Halo: The Master Chief Collection Announced June 9, 2014

Take a look at this, straight from the Microsoft E3 2014 press conference.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection will include Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3 AND Halo 4 on one disc exclusively for the Xbox One system.

As 2014 is the tenth year anniversary of Halo 2, the collection will include an anniversary edition release of that game with a fully updated graphics engine, although players will be able to switch between the original and updated graphics on the fly.

All of the games will run off the same game disc and will be running at a native 1080p 60 frames experience. Over 100 multiplayer maps, spanning all of the Halo games, will be included, all running on their original game engines and with their multiplayer gameplay fully intact.

The collection will also feature two new features. It will guarantee players access to the Halo 5: Guardians Beta Test when it launches in December 2014 and will also include the new Halo TV series, Halo: Knightfall.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is coming November 11th, 2014 exclusively for the Xbox One. The price will be $59.99 US.

Battlefield: Hardline Beta Signups Now June 9, 2014

Today is the first day of E3 and we’re kicking off our E3 coverage with a huge announcement. At the end of the Electronic Arts E3 Press Briefing, EA announced they are starting Signups for the PC and PS4 versions of Battlefield: Hardline right now.

Anyone who has the PS4 version of Battlefield 4 can start a download for the beta right now the next time they insert the BF4 game disc into their PS4. Everyone else can sign up for the beta right now at battlefield.com. An EA Origin account is required to sign up for the beta.

Battlefield: Hardline is coming soon to multiple platforms.

Kingdom Hearts HD II.5 ReMIX Release Date June 6, 2014

Just before E3, Square Enix has released their latest official trailer for Kingdom Hearts HD II.5 ReMIX. This game will include fully updated HD versions of the PS2 hit Kingdom Hearts II and the PSP Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, retooled specifically for the Playstation 3. Finally, as a bonus, it will include a newly produced cinematic retelling of the game Kingdom Hearts RE: Coded, which was originally released to mobile platforms and the Nintendo DS.

How will these games look? Take a look for yourselves. Oh and pay close attention to the ending. There’s a quick teaser at the end for Kingdom Hearts III.

I can’t tell you how excited I am for this rerelease. Kingdom Hearts II was my favorite game in the Kingdom Hearts series, and Square Enix has promised that like they had with the earlier HD ReMIX, they will be bringing the updated versions of the game which only saw a release in Japan. The updated games include new areas, bosses, and a lot more. Secondly, never having a Nintendo DS or a compatible cell phone, I was never able to play the game Kingdom Hearts RE: Coded. It will be nice to finally see that game’s story in all new cimematics.

Kingdom Hearts HD II.5 ReMIX is coming December 2nd, 2014 exclusive to the Playstation 3.

Wii U Firmware 5.00 Released June 3, 2014

Just a week after the release of Mario Kart 8, Nintendo has released a major system update to the Wii U. Firmware 5.00 includes multiple system improvements including a faster boot option, a standby option which can send notifications to the Wii U gamepad even when the system is off, and other bug fixes and optimizations.

The Wii U will download the update automatically the next time it is turned on. It will notify you to perform the update upon completion. If you prefer to do the update manually, you can also update the Wii U from the System Settings menu.

PS4 Firmware 1.71 Released June 3, 2014

Sony has just released a required update for the PS4 in the form of firmware 1.71. Sony’s release notes mention that the update adds no new features but improves the system stability during certain tasks.

Could this update be in response to the PS4 corruption error that put my PS4 in the shop for almost a month? Post a comment with your thoughts.

Firmware 1.71 is required to connect to PSN.

Dark Souls Free Through Games With Gold June 2, 2014

The Xbox 360 version of the cult classic game Dark Souls has been made free of charge to all current Xbox Live Gold members thanks to Microsoft’s Games With Gold promotion.

Dark Souls will continue to be available to download for free to Xbox Live Gold members on the Xbox 360 until June 16th. After the Dark Souls promotion expires, Charlie Murder and Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition will be made free until the end of the month.

Just remember, as long as you download this game during the period it is free, your ownership of this game will not expire even if your Xbox Live Gold account expires. However, Microsoft has recently announced that when they bring this promotion to the Xbox One, you will lose access to any Xbox One games you download through Games With Gold.

The initial titles coming to the Xbox One’s Games With Gold promotion are expected to be Max: The Curse of Brotherhood and Halo: Spartan Assault.

Quantum Break Gameplay Video May 29, 2014

There is no game for the Xbox One that I’m anticipating more than Remedy’s Quantum Break. Developed by the creators of Alan Wake and Max Payne, it was the first game Microsoft announced for the console.

Today, Remedy has released this new teaser trailer for Quantum Break with the promise that more footage will get released this summer at GamesCom. If you had any reservations about the power of the Xbox One, give this a look.

Quantum Break is coming in 2015 exclusively to the Xbox One.

Watch Dogs Companion App Released, Uplay Down May 27, 2014

As promised, UbiSoft released the official smartphone companion app for their hit game Watch_Dogs on the day of the game’s official release.  The app, as originally detailed, allows you a deeper level of connectivity with the game, allowing you to manipulate the game in real time.  With the app, you can keep track of your friends from your mobile phone, unlock more abilities for yourself in-game, and do a whole lot more.

The Watch Dogs app can work from any internet connection, so you can play from either a cellular connection or through your home WiFi.  The app works by connecting you through your Ubisoft Uplay account.  Your game console or PC must be connected to the internet in order to use the app.

Sadly, when I attempted to use the app just before posting this news, I was unable to log in.  I believe that Ubisoft is having some issues with Uplay this morning, and without a stable Uplay connection, you won’t be able to use the app.  I will continue to monitor Uplay through the day and will keep you guys updated when the service is restored.

iPhone users can download the Compaion App right now through Apple’s App Store.  It weighs in at around 45 MB in size.  It should also be out for Android phones as well.  The download is completely free of charge.

Watch Dogs is out now for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.  A Wii U version will be coming later this year.

UPDATE: At around 5:45pm EST the Uplay login servers have started to allow connections. However, players are still being randomly disconnected from the service. Because of this there are still some players having issues playing the game on PC.

Watch Dogs Launches Tonight at Midnight May 26, 2014

When it was first announced at UbiSoft’s E3 Press Conference during E3 2012, Watch_Dogs was the biggest surprise of the show.

Tonight, GameStop has announced that many of their stores across the country will be opening tonight at midnight to sell the game to any players who have preordered the game at the store.

You can see which GameStop locations are participating in this promotion here.

If you’re still on the fence about picking the game up, check out the game’s official launch trailer.

Watch_Dogs is launching tonight at midnight for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The Wii U version is coming later this year. Sony has announced the Playstation versions of the game will have some exclusive content.