Gears of War 4 Release Date May Have Been Pushed Up January 11, 2016

Several media outlets including GameSpot and MSN are reporting that one of this year’s highly anticipated Xbox One exclusive titles, Gears of War 4, may be coming out a little sooner than expected.

First announced at E3 2015, Gears of War 4 was revealed with a projected release date of Holiday 2016.  Recently, during an official Microsoft live stream, Microsoft announced that the game would be out a little sooner, and listed the game’s release date as Fall 2016, which could mean it might release a few months earlier than expected.

Of course these are just semantics, since the game has no specific release date.  Fall games can generally be expected between September and November of any given year.  A game specifically listed as a Holiday release could be expected to launch in either November or December.  Both of those projections could easily still mean the game’s official release schedule has not changed, and instead has just been clarified, but that’s just speculation on my part.

Gears of War 4 is expected to launch an online beta this spring for any players who picked up Gears of War Ultimate Edition on Xbox One.

Gears of War 4 is coming Fall 2016 exclusively on Xbox One.

Oculus Rift Price Revealed January 8, 2016

The headset poised to bring Virtual Reality into the mainstream now has a price, and it is very steep.  The Oculus Rift, a PC-enabled wireless VR headset, will launch later this year at a price of $599 US.  That puts it at the same price point as a premium launch model PlayStation 3 back in 2006.

The Oculus Rift package will include everything you need to get VR working on your PC including the VR headset, an Xbox One Controller, and various custom cables for the headset.  The package will also include two free games including the highly anticipated launch game EVE Valkrie.

If you would like to order the Oculus Rift, you can place a preorder for it right here. Just be aware that as of this time, you may have to wait until June before your headset arrives.

If you had participated in the product’s Kickstarter and previously received Oculus Rift headsets due to the amount you donated to the company, don’t order one online!  Kickstarter supporters can expect a final retail unit coming to your home at no extra charge.  The Kickstarter version will include everything offered in the retail package.

Just be aware that the Oculus Rift will require support from a pretty powerful gaming PC to function properly. If you’re unsure if your PC will work with the Oculus Rift download the Windows app from the Oculus website.

Shinra Technologies is Being Dissolved January 5, 2016

Over a year ago Square Enix announced they were venturing into online game streaming with their new subsidiary, Shinra Technologies. Named after the evil corporation from Final Fantasy VII, Shinra was poised to create entirely unique game titles which would take full advantage of cloud computing.

While online game streaming was a huge deal back when it was first revealed half a decade ago, it has been difficult for companies to monetize successfully.  Shinra said their software would allow for enormous persistent game worlds capable of maintaining user interactions for extended periods while being accessed by thousands of simultaneous PCs and smart devices.  On paper, it looked pretty impressive to me, but that didn’t seem to be enough to sustain investors.

Today, Square Enix filed that they will be cutting their losses on Shinra, essentially shutting it down.  There was no mention of what would happen to the company’s assets, technology or  software but it is likely they will either get sold to a potential buyer or absorbed by Square Enix. If you’re interested, you can read the official paperwork here.

Final Fantasy IX Coming to PC and SmartPhones December 31, 2015

Square Enix made a huge announcement for New Year’s Eve!  Less than half a month after we published a wish list of Final Fantasy games we would like to see Square Enix release, Square officially announced the formerly PS1 exclusive title Final Fantasy IX is going to be rereleased on PC and selected Android and iOS smartphones!

This is unprecedented news as, unlike the two other numbered Final Fantasy games to release on the PS1, Final Fantasy IX never received a PC release. This will be the first time the game is playable on a non Sony-branded platform.

The game appears to have the game’s original PS1 graphics assets. If you’d like to know a bit more about what this game is, watch the trailer below.

Final Fantasy IX is coming soon to PC, Android and iOS Devices. Square Enix cannot guarantee compatibility with all Android phones, but the game will require Android 4.1.  iOS users will need an iPhone 5s or newer device running at least iOS 7.

So, does this mean we could see Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy IX playable on PS4?

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Delayed December 23, 2015

The most anticipated PS4 exclusive title has been delayed once more, but only by a month.  Earlier today, Sony and Naughty Dog have officially announced the release of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End will be delayed.

I honestly don’t have a problem with this announcement. Naughty Dog has delayed their games in the past and have used that time to release some of the most polished titles of the last generation. If they need an extra month, that’s okay with me.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is now coming April 26th, 2016 exclusively to the PS4.

Batman: Arkham Knight Patch 1.12 Released December 23, 2015

A new patch for Batman: Arkham Knight was released yesterday, bringing the game to version 1.12 on the PlayStation 4. The new update fixes a minor issue with rain effects on certain costumes  and adds support for this month’s downloadable content.

If you already had the previous version installed, the new patch is only a single GB to download. If you haven’t downloaded any of the game’s patches up to this point, you’ll be expected to download over 5.5GB of data to bring your game to its most recent version.

Batman: Arkham Knight is out now for PC, Xbox One and PS4.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End CGI Trailer December 21, 2015

After watching this I only have one question, “Where is my mind?”

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is coming March 2016 exclusively on PS4.

Final Fantasy Explorers Multiplayer Trailer December 17, 2015

We’re a month away from the release of Final Fantasy Explorers on the Nintendo 3DS and Square Enix decided to release this awesome looking trailer showcasing the game’s multiplayer features.  Give it a watch below.

Final Fantasy Explorers is coming January 2016 exclusively to Nintendo 3DS handhelds.

Halo 5: Guardians Cartographer’s Gift Update Released December 16, 2015

A major game update for Halo 5: Guardians has been released today. The new update, called the Cartographer’s Gift, adds new multiplayer content including brand new multiplayer maps completely free of charge.

If you’d like a preview of the update you can watch this rebroadcast of the update’s official preview stream. Enjoy.

The update is free to download but weighs in at over 3.8 GB, even if you already had the previous  game update installed.

Halo 5: Guardians is out now exclusively on Xbox One.

Final Super Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS Video Released December 15, 2015

Let’s be honest, Super Smash Bros has been Nintendo’s most popular title for this console generation, and is one of the games responsible for making the Wii U a “must own” console.  Since it was released a year ago, Nintendo has continued supporting it by adding new characters, costumes, and maps as DLC on a regular basis.

Today, Nintendo has just revealed the FINAL video presentation for Super Smash Bros, and they reveal no less than three new characters which will be coming to the game, one of which should be available to purchase later tonight.

This game had a great run, I hope to see it again in the next generation.

Super Smash Bros is out now for Wii U and 3DS.