PS4 and Xbox One!

Welcome back, ladies and gents! Did you miss me? Did you sour on web-comics and video-satire? Well, let's dive right in then.



NEXT-GEN! 

The next-gen consoles have been out for nearly 8 months. Here are some thoughts:



PS4

• Good - Slick Interface/Quick, Responsive OS. 

This thing moves! After playing an array of titles and jumping between multiple applications, I must say, Bravo Sony! Now if they could just reduce that boot time. 

• Good - DS4 Controller.

The Dualshock 4 is a magnificent upgrade from the Dualshock 3. Any game that requires a trigger (Read: ALL), is vastly improved with this controller. As an added bonus, the DS4 now works wirelessly with the PS3 - so trigger fans, rejoice! 

• Good - Consistent, Diverse PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection Offerings.

If you've been a PlayStation Plus member, you have been on the receiving end of quite the bounty of free games. With Sony's recent update to how often they bring in new content monthly, the turn around on new, exciting content should only get better. 

• Good - The Definitive Platform of Choice.

Every game released to date either plays better, (sometimes significantly so), or equal to the PS4's counterpart - the Xbox One. Whether that is an enhanced frame-rate or a higher resolution, with the PS4 you are guaranteed the best performing console version of whatever third-party game you play. 

• Meh - Beyond inFamous: Second Son, not much compelling first-party/next-gen specific software. 

inFamous: Second Son was great - the first compelling software that gratified early adopters of the new PS4 hardware. However, beyond that we've only seen cross-platform (Read: compatible with Xbox 360 / PS3) and indie games. We've yet to see the real meaty experiences that push beyond what was possible on last-gen systems. And even looking at what's available now, you're not exactly spoiled for choice when it comes to compelling/great games. Watch Dogs is a great example of a game that has done exceedingly well, is cross-platform and is also horribly overrated. Thankfully, some really exciting experiences will be coming our way this Fall 2014. 

• Bad - User Interface is NOT customizable.

Seriously? Let me get rid of those bloody "Unlimited" apps and organize my games!

Xbox One

• Good - The Controller.

The Xbox One controller is an iteration on the already fantastic Xbox 360 gamepad. Overall the controls feel a bit tighter, the sticks a bit taller and the triggers are just as comfortable. Thankfully the d-pad has been improved to actually be usable, however fighting-game fans will still want to invest in a stick. Note: The bumper placement of the Xbox One controller takes a little getting used to - I still find myself yearning for the Xbox 360's bumper placement. 

• Good - Accurate Voice Control from Kinect.

The new Kinect is better than the old one - it's more accurate and is actually useful in this incarnation. Saying "Xbox Record That" has been, by far, the coolest/most useful command while playing.

• Good - Titanfall

It's awesome. Also the only compelling reason to own a Xbox One. 

• Meh - Beyond Titanfall, not much compelling first-party/next-gen specific software. 

As with the PS4, beyond cross-platform and indies, we've yet to hit our stride with really compelling/great games. Let's all fast-forward to this Fall! 

• Meh - Games play better on PS4.

If you only own a Xbox One, this doesn't matter. If you're undecided, it might sway you. But if you own both, you'll find yourself planning your third-party purchases on PS4 and your console-exclusives on Xbox One. Note: I'm going all-digital with my Xbox One - exclusives only. Console was originally designed to be an all-digital experience - so let there be downloads!

• Bad - UI and OS is sllllllow.

So bad, so slow - it's garbage. The initial move between apps is great but man this thing just chugs along at such a slow pace to actually load anything. Installing games takes forever, markedly longer than installing the same title on a PS4. Also, the user interface itself is archaic - it seems to have been designed with voice control being the main arbiter, but in practice it just feels crappy. Thankfully, since Microsoft recently unbundled Kinect (Good!), a UI redesign is almost a guarantee. Until then, booooo. 

@techandjunk

Global Video Game Hardware Totals (VGChartz)

Titanfall - Worth the purchase of an Xbox One?

The time is now?

So here we are, coming on four months since the launch of the Xbox One, and Titanfall is finally coming out. Is it time to pull the trigger? They've even bundled the software with the hardware! Unfortunately, old qualms aside - it's still not the time to buy an Xbox One.

