the Wii U.
1:06pm - Darksiders II trailer running on Wii U now showing.
1:07pm - Dirt, Aliens Colonial Marines, Metro Last Light, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge now show on the sizzle real along with some of the previously announced titles.
1:10pm - EA CEO John Riccitello joins Reggie and Iwata on stage. Announces EA games will be coming to Wii U.
1:11pm - Specifically mentions or screen behind him shows Madden, Battlefield 3, FIFA, Need for Speed, Harry Potter, and the Sims.
1:15pm - Reggie back to the stage to close the show. Another look at the new Wii U controller in a woman's hand... SHEESH that thing is HUGE!
1:15pm - Conference ends.
12:06pm - Starting off with a Zelda montage with music played by a live orchestra...
12:10pm - The trailer was for Zelda 25th Anniversary. Shigeru Miyamoto comes to the stage.
12:12pm - Having the orchestra play some of the classic music cues from Zelda games... received item, found secret, and fairy's fountain.
12:15pm - Launching a game for each of their hardware platforms for the 25th anniversary. First to be released is Link's Awakening from the Gameboy Color Virtual Console on the 3DS. This will be followed by the Ocarina of Time remake next week.
12:16pm - On DSi, the Legend of Zelda - The Four Swords, will be a free download for DSi owners. Lastly, Skyward Sword will be launched for Wii this holiday season.
12:18pm - There will be a Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony concert held in each region around the world. Specific dates will follow at a later time. In addition, two music CDs will be released. The Ocarina of Time 3D soundtrack will be released to those that are the first to register their copy of the game with Club Nintendo. Also, the other CD will be recordings from the symphony events to be released alongside Skyward Sword.
12:20pm - Miyamoto introduces some key team members that have worked on Zelda over the years.
12:22pm - Satoru Iwata now takes the stage.
12:24pm - Paraphrasing: We intend to create a platform for casual and hardcore gamers.
12:25pm - And he's a big tease and says the details will be coming later in the presentation.
12:26pm - Confirms that new console will be for next year, but introduces games coming this year in a following trailer.
12:27pm - The Regginator is on stage!
12:28pm - "We hear you. You want what you've always wanted, but you also want something new."
12:29pm - Announcing new titles coming for 3DS. First up, Mariokart for 3DS. Looks a lot like Mariokart.
12:30pm - Kart customization looks to make a real appearance for the first time. It will be ready this holiday season.
12:31pm - Number two is Starfox for 3DS, but, pretty sure that was already announced. New feature is with group play, the pictures instead of the pics of Slippy and company, it will be video of your opponent. Releases in September.
12:32pm - Super Mario 3D up next. Think Super Mario 64 meets Super Mario Bros. 3 and you've got a pretty good description of what this game is. Released before the year is out.
12:34pm - Kid Icarus Uprising shows now.
12:35pm - Unlike the previous 2D side-scroller, this appears to be a 3rd person shooter/brawler with a multiplayer mode. There also looks to be an AR game teased at the very end as well. No details on this, and it will be released "later this year".
12:37pm - Lastly, Luigi's Mansion 2 is being shown. Much like the first despite Reggie's claims, just on the 3DS.
12:39pm - Sizzle reel of third party games shown. Both previously announced Resident Evil games, Mario and Sonic at the London Olympic Games, Ace Combat 3D, Tetris Online, Cave Story 3D, Driver Renegade, Pac-Man and Galaga Dimensions, Tekken 3D, Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D.
12:42pm - Recapping eShop now. Going through the Pokemon Pokedex 3D. To fill it out, you'll need to trade with friends, find special AR markers and cards, and other ways. A free download for all 3DS users after picking up the eShop firmware update.
12:45pm - Project Cafe is dubbed "Wii U"
12:48pm - Trailer shows. Showing features allowing you to stream your game to the controller while someone else watches TV.
12:49pm - Controller contains a front and rear camera, and does contain the touch screen as rumored. The thing looks HUGE in the demo hands. Iwata back on stage.
12:58pm - Smash Brothers announced for 3DS and Wii U and they can interact. No timeline given.
12:59pm - Reggie back on stage to show a trailer for Wii U games/concepts.
1:00pm - New play mechanic using the rear camera. The Wii U can display a piece of the big screen on it's own screen.
1:02pm - First announced title for Wii U is "Lego City Stories". Will be released for 3DS as well.
1:04pm - Developer video on screen showing many developers commenting on the new system.
1:05pm - Darksiders II (launch title), Tekken, Batman Arkham City, Assassin's Creed, and Ghost Recon Online announced for the Wii U.
1:06pm - Darksiders II trailer running on Wii U now showing.
1:07pm - Dirt, Aliens Colonial Marines, Metro Last Light, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge now show on the sizzle real along with some of the previously announced titles.
1:10pm - EA CEO John Riccitello joins Reggie and Iwata on stage. Announces EA games will be coming to Wii U.
1:11pm - Specifically mentions or screen behind him shows Madden, Battlefield 3, FIFA, Need for Speed, Harry Potter, and the Sims.
1:15pm - Reggie back to the stage to close the show. Another look at the new Wii U controller in a woman's hand... SHEESH that thing is HUGE!
1:15pm - Conference ends.
June 6, 2011
Editorial: Time For a Mea Culpa
Much like Irrational's Ken Levine on stage tonight, I have to eat some of my own words. In the wake of the PSN outage, I was an angry, angry PlayStation customer. My identity was put at risk, I was lied to, and for a while completely ignored. Then the truth came out, and Sony offered it's apology in the form of their Welcome Back program. While I still maintain that this program was self serving PR, the complete shocker to even myself is how they actually got my attention again. Not by the continued apologies, not by the Welcome Back program, but with this:
Yes friends, the NGP was revealed tonight as the PlayStation Vita. I'm calling it the PSV, because it's nice and short, and still sounds like "PSP". Astoundingly, it was announced as arriving this holiday season, and at the unbelievably reasonable price of $249 for the Wi-Fi model, and $299 for the AT&T 3G equipped model. In addition, some rather cool games were demoed, and to sum things up nicely, my jaw is on the floor overall.
In my original editorial on the Welcome Back program, I stated that you've got to vote with your dollars when dealing with companies in America. In that case, I was extremely dissatisfied, and prepared to take my dollars elsewhere. On the flip side, you've also got to support what you want to keep around as well. It's in that spirit that I admit that I've got to back track on my original stance. Despite Sony's complete incompetence at handling the PSN situation, they've turned around and done something very, very right here. If anything can unseat Nintendo as the king of dedicated portable gaming, this is the piece of hardware that will do it. Priced at the same point, and with a wider array of features that will work for every gamer, the PSV has the potential to breathe life back into the dedicated portable gaming market that iOS devices had put on life support.
It's hard to admit that you may have been a bit rash in your decision making, but I'll gladly eat my words in this case. This is a step in the right direction for portable gaming, and in my opinion will be the definitive platform for dedicated portable gaming for years to come.
In my original editorial on the Welcome Back program, I stated that you've got to vote with your dollars when dealing with companies in America. In that case, I was extremely dissatisfied, and prepared to take my dollars elsewhere. On the flip side, you've also got to support what you want to keep around as well. It's in that spirit that I admit that I've got to back track on my original stance. Despite Sony's complete incompetence at handling the PSN situation, they've turned around and done something very, very right here. If anything can unseat Nintendo as the king of dedicated portable gaming, this is the piece of hardware that will do it. Priced at the same point, and with a wider array of features that will work for every gamer, the PSV has the potential to breathe life back into the dedicated portable gaming market that iOS devices had put on life support.
It's hard to admit that you may have been a bit rash in your decision making, but I'll gladly eat my words in this case. This is a step in the right direction for portable gaming, and in my opinion will be the definitive platform for dedicated portable gaming for years to come.
NGP Officially Named the PlayStation Vita, Priced at $249 and Coming This Holiday Season
Sony E3 Press Conference Liveblog
We're live with Sony in a few minutes here! I'm going to do my best, as I'll have a cantankerous child to put to bed during the conference, so there may be some misses and lag. Hopefully he's an angel... Anyhow, again, check the live video at IGN or at the PlayStation Blog.
8:00pm - Conference should have started... hopefully hackers haven't hacked Sony's clock...
8:07pm - And we're finally live! Christina Lee of Pulse fame, and Jeff Rubenstein of the Playstation Blog are kicking off the pre-show.
8:13pm - And Rey Gutierrez is unceremoniously cut to get to the real show...
8:15pm - ...which still has yet to start.
8:16pm - And now we're live...
8:18pm - Sizzle reel still playing... saw some unrecognized God of War footage in there along with many of the new games we're expecting. New God of War?
8:19pm - Of course, some Mortal Kombat in there too, so maybe not so much.
8:20pm - Jack Tretton is taking the stage!
8:21pm - Immediately addressing PSN outage.
8:31pm - Back from taking care of the kid, and it looks like we've got Uncharted 3!
8:34pm - We're in a ship that is slowly sinking, and we've got some great level morphing on the fly.
8:36pm - Great trailer, and releasing 11-1-11, in 3D as well as 2D.
8:37pm - Resistance 3 takes the stage.
8:43pm - God of War Origins (remastered PSP games) and Ico/Shadow of the Colossus collection are announced as being released in 3D.
8:45pm - Announcing the PS3 ability to use the 3D to display different screens to different players. Releasing bundle with a set of glasses, HDMI cable, Resistance 3, and HD screen for $499.
8:47pm - NBA 2K12 up next.
8:48pm - NBA "on the Move" announced, allows you to use the Move controller for a kind of weird casual experience. Calls Kobe Bryant to the stage to demo?!?
8:50pm - Kobe talking a LOT of junk for a guy that got unceremoniously swept out of the playoffs :-)
8:52pm - New title introduced from the developers that made Sports Champions. "Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest" is being demoed in 3D.
8:55pm - You can clearly see the sword/shield, throwing stars, and bow and arrow mechanics were pretty much lifted wholesale from the Gladiator, Disc Golf, and Archery events of Sports Champions.
8:56pm - As usual, it appears that this 100% motion game is on rails.
8:58pm - Now it's time for Infamous 2, releasing tomorrow.
9:00pm - Announcing the ability to create User Generated Content with Move on Infamous 2 in the Fall. In addition, LittleBigPlanet 2 will be getting Move support as well.
9:01pm - Starhawk trailer now hits the screen.
9:04pm - Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time trailer now on screen.
9:06pm - Eve Online CEO on stage...
9:07pm - "Dust 514" will be an online persistent shooter that interfaces with the Eve Online PC MMO. This can be played on PS3 or NGP!
9:09pm - Trailer completes, which was pretty cool, and a closed beta will start late this year with release early next year.
9:10pm - Enter Bioshock Infinite!
9:11pm - About a minute of gameplay is shown, and Ken Levine takes the stage.
9:12pm - Levine is talking about him making a comment about Move not being the greatest thing in the world and being contacted by Sony.
9:13pm - Bioshock Infinite will support the Move..
9:14pm - Levine pulls an NGP from his pocket and mentions that Irrational has a Bioshock project brewing for it.
9:15pm - Infinite will come with the original Bioshock on the disc.
9:18pm - EA has three exclusive offers. SSX Mt. Fuji map will only be on PS3. Need For Speed: The Run will contain seven additional supercars only on PS3. Lastly, Battlefield 3. The PS3 version will include Battlefield 1943 on the disc. (I can hear Greg Miller now... Old game is old!)
9:20pm - Kazuo Hirai is now on stage... NGP time I bet!
9:21pm - "They learned a lot during the recent PSN outage."
9:22pm - Talking about PlayStation Suite first, recapping info already released, and not giving any more either.
9:24pm - Official name of the NGP is Playstation Vita (vee-ta).
9:26pm - The PS Vita will have Wi-Fi only and 3G models. The 3G model is locked to the AT&T network. The groan from the audience was noticeable.
9:29pm - Live demo of Uncharted: Golden Abyss now on display.
9:32pm - Uncharted is showing that you can use multiple ways of controller input to accomplish the same thing. Don't like the fancy new touch controls? Fine, keep using the traditional stick controls. Looks like they're wise to the fact that not everyone will want to use the touch option.
9:34pm - Looks very smooth... controls incredibly well, and is everything you'd look for in an Uncharted game.
9:35pm - Now on to "Ruin", which appears to be a third person hack and slash RPG for the PS Vita.
9:37pm - Ruin will also have a PS3 SKU, and the save from either will be sent to the cloud and can be picked up on the other platform where you left off.
9:40pm - ModNation Racers introduced for PS Vita. Built specifically for the Vita, it is not compatible with either the existing PS3 or PSP versions.
9:43pm - Vita users will have access to all of the user content created for the PS3 version of ModNation Racers from day 1 of release.
9:45pm - LittleBigPlanet announced for PS Vita.
9:48pm - Street Fighter x Tekken announced for PS Vita, trailer follows.
9:50pm - Cole from Infamous will be joining the roster!
9:52pm - Sizzle reel for the many PS Vita games currently in development.
9:56pm - Vita will be released in time for this year's holiday season. The Wifi model will be $249, and the 3G model will be $299. GREAT pricing!
9:58pm - Jack Tretton returns to the stage. Kaz mocked Jack's tie when he came out, Jack now cracks back about the Ridge Racer line from years back!
10:00pm - End of conference.
8:00pm - Conference should have started... hopefully hackers haven't hacked Sony's clock...
8:07pm - And we're finally live! Christina Lee of Pulse fame, and Jeff Rubenstein of the Playstation Blog are kicking off the pre-show.
8:13pm - And Rey Gutierrez is unceremoniously cut to get to the real show...
8:15pm - ...which still has yet to start.
8:16pm - And now we're live...
8:18pm - Sizzle reel still playing... saw some unrecognized God of War footage in there along with many of the new games we're expecting. New God of War?
8:19pm - Of course, some Mortal Kombat in there too, so maybe not so much.
8:20pm - Jack Tretton is taking the stage!
8:21pm - Immediately addressing PSN outage.
8:31pm - Back from taking care of the kid, and it looks like we've got Uncharted 3!
8:34pm - We're in a ship that is slowly sinking, and we've got some great level morphing on the fly.
8:36pm - Great trailer, and releasing 11-1-11, in 3D as well as 2D.
8:37pm - Resistance 3 takes the stage.
8:43pm - God of War Origins (remastered PSP games) and Ico/Shadow of the Colossus collection are announced as being released in 3D.
8:45pm - Announcing the PS3 ability to use the 3D to display different screens to different players. Releasing bundle with a set of glasses, HDMI cable, Resistance 3, and HD screen for $499.
8:47pm - NBA 2K12 up next.
8:48pm - NBA "on the Move" announced, allows you to use the Move controller for a kind of weird casual experience. Calls Kobe Bryant to the stage to demo?!?
8:50pm - Kobe talking a LOT of junk for a guy that got unceremoniously swept out of the playoffs :-)
8:52pm - New title introduced from the developers that made Sports Champions. "Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest" is being demoed in 3D.
8:55pm - You can clearly see the sword/shield, throwing stars, and bow and arrow mechanics were pretty much lifted wholesale from the Gladiator, Disc Golf, and Archery events of Sports Champions.
8:56pm - As usual, it appears that this 100% motion game is on rails.
8:58pm - Now it's time for Infamous 2, releasing tomorrow.
9:00pm - Announcing the ability to create User Generated Content with Move on Infamous 2 in the Fall. In addition, LittleBigPlanet 2 will be getting Move support as well.
9:01pm - Starhawk trailer now hits the screen.
9:04pm - Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time trailer now on screen.
9:06pm - Eve Online CEO on stage...
9:07pm - "Dust 514" will be an online persistent shooter that interfaces with the Eve Online PC MMO. This can be played on PS3 or NGP!
9:09pm - Trailer completes, which was pretty cool, and a closed beta will start late this year with release early next year.
9:10pm - Enter Bioshock Infinite!
9:11pm - About a minute of gameplay is shown, and Ken Levine takes the stage.
9:12pm - Levine is talking about him making a comment about Move not being the greatest thing in the world and being contacted by Sony.
9:13pm - Bioshock Infinite will support the Move..
9:14pm - Levine pulls an NGP from his pocket and mentions that Irrational has a Bioshock project brewing for it.
9:15pm - Infinite will come with the original Bioshock on the disc.
9:18pm - EA has three exclusive offers. SSX Mt. Fuji map will only be on PS3. Need For Speed: The Run will contain seven additional supercars only on PS3. Lastly, Battlefield 3. The PS3 version will include Battlefield 1943 on the disc. (I can hear Greg Miller now... Old game is old!)
9:20pm - Kazuo Hirai is now on stage... NGP time I bet!
9:21pm - "They learned a lot during the recent PSN outage."
9:22pm - Talking about PlayStation Suite first, recapping info already released, and not giving any more either.
9:24pm - Official name of the NGP is Playstation Vita (vee-ta).
9:26pm - The PS Vita will have Wi-Fi only and 3G models. The 3G model is locked to the AT&T network. The groan from the audience was noticeable.
9:29pm - Live demo of Uncharted: Golden Abyss now on display.
9:32pm - Uncharted is showing that you can use multiple ways of controller input to accomplish the same thing. Don't like the fancy new touch controls? Fine, keep using the traditional stick controls. Looks like they're wise to the fact that not everyone will want to use the touch option.
9:34pm - Looks very smooth... controls incredibly well, and is everything you'd look for in an Uncharted game.
9:35pm - Now on to "Ruin", which appears to be a third person hack and slash RPG for the PS Vita.
9:37pm - Ruin will also have a PS3 SKU, and the save from either will be sent to the cloud and can be picked up on the other platform where you left off.
9:40pm - ModNation Racers introduced for PS Vita. Built specifically for the Vita, it is not compatible with either the existing PS3 or PSP versions.
9:43pm - Vita users will have access to all of the user content created for the PS3 version of ModNation Racers from day 1 of release.
9:45pm - LittleBigPlanet announced for PS Vita.
9:48pm - Street Fighter x Tekken announced for PS Vita, trailer follows.
9:50pm - Cole from Infamous will be joining the roster!
9:52pm - Sizzle reel for the many PS Vita games currently in development.
9:56pm - Vita will be released in time for this year's holiday season. The Wifi model will be $249, and the 3G model will be $299. GREAT pricing!
9:58pm - Jack Tretton returns to the stage. Kaz mocked Jack's tie when he came out, Jack now cracks back about the Ridge Racer line from years back!
10:00pm - End of conference.
Microsoft E3 Press Conference Liveblog
For those of you that can, you should certainly tune into the live feeds that are being provided by Microsoft or IGN. However, if you can't, or you want my version of what's happening on those feeds, then stick around and I'll spin you a yarn. Keep it locked here and I'll get you live updates of what's happening! I'll also note if any of my predictions are confirmed or debunked as well. I'll be hopefully able to do this for Sony and Nintendo too, but the timing of those conferences gets a bit dicey for me.
12:25pm - Microsoft stream is live, and we have a view of the main very green stage (SHOCKER!) with the video screens rotating Kinect, avatar, and 360 (S) media.
12:30pm - Conference kicks off with Modern Warfare 3 Trailer!
12:31pm - Check that, this is LIVE gameplay, and the demo player's controller died in the middle. Great start :-)
12:33pm - We're seeing a level beginning with the player using a powered submersible. Liking my chances of my MW3 map exclusive announcement.
12:35pm - Player plants explosives on a gigantic sub shown just outside of a devastated New York City.
12:37pm - Player is racking up some dudes on the sub, we see another of the slow mo sequences introduced in MW2.
12:40pm - Chase scene on a small raft filled with explosions. Michael Bay is tearing up with pride somewhere.
12:41pm - Demo ends getting a great view of a destroyed NYC and Robert Bowling and Glenn from Sledgehammer games take the stage and pat themselves on the back. Well, Glenn does anyhow... Bowling doesn't say a word.
12:43pm - Don Mattrick is now on stage for Microsoft.
12:44pm - Mattrick leaves, and Crystal Dynamics is now on stage with the Tomb Raider reboot. Again, live demo time!
12:46pm - We're treated to Lara hanging upside down in basically a straight jacket needing to escape a predicament. Followed by some walking and (shudder) a couple of quicktime events.
12:47pm - So far, this is a really underwhelming demo for a game I was really looking forward to.
12:50pm - Tomb Raider demo is at a merciful end, and Peter Moore takes the stage for EA.
12;51pm - Madden, Tiger, FIFA getting Kinect support.
12:52pm - Sims and Hasbro Family game night also getting Kinect support. Bioware takes the stage. It's Mass Effect 3 time!!!
12:53pm - Confirmed that Mass Effect 3 supports Kinect, specifically voice recognition. LIVE demo time!
12:54pm - HOLY BALLS! You can make your responses by just speaking them! Talk about role playing!!!!
12:55pm - Of course, you can also speak commands to your squad mates, getting them to move to formation or use powers.
12:57pm - Ghost Recon Future Soldier time. Yves Guillemot takes the stage.
12:59pm - Showing off Kinect support. Very cool weapon customization demo.
1:01pm - Ugh... looks to be Kinect ONLY title, Mass Effect shows how to use Kinect for hardcore, this game shows how not to.
1:02pm - Guillemot announces all future Tom Clancy games will "leverage Kinect". Xbox Live's Mark Whitten now takes the stage.
1:04pm - Microsoft is demoing a new Xbox Experience centered around Kinect. Not really a surprise given the disjointed nature of the current Kinect Hub.
1:05pm - YouTube announced for Xbox Live. Way to make it into the 20th century guys!
1:06pm - Bing now on Xbox, with ability to speak searches for providers that the 360 supports. This is a very good way to actually find things in the Xbox Live Marketplace, as well as the Zune Marketplace if that's your bag.
1:07pm - Live TV coming to 360.
1:08pm - Fall dashboard update will contain the "New New Xbox Experience".
1:09pm - Dana White from UFC now on stage. UFC live events coming to 360 with interactive elements! Big sports win for the 360.
1:11pm - Phil Spencer from Microsoft now on stage.
1:12pm - Here come the 360 exclusives. Kicking of with Gears 3.
1:13pm - Cliff Bleszinski is on stage! No lancer this time though...
1:14pm - Cliffy calls Ice-T to the stage to play a live demo with him.
1:15pm - Fighting a gigantic pissed off sea creature. Reminiscent of the Resistance 2 demo Sony gave a while back.
1:18pm -Crytek logo appears.
1:19pm - Kinect game from Crytek incoming. "Ryse" a first person fighter based on ancient Rome.
1:20pm - Halo music comes up.
1:21pm - As expected, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary announced. Dated for November 15th, 2011.
1:22pm - Turn 10 and Forza 4 are up next.
1:23pm - Appears to have Top Gear sponsorship from a logo in the clip. Coming October 11th.
1:25pm - Peter Molyneux takes the stage, logo for "Fable: The Journey" is behind him.
1:26pm - The age of Heroes has ended according to the trailer. We get our best look at Theresa yet. But her face is still mostly covered. Now onto a live demo where the player is controlling a horse carriage. Completely Kinect controlled. This section is an on-rails shooter.
1:28pm - Color me unimpressed if this is the direction Fable is going. Phil Spencer is back on stage.
1:29pm - Minecraft is announced for 360 with Kinect support. Coming "This Winter".
1:30pm - Kinect Disneyland adventures is coming. A virtual Disney park.
1:32pm - Wow... this demo may be worse than "Skittles". "Fist bump!"
1:33pm - Kinect Star Wars is up!
1:37pm - Showing the drawbacks of a Kinect only game now, this is pretty much pure on rails (not a) shooter.
1:38pm - Tim Schafer from Double Fine on stage with Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster.
1:40pm - Live demo with a "Father and Son". Child looks pretty young, somewhat impressive Kinect appears to be recognizing him without much problem. This is a perfect Kinect kids game. One I may have fun with my son with in the near future.
1:42pm - Due out "this fall".
1:43pm - Kudo Tsunoda, Kinect Director is on stage.
1:44pm - Kinect Fun Labs is announced. New addition to the dash available to all Live (assuming this means free members too) subscribers. Basically these are the types of experiments that turn into games, and you get to see them early.
1:45pm - First thing showed is "Kinect Me" and shows Kinect creating an avatar from what you're currently wearing and your look. It was VERY good in the example.
1:46pm - Finger tracking is now demoed. Nifty demo, but all flash and no substance really. Looking forward to seeing how this eventually gets used.
1:47pm - Object capture up next. Shows a pillow looking thing being captured and brought into the game. Reminds me a bit of the Milo demo where he could read the paper.
1:49pm - Fun Labs is live TODAY. Cut to trailer for Kinect Sports Season Two.
1:50pm - Sports contained include Tennis, Football, Golf, Skiing. Demoing Golf and Football. Kinect Sports now includes voice commands.
1:54pm - Harmonix is now on stage with Dance Central 2. New voice controls and a campaign. In addition, all previous Dance Central songs can be imported into the game. Now demoing simultaneous multiplayer dancing.
1:56pm - Back to Don Mattrick. Recap time.
1:58pm - Announces a "New Trilogy" for Xbox 360. Cue trailer... Master Chief is back in Halo 4. Dated "Holiday 2012". Yup, couldn't let that cash cow die!
2:00pm - End of conference.
12:25pm - Microsoft stream is live, and we have a view of the main very green stage (SHOCKER!) with the video screens rotating Kinect, avatar, and 360 (S) media.
12:30pm - Conference kicks off with Modern Warfare 3 Trailer!
12:31pm - Check that, this is LIVE gameplay, and the demo player's controller died in the middle. Great start :-)
12:33pm - We're seeing a level beginning with the player using a powered submersible. Liking my chances of my MW3 map exclusive announcement.
12:35pm - Player plants explosives on a gigantic sub shown just outside of a devastated New York City.
12:37pm - Player is racking up some dudes on the sub, we see another of the slow mo sequences introduced in MW2.
12:40pm - Chase scene on a small raft filled with explosions. Michael Bay is tearing up with pride somewhere.
12:41pm - Demo ends getting a great view of a destroyed NYC and Robert Bowling and Glenn from Sledgehammer games take the stage and pat themselves on the back. Well, Glenn does anyhow... Bowling doesn't say a word.
12:43pm - Don Mattrick is now on stage for Microsoft.
12:44pm - Mattrick leaves, and Crystal Dynamics is now on stage with the Tomb Raider reboot. Again, live demo time!
12:46pm - We're treated to Lara hanging upside down in basically a straight jacket needing to escape a predicament. Followed by some walking and (shudder) a couple of quicktime events.
12:47pm - So far, this is a really underwhelming demo for a game I was really looking forward to.
12:50pm - Tomb Raider demo is at a merciful end, and Peter Moore takes the stage for EA.
12;51pm - Madden, Tiger, FIFA getting Kinect support.
12:52pm - Sims and Hasbro Family game night also getting Kinect support. Bioware takes the stage. It's Mass Effect 3 time!!!
12:53pm - Confirmed that Mass Effect 3 supports Kinect, specifically voice recognition. LIVE demo time!
12:54pm - HOLY BALLS! You can make your responses by just speaking them! Talk about role playing!!!!
12:55pm - Of course, you can also speak commands to your squad mates, getting them to move to formation or use powers.
12:57pm - Ghost Recon Future Soldier time. Yves Guillemot takes the stage.
12:59pm - Showing off Kinect support. Very cool weapon customization demo.
1:01pm - Ugh... looks to be Kinect ONLY title, Mass Effect shows how to use Kinect for hardcore, this game shows how not to.
1:02pm - Guillemot announces all future Tom Clancy games will "leverage Kinect". Xbox Live's Mark Whitten now takes the stage.
1:04pm - Microsoft is demoing a new Xbox Experience centered around Kinect. Not really a surprise given the disjointed nature of the current Kinect Hub.
1:05pm - YouTube announced for Xbox Live. Way to make it into the 20th century guys!
1:06pm - Bing now on Xbox, with ability to speak searches for providers that the 360 supports. This is a very good way to actually find things in the Xbox Live Marketplace, as well as the Zune Marketplace if that's your bag.
1:07pm - Live TV coming to 360.
1:08pm - Fall dashboard update will contain the "New New Xbox Experience".
1:09pm - Dana White from UFC now on stage. UFC live events coming to 360 with interactive elements! Big sports win for the 360.
1:11pm - Phil Spencer from Microsoft now on stage.
1:12pm - Here come the 360 exclusives. Kicking of with Gears 3.
1:13pm - Cliff Bleszinski is on stage! No lancer this time though...
1:14pm - Cliffy calls Ice-T to the stage to play a live demo with him.
1:15pm - Fighting a gigantic pissed off sea creature. Reminiscent of the Resistance 2 demo Sony gave a while back.
1:18pm -Crytek logo appears.
1:19pm - Kinect game from Crytek incoming. "Ryse" a first person fighter based on ancient Rome.
1:20pm - Halo music comes up.
1:21pm - As expected, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary announced. Dated for November 15th, 2011.
1:22pm - Turn 10 and Forza 4 are up next.
1:23pm - Appears to have Top Gear sponsorship from a logo in the clip. Coming October 11th.
1:25pm - Peter Molyneux takes the stage, logo for "Fable: The Journey" is behind him.
1:26pm - The age of Heroes has ended according to the trailer. We get our best look at Theresa yet. But her face is still mostly covered. Now onto a live demo where the player is controlling a horse carriage. Completely Kinect controlled. This section is an on-rails shooter.
1:28pm - Color me unimpressed if this is the direction Fable is going. Phil Spencer is back on stage.
1:29pm - Minecraft is announced for 360 with Kinect support. Coming "This Winter".
1:30pm - Kinect Disneyland adventures is coming. A virtual Disney park.
1:32pm - Wow... this demo may be worse than "Skittles". "Fist bump!"
1:33pm - Kinect Star Wars is up!
1:37pm - Showing the drawbacks of a Kinect only game now, this is pretty much pure on rails (not a) shooter.
1:38pm - Tim Schafer from Double Fine on stage with Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster.
1:40pm - Live demo with a "Father and Son". Child looks pretty young, somewhat impressive Kinect appears to be recognizing him without much problem. This is a perfect Kinect kids game. One I may have fun with my son with in the near future.
1:42pm - Due out "this fall".
1:43pm - Kudo Tsunoda, Kinect Director is on stage.
1:44pm - Kinect Fun Labs is announced. New addition to the dash available to all Live (assuming this means free members too) subscribers. Basically these are the types of experiments that turn into games, and you get to see them early.
1:45pm - First thing showed is "Kinect Me" and shows Kinect creating an avatar from what you're currently wearing and your look. It was VERY good in the example.
1:46pm - Finger tracking is now demoed. Nifty demo, but all flash and no substance really. Looking forward to seeing how this eventually gets used.
1:47pm - Object capture up next. Shows a pillow looking thing being captured and brought into the game. Reminds me a bit of the Milo demo where he could read the paper.
1:49pm - Fun Labs is live TODAY. Cut to trailer for Kinect Sports Season Two.
1:50pm - Sports contained include Tennis, Football, Golf, Skiing. Demoing Golf and Football. Kinect Sports now includes voice commands.
1:54pm - Harmonix is now on stage with Dance Central 2. New voice controls and a campaign. In addition, all previous Dance Central songs can be imported into the game. Now demoing simultaneous multiplayer dancing.
1:56pm - Back to Don Mattrick. Recap time.
1:58pm - Announces a "New Trilogy" for Xbox 360. Cue trailer... Master Chief is back in Halo 4. Dated "Holiday 2012". Yup, couldn't let that cash cow die!
2:00pm - End of conference.
June 3, 2011
Case of the Disappearing Free Games
So the PlayStation Store is up, the Welcome Back program is live, and all is good right? That is, until you try to redeem your new free games. Many reports have been coming in that after "purchasing" "Free Game 1" or "Free Game 2" that the option simply disappears from the menu. Fret not dear reader, all is not lost. There is a workaround if this occurs:
- Bring up your XMB and go to the PlayStation Network column.
- Select Account Management
- Select Transaction Management
- Select Services List
- Select SCEA Promotions
EA Announces Battlefield 3 Battlelog - Scores Headshot on Call of Duty Elite
Gamepro reports that EA's Battlefield 3 will offer a similar service as the Activision Call of Duty Elite service. According to the article, "Battlefield 3 Battlelog" will have "powerful social tools, feeds, and detailed player stats." Players will also be able to "manage friends lists, squad up, create platoons, use voice chat, and follow your friends' progress in real time"
The not so small difference is the final comment provided by DICE General Manager Karl Magnus Troedsson:
The not so small difference is the final comment provided by DICE General Manager Karl Magnus Troedsson:
"Battlelog will be available for the monthly fee of (drum roll)... zero dollars,"BOOM! HEADSHOT!!
Sony's Welcome Back Program Is Live
The final piece of the PSN puzzle was put into place today, as the "Welcome Back" program content was released on the PSN. PS3 owners can make their selection of two games among the following:
The free 30 days of PlayStation Plus is also live for those that aren't already members. You are NOT automatically enrolled into this, you must "buy" it from the store by heading to the "Welcome Back" section of the store and choosing the "PlayStation Plus: 30 Days Free" option. Existing Plus members WILL automatically have their subscriptions extended by 60 days.
If you're a Home user... is anyone a Home user? Anyhow, if you are, you can find the free 100 virtual items in a kiosk in Home's Central Plaza.
Lastly, the free video content is up and available ONLY THIS WEEKEND.
So start downloading your games and watching your movies, you've got a lot to do this weekend thanks to Sony!
- Dead Nation
- inFamous
- LittleBigPlanet
- Super Stardust HD
- Wipeout HD + Fury
- LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
- ModNation Racers (PSP)
- Pursuit Force
- Killzone Liberation
The free 30 days of PlayStation Plus is also live for those that aren't already members. You are NOT automatically enrolled into this, you must "buy" it from the store by heading to the "Welcome Back" section of the store and choosing the "PlayStation Plus: 30 Days Free" option. Existing Plus members WILL automatically have their subscriptions extended by 60 days.
If you're a Home user... is anyone a Home user? Anyhow, if you are, you can find the free 100 virtual items in a kiosk in Home's Central Plaza.
Lastly, the free video content is up and available ONLY THIS WEEKEND.
So start downloading your games and watching your movies, you've got a lot to do this weekend thanks to Sony!
Blizzard Job Posting Suggests Diablo 3 Headed to PS3
Joystiq reports that Blizzard has a job opening for a "Senior Software Engineer, Console -- PlayStation 3 Specialist" that would be "within the Diablo 3 team".
Let that sink in a minute console gamers...
As a console gamer that played both Diablo and Diablo 2 when I still had a PC worth running games on, this is absolutely incredible news. Most of the time, these types of job listings are a little more nebulous and you have to jump to the conclusion of what it's for, but this is pretty black and white.
Could this be a prelude to a Sony exclusive nuclear bomb at their E3 conference on Monday? Only time will tell... but mark me down as believing you'll hear exactly that come Monday much the same GLaDOS announced her arrival on the PS3.
Let that sink in a minute console gamers...
As a console gamer that played both Diablo and Diablo 2 when I still had a PC worth running games on, this is absolutely incredible news. Most of the time, these types of job listings are a little more nebulous and you have to jump to the conclusion of what it's for, but this is pretty black and white.
Could this be a prelude to a Sony exclusive nuclear bomb at their E3 conference on Monday? Only time will tell... but mark me down as believing you'll hear exactly that come Monday much the same GLaDOS announced her arrival on the PS3.
Tomb Raider Reboot Trailer Revealed - Lara's Never Looked So Good
IGN debuted the new trailer for the reboot (again) of the Tomb Raider franchise. In a video that reminds me of Lara Croft meets Uncharted, the basis for what could be something really great is laid out as Lara sees yet another new beginning. Check it out below!
June 2, 2011
Playstation Network Fully Restored
Under the cover of the dark of night, the Playstation Network was finally fully restored. Grace Chen, Director of the Playstation Store announced via the Playstation Blog in the wee hours of the morning EST that the Playstation Store had been brought back online with a slew of content. In addition, we should expect another update tomorrow. Further, yet even more content will apparently be dropping on various days next week for E3 as they "will roll right into some special publishes starting next week for E3 (so be sure to check back daily!)"
It's not all sunshine, rainbows, and lollipops though. The games being offered for the Welcome Back program are not yet live. They're still "currently in the final stages of testing and will be available to download soon". At last, developers can start making some money again off of the PSN, and PS3 gamers can get their fill of the downloadable titles and DLC they'd been missing for the last six weeks. Here's hoping no gamer ever has to suffer through anything like this again.
It's not all sunshine, rainbows, and lollipops though. The games being offered for the Welcome Back program are not yet live. They're still "currently in the final stages of testing and will be available to download soon". At last, developers can start making some money again off of the PSN, and PS3 gamers can get their fill of the downloadable titles and DLC they'd been missing for the last six weeks. Here's hoping no gamer ever has to suffer through anything like this again.
June 1, 2011
Mass Effect 3 Demo at E3
Via the Bioware Twitter feed, this goodness spewed forth:
This confirms we'll get our first real look at Mass Effect 3 at E3. I can hardly wait!
 | biofeed I overheard this in the hallway, "The E3 demo for Mass Effect 3 blew my mind!" 6/1/11 12:57 PM |
This confirms we'll get our first real look at Mass Effect 3 at E3. I can hardly wait!
PSN Maintenance Beginning - Preparing For Full Relaunch
The Playstation Blog has recently announced that the PSN will be going down for maintenance for "several hours" to perform maintenance "crucial" for the full restoration of the PSN. You'll be unable to sign in, but if you've already logged in there will be no issue staying online. The post mentions that PSN restoration is "on track for this week in most regions." Looks like they'll have the store back before E3 after all, but then, we've heard these promises before too.
May 26, 2011
E3 Speculation Time!
Nintendo:
The big N heads into this E3 in an unfamiliar position. After being the undisputed king of the gaming hill (in sales) due to the ridiculous success of the Wii for the past four years, this year sees Nintendo looking up at Microsoft in the lead. While the Wii still holds the overall US sales lead, it has played second fiddle to the 360 in 10 of the last 11 months according to the data released by the NPD group. On the upside for the house that Mario built, they are ostensibly the only manufacturer announcing a new console at this E3. This will generate a lot of buzz for the company, especially with the rumor that the new console will cater toward more traditional gaming experiences.
Prediction #1 - I'm going WAY out on a limb on this one, but stick with me, because who would have thought the Wii would turn out to be what it was before they officially unveiled it? Among all the rumor and speculation that's come about with Nintendo's Project Cafe, the two things that jumped out at me are the new controller and the purported streaming capabilities of the system. What if part of the horsepower for the console was actually contained in the controller instead of the console itself? Because of this, developers could build the game to be played both at home and on the go. If you decide you want to take a game portable, you simply tell the console to stream the game to the controller and off you go. This would give Nintendo a leg up on Sony, as you wouldn't need separate copies of a game nor worry about where your save is. This trumps a feature that Sony seems to be hinting at with its NGP. Throw a little ad-hoc networking and/or 802.11 support in as well, and then two or more people can grab some multiplayer goodness on the go utilizing their characters and save files that they've built up at home.
Why this prediction works - Nintendo needs some eye-catching features to differentiate it's new hotness from everyone else's consoles. Otherwise it's just another system that plays the same games that everyone else's system can, and they're the new kids on the block all over again trying to carve out market share with the traditional gamer. Imagine the hardcore Call of Duty guys that would flock to this system if they could Prestige from anywhere they had a network connection. I think Nintendo would bank at least two to three million in sales from that demographic alone. In addition, if you put any stock in inferences that the code name makes as far as the system's feature set, it's not a stretch to imagine a Nintendo demo video of two incredibly happy people gaming against each other in a coffee house with their systems.
Why this prediction is bonkers - Nintendo would essentially be cannibalizing it's own 3DS market if it did so. Why carry a 3DS and your Project Cafe controller around with you at the same time? You've only got so much pocket/purse space, and between these two behemoths it's just like Highlander... there can be only one. Not only that, but to have the power of their console in the controllers would make it a pretty expensive deal to add controllers to the system. Nintendo could hardly justify $100+ price tags to consumers for its controllers.
Prediction #2 - Nintendo announces the official name and price of the new system. The new name will not be "Wii 2" which I'll get to in prediction 3, and the price will be $349.99 with at least a 160GB proprietary storage medium. There will be only one SKU.
Why this prediction works - This price point gives them an advantage over the current Microsoft and Sony consoles as both companies' consoles with significant storage space are currently priced at $299. They get the ability to say they have the latest and greatest tech for only $50 more. Once their competitors do enter the next gen market, they will likely come in at an equal or higher price than this, and at that point it's likely that Nintendo would be in position for a price cut to pressure their competition and maintain their advantage of being first to market in the next generation.
Why this prediction is bonkers - Given the tech that has been projected to be in this system, there's no possible way that this system can hit this price point without Nintendo taking a significant loss. This is something they've not historically done with their hardware, and I doubt they're likely to start now.
Prediction #3 - Project Cafe and the Wii will coexist. Nintendo will announce that they're still the company for everyone and they will continue to support the Wii.
Why this prediction works - Nintendo made ridiculous money bringing the casual gamer into the market. The casual gamer will be very unlikely to make the jump to a more traditional console, and Nintendo will still want to bleed this market dry. They stand only to gain because they can entice the hardcore market back to them while simultaneously serving the interests of the casual market. The biggest win for Nintendo is that it's nothing that Microsoft or Sony can replicate with the cheapest console between the two of them still at $199, and still intimidatingly hardcore. They'll keep the Wii around as long as it continues to make them money, and then they can release the "Wii 2" in much the same way they did the Wii. Give it enough to make it a viable cheap gaming console, but without all the expensive bells and whistles that the hardcore crowd looks for.
Why this prediction is bonkers - Nintendo has never historically supported three platforms at once. Sure, Nintendo famously made the three pillar statement way back when, but they never truly backed it. The Gameboy platform was put out to pasture once the DS was assured of success.
Sony:
Sony is the most curious of the three companies heading into this year's E3. They were set to be the runaway "winner" of this year's show in my eyes until April 20th rolled along. 77 million compromised PSN accounts, nearly a month of network down time, and a crippled online store which has yet to return later, and this year's E3 picture changes greatly for Sony. But not all is lost for Sony. They still have some great exclusives showing up this year, in Infamous 2, Uncharted 3, and Resistance 3. They've also got their new handheld to brag on as well. Let's see what we can expect from Sony.
Prediction #1 - The NGP is officially named, dated, and priced. The NGP will be unveiled officially as the Playstation Portable 2, (or PSP 2) will be in stores in time for Christmas this year, and will be priced at $299.
Why this prediction works - For as long as Sony has been in the gaming hardware business, the moniker has always contained PlayStation. Despite the somewhat negative general opinion of the current PSP, I doubt this is enough to get Sony to consider dropping the Playstation nameplate from the system. The system has to be priced at no more than $299 to have a shot at any type of foothold in the market. Any higher, and it will merely gather dust on the shelf as gamers can pick up a 3DS for $100 cheaper, or go buy a home console and just game there. Any lower, and they take too much of a loss for the cost of the hardware contained in the device.
Why this prediction is bonkers - To get this system out for the holiday is a pretty quick turnaround for only having announced it in January. It's more likely to see a summer release around next year's E3, or even Fall of 2012 to give them time to bring up production numbers as well as procure content to sell on the system. To sell this system at $299 is still certainly a loss for Sony, and more than even it will want to stomach.
Prediction #2 - PS3 gets a $50 price cut.
Why this prediction works - With the Wii dropping to a pretty ridiculous $149, Sony's entry console is now double the price of its competitor. Whether or not the consoles are equals really isn't up for debate here, it's the mindshare of little Johnny's mom that walks into Walmart and sees she can buy him video games for half the price. Sony can't and won't ignore this, and will get the PS3 down to a $249 entry point. Further, languishing in third place behind the fading Wii and the still strong 360, Sony needs something to give consumers an extra incentive to buy its console in the wake of the PSN data breach.
Why this prediction is bonkers - Sony finally began making some money with the PS3 hardware last year. With a reported $170 million in costs due to the PSN debacle, it's unlikely they'll want to give up any ability to profit on their hardware if it can soften the blow of this debt.
Prediction #3 - This is the only one that will get an "It depends" type of prediction. If the Playstation Store is back up next week as expected, Sony won't breathe a word of the PSN data breach and subsequent outage in its press conference. If it's still down, I guarantee an apology will be forthcoming.
Why this prediction works - Sony has been tight lipped about everything related to this whole situation. If they don't have to remind everyone of a giant failure during a time that is to be a celebration of their company, they won't. However, if developers still can't sell and gamers still can't buy from the store that will at that point have been down six weeks, they won't be able to ignore the elephant in the room.
Why this prediction is bonkers - Sony will have to say something about their "Welcome Back" program in order to try to get some sort of PR spin on a giant black eye in its gaming history. Regardless of the conditions laid out above they'll take the opportunity to pat themselves on the back, and to remind their customers how generous they are.
Microsoft:
Microsoft is the current king of the consoles. As noted above, they've led the NPD charts in sales in 10 of the last 11 months of reporting. The only problem for Microsoft right now is that they've sort of spent all their ammo. Everyone knows Gears 3 and Forza 4 are coming, the rest of the exclusive well is otherwise dry, and the Kinect is already out and the honeymoon is over.
Prediction #1 - No bombshells coming from Microsoft this year. They will certainly make some sort of announcement that was previously unknown, but it will be of the type that you'll say to yourself "Well anyone could have seen that coming at some point."
Why this prediction works - Microsoft lost Bungie, lost the Mass Effect exclusive, and have shuttered Ensemble Studios, one of the few studios it still owned. With the exception of Rare, the remainder of its high profile exclusive studios already have announced their works. With no new hardware expected either, it's really unlikely that Microsoft will have anything to give us that "Wow" moment during their presser.
Why this prediction is bonkers - With Nintendo and Sony both showcasing new hardware of some sort this year, Microsoft can't be left with nothing. There's got to be something up their sleeve to try to take some of the spotlight from the other two manufacturers.
Prediction #2 - Microsoft will once again get timed exclusive rights to Call of Duty DLC.
Why this prediction works - Activision will be blowing the lid off of Modern Warfare 3 at the show, maybe even at Microsoft's own press conference. As they've had the drop on Sony for two years running, expect Microsoft to exploit one of the few things it can point to as a previously unknown exclusive.
Why this prediction is bonkers - Activision wouldn't want to do anything to possibly dampen excitement for its flagship console title with over five months still to go before release. If and when (more likely when) Microsoft procures these rights, it will be announced much closer to release.
Prediction #3 - Microsoft will continue to pimp the daylights out of Kinect and will announce several new very casual friendly titles, date others that have been previously announced, and maybe toss a bone or two to the hardcore.
Why this prediction works - Microsoft likes money. The more they can try to win over the Wii crowd, the more money they make, and they can't afford to have Kinect die so shortly after its release. They've certainly poured some resources into developers making Kinect games to give any incentive at all for people to buy it. With a lack of software released, and very few receiving critical success, Microsoft has to pump some life into its motion project.
Why this prediction is bonkers - Microsoft isn't aiming the Kinect at the hardcore and it appears to already be fizzling even among the casual despite having shipped 8 million units. Microsoft can't control what third party developers create, and doesn't have the studios of it's own to try to build the library by itself. Kinect will have a small presence in the E3 press conference, but it will showcase only casual games and nothing more.
Lots of predictions. Some I'm reasonably confident in, and others, well, I'm certainly stretching. I honestly believe all are at least plausible. Get out your scorecards and lets see how I did in two weeks!
May 24, 2011
Playstation Network Under Maintenance, Further Confirmation of No Return of Store Today
Want to relive the last month all over again for the next nine hours? Good! Jeff Rubenstein, Social Media Manager and general Playstation Blog main man reports that the PSN will be under maintenance from 11:00am until 8:00pm Eastern time. This means that
"Account Management will be inaccessible, including the password reset process. While some users may experience difficulty signing in to PSN, the majority of consumers will be able to play online as well as sign in to external sites that require PSN authentication."Rubenstein further confirmed the European Blog's assertation that the Playstation Store would not be publishing today and that they're targeting the end of the month for restoration.
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