The Verge - Gaming Posts

Microsoft Xbox 360 does not infringe Motorola patents, rules ITC

2013-05-23T22:23:12Z

The International Trade Commission has ruled that Microsoft did not infringe upon any Motorola Mobility patents with the Xbox 360. The decision represents the end of an investigation that stretches back to 2010. Motorola Mobility contended that Microsoft had infringed upon several of its patents with the device, which led to the ITC issuing a preliminary ruling in April of last year that sided with Motorola on four different patents.

However, in the legal back-and-forth all but one of the patents had since been chipped away — some found to be invalid, while Motorola itself requesting others be pulled from the proceedings. In March an ITC administrative law judge ruled that the asserted claims of the one remaining patent had actually n...

Live-action 'Destiny' trailer is an early glimpse at Bungie's new universe

2013-05-23T17:42:02Z

Bungie first unveiled its upcoming sci-fi epic Destiny earlier this year, but we've yet to see the Halo follow-up in action. That's still true with the release of the game's first trailer, which is a combination of live-action and CG, but with no actual gameplay. As Variety reports, the trailer was directed by Jon Favreau, the director behind the first two Iron Man films. While the new trailer doesn't provide any more insight into how the game will play, it's still nice to see all of that beautiful artwork in motion. You can expect to see the first gameplay footage of Destiny on June 10th at Sony's E3 press conference.

Zone out with 'Blip Blup,' a minimalist puzzle game for iOS and Android

2013-05-23T15:14:05Z

Don't let the goofy name fool you: Blip Blup is a clever and challenging puzzle game with a slick minimalist look and feel. In each level you're presented with a screen of grey squares, and the goal is to fill them with color. All this requires is a touch of your finger, which will send out a pulse of color in all directions. The trick is getting the angles just right so that you fill each and every square within the allotted number of moves.

Nvidia intros GeForce GTX 780, and ShadowPlay to record your gaming exploits automatically

2013-05-23T13:00:08Z

Nvidia's GeForce Experience software is starting to do quite a few things. It cleverly optimizes your game settings. It fetches new graphics drivers. It even streams games from your gaming rig to Nvidia's new Shield handheld. And this week, alongside the launch of the GeForce GTX 780 — the company's latest graphics card — Nvidia's training it to do something new: constantly record video footage of your gameplay so that when you pull off a crazy virtual stunt, you can share it with the world. It seems like good timing, considering how the Microsoft Xbox One and Sony PlayStation 4 look to be integrating similar features right now.

Nvidia calls it ShadowPlay, and it's a feature coming this summer to all of Nvidia's Kepler-based GPUs,...

'Call of Duty: Ghosts' tech demo reveals what next-gen soldiers (and dogs) will look like

2013-05-22T20:53:24Z

We've seen the reveal trailer, and now the team behind Call of Duty: Ghosts is pulling back the curtain and providing a look at the game's robust next-generation engine. In the below clip (also screened during yesterday's Xbox One keynote), you'll see direct comparisons between characters pulled from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 — which pushed the limits of current-gen consoles, according to Infinity Ward — and those from the upcoming Ghosts. Infinity Ward says each sequence in the clip is running in realtime on its latest engine, though obviously not on a production Xbox One or PlayStation 4. Yes, the "Call of Duty dog" (which has already inspired its own parody Twitter account) is also seen here, serving as yet more evidence of...

Microsoft's Xbox head: 'If you’re backwards compatible, you’re really backwards'

2013-05-22T18:28:33Z

Some Xbox 360 owners are dismayed that their collection of current-generation games won't work on the upcoming Xbox One. But Xbox head Don Mattrick is betting that they're in the vast minority. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Mattrick explained the decision not to focus on backwards-compatibility. According to him, only 5 percent of customers actually played older games on a new console, making it a low priority. "If you're backwards compatible, you're really backwards," he said.

On a technical level, the Xbox One can't play 360 games because of its processor. The new x86 CPU can't natively run games made for the 360's Xenon processor, which used PowerPC architecture — that's the same reason Sony's PlayStation 4 won't be...

Unlike PlayStation 4, prospects for indie games on Xbox One are murky

2013-05-22T14:45:02Z

With both its current and next-generation PlayStation platforms, Sony is making a concerted effort to capture the hearts and minds of the independent game development community, but the question is whether Microsoft is doing the same with its upcoming console. Yesterday's Xbox One announcement wasn't heavily focused on games, instead detailing the hardware and services of the device, but the few titles that were shown all came from major publishers like Electronic Arts and Activision. With the Xbox One's push to be the focal point of your living room, will there still be a place for indie games?

The sense among the game development community is murky, in stark contrast to feelings about Sony. While the PlayStation brand has been open...

'Ryse' teased as an Xbox One exclusive with Kinect integration, details at E3

2013-05-22T13:24:33Z

Microsoft didn't reveal all of the planned launch titles for its Xbox One this week. Crytek says that Ryse, a title set in the Roman Empire period, will debut exclusively on the Xbox One. Ryse looks set to be unveiled at E3, with a mini-site teasing the timing for June's gaming event.

Ryse was originally unveiled at E3 2011, with promised Kinect functionality, but the title never made its debut on Xbox 360. The Verge previously reported that the title will launch at the same time as the Xbox One, with plans for it to use the new features of the next-generation Kinect sensor. The teaser specifically mentions controller-based gaming that's "enhanced with Kinect," suggesting this isn't Kinect-only. We understand that Microsoft Studios and...

Xbox One confusion: Microsoft leaves used games and 'always-online' requirement unclear

2013-05-22T12:00:24Z

Microsoft's Xbox One announcement focused on hardware, entertainment, and gaming, but a controversial aspect of the new console — a rumored always-online requirement — has been left floating amid a sea of confusion. Microsoft sparked the hubbub with a vague answer on its Q&A section for the Xbox One. "No, it does not have to be always connected, but Xbox One does require a connection to the internet," reads a statement related to "always-on" internet connection requirements. Microsoft had a chance to explain this fully to avoid further confusion, but it blew it.

Backtracking over always-online time period requirement

The statement, while accurate, isn't forthcoming with the information that gamers want to know. How long can I play...

Xbox One lets households share one Xbox Live Gold subscription across multiple accounts

2013-05-22T07:57:47Z

Earlier this year, Microsoft discontinued its Xbox Live Gold Family Pack, an option for families to purchase multiple Gold memberships at a reduced rate. It now appears that it's making its way back to the Xbox One in one way or another. Polygon reports that multiple accounts will be able to share an Xbox Live Gold membership from a console.

"Anybody who has usage privilege on that machine can use it," says Microsoft's Phil Harrison, indicating that the system could be familiar to the Family Pack method of assigning Xbox Live Gold to additional accounts. Discussing the family aspect, Harrison describes a way for a father and son to have separate accounts while sharing the same Xbox Live Gold subscription. "We want you log in to get your...