It's not for the reasons you might think - price, specs or paywalling of services - although they do play a part, but no it is the HARD DRIVE that truly sways the purchase into the "not ready" column. Unlike the PS4, the Xbox One's hard drive is not upgradeable. Yes, Microsoft has said they'll eventually allow external hard drives but for one such as myself, I'm not interested in daisy-chaining hard drives when my Xbox One's hard drive eventually fills up. 500Gb is simply not enough to sustain a generation of digital/installed purchases. Going further, since my PS4 will be my main gaming unit for multi-platform purchases, I've decided that I'm going all digital with the Xbox One since I'll be so much more discerning about each game purchase that will undoubtably be first-party or exclusive to the Xbox One platform. Perhaps, this analysis is too attuned to my personal gaming preferences, but as it stands - until Microsoft includes a 1Tb hard drive, regardless of price drops, it is too early to purchase an Xbox One. My advice if you have to play Titanfall? Wait for the Xbox 360 release or enjoy the incredible PC version.

@techandjunk

Zero Punctuation - Ryse: Son of Rome (Xbox One) (Video)

Zero Punctuation

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FORWARD! - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PS4/XBOXONE/PC) (Video)

"Forward!" is the section of this site dedicated to previews of upcoming Tech and Junk. This is the stuff we're looking forward to. (We are so creative.)

Check out this new gameplay trailer from VGX! Enjoy!

@techandjunk

Web Comics - The Glories of Next Gen Consoles (Dorkly)

DORKLY

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JunkTalk - Episode: PS4 VS. XBOX ONE

Welcome to JunkTalk - techandjunk.com's chat show about...you guessed it, Tech and Junk!
We'll be chatting away talking about the latest, greatest, the not-so latest and even the downright bad. We'll also be having fun, maybe.

EPISODE: PS4 VS. XBOX ONE

PS4 or XBOX ONE? Let the JunkTalk commence! 

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[UPDATE: Activision Confirms!] Uh-oh - Call of Duty: Ghosts confirmed "native 1080p" on PS4, not so much on Xbox One

Not equal?

[UPDATE: Call of Duty: Ghosts, producer Mark Rubin's explanation on Twitter:

"Hey, been on the road last couple weeks so haven't had a chance to update, but wanted to confirm that for Xbox One we're 1080p upscaled from 720p. And, we're native 1080p on PS4. We optimized each console to hit 60 FPS and the game looks great on both. Still on the road, but glad to see the great reception to Extinction. Can't wait for next week's launch."

And there you have it!]

Original Story:

Adam Boyes, VP of Publisher & Developer Relations at Sony Computer Entertainment America, has confirmed that Call of Duty: Ghosts is “native 1080p on the PS4.” Sweet, wonderful, awesome. However, the same has not been said of the Xbox One version and in response to fan outcry for clarification, Microsoft’s Director of Product Planning Albert Penello reached out to the executive that runs third-party relations at Microsoft. He was told he didn't need to know. Whaaaat? Here's what Panello said:

"The guy that runs 3rd party relations for Xbox is one of my best friends. And we have to play this information game all the time. He has the utmost respect for the confidentiality of partner details. So I did call him and ask him, and he told me very directly “You don’t need to know”. 

"End of conversation. End of speculation.

"Nobody at MS will comment on this. Most people don’t know. This is Activision’s product, and it’s completely up to them on how/when they want to show this product, why they choose to roll-out their game in a certain way, and what platforms they choose to show on.

"There is no point in lying about anything. If I did know, I would have just said “I can’t say”. You all would have gotten the same answer.

"I’ll be bummed if it’s true. But the fact nobody is saying anything doesn’t make me jump to conclusions.

Wowzers. Hopefully he doesn't need to know, because it IS native 1080p (no upscaling), on Xbox One. That would be the best way to look at this, otherwise this could be pretty sad for prospective Xbox One owners planning their Call of Duty purchases. What do you think? Is this a big deal? Does it matter? Let us know what you think!

@techandjunk

FORWARD! Destiny (PS4/XBOXONE/XBOX360/PS3) (Videos)

"Forward!" is the section of this site dedicated to previews of upcoming Tech and Junk. This is the stuff we're looking forward to. (We are so creative.)

Halo-who?

"The creators of Halo, the company that brought you Call of Duty." Sounds like a match made in FPS-heaven! And boy, does it look the part! Destiny's release date is still TBA, however expect this gem to come out in the first-half of 2014. Check out the amazing videos below! Oh, and look FORWARD to this game. (Almost forgot!)

@techandjunk

Zero Punctuation - Next Gen Buyer's Guide (Video)

Listen to Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw assemble his Next Gen Buyer's Guide. Prepare to focus! Zero Punctuation.

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FORWARD! Titanfall Release Date 03/11/2014 (XBOXONE/XBOX360/PC) (Videos)

"Forward!" is the section of this site dedicated to previews of upcoming Tech and Junk. This is the stuff we're looking forward to. (We are so creative.)

Come to papa. 

Mark your calendars, the Titans are-a-falling March 11th, 2014. This game goes above and beyond the call of duty - here's to being one step closer to being in a mech suit, I mean, playing Titanfall! 

Official Angel City Gameplay Trailer

Official First to Fall World Tour

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FORWARD! Making Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (IGN)

"Forward!" is the section of this site dedicated to previews of upcoming Tech and Junk. This is the stuff we're looking forward to. (We are so creative.)

Sewing?

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is shaping up to be the grand-pooba of the Assassin's Creed franchise. Pirates, naval warfare, open-world, crafting and shark-assassinations - how could it not? Check out IGN's "Making Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag" videos below. It has exclusive gameplay footage and incredible access into how this particular video-game-sausage is being made. You won't be disappointed.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

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FORWARD! Kingdom Hearts 3 (PS4/XBOXONE)

"Forward!" is the section of this site dedicated to previews of upcoming Tech and Junk. This is the stuff we're looking forward to. (We are so creative.)

Finally.

It has been a long time coming, but we finally have the next, true Kingdom Hearts on our radar - Kingdom Hearts 3 is approaching! A handful of prequels, as well as remakes, have precluded this inevitable conclusion - but now it's coming and we are so looking FORWARD to finishing Sora's tale. Although there's no release date in sight, it is promising that they have begun to show off actual in-progess, gameplay footage. This bodes well for a sooner rather than later release date. Stay tuned for more updates and check out the video below! 

@techandjunk

FORWARD! Xbox One Animated Specs Spotlight (GameTrailers)

"Forward!" is the section of this site dedicated to previews of upcoming Tech and Junk. This is the stuff we're looking forward to. (We are so creative.)

Step FORWARD into next-generation gaming and entertainment with the Xbox One! Check out this animated breakdown of the Xbox One hardware, by the folks at GameTrailers!

@techandjunk

[UPDATE] FORWARD! Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition (PS4/PS3/PSV/XBOX360/PC)

"Forward!" is the section of this site dedicated to previews of upcoming Tech and Junk. This is the stuff we're looking forward to. (We are so creative.)

Justified.

[UPDATE] Clarifying the publisher's release plans this evening, a Warner Bros. representative confirmed that the game "will only be released for PS4, PS Vita, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC". There will be no Xbox One version.

The DC Universe. The studio behind Mortal Kombat. Alone these things are incredible, together they melt your brain with their awesomeness. Injustice: Gods Among Us is a fighting game from developer NetherRealm and publisher Warner Bros., originally released earlier this last April. This "Ultimate Edition" will include all DLC from the original title along with being available on the PlayStation 4, PC, and PlayStation Vita for the first time. Curiously, the Xbox One is absent from the list of platforms in the press release from Warner Bros.' announcement. Hopefully we'll have more details on that soon. The release date is scheduled for November 12th for North America and November 29th for Europe and "other global territories". Gotta love PR-speak. Look FORWARD to this fighter! (Dibs on Superman)

@techandjunk

FORWARD! - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PS4/XBOXONE/PC)

"Forward!" is the section of this site dedicated to previews of upcoming Tech and Junk. This is the stuff we're looking forward to. (We are so creative.)

Bewitched.

This game looks incredible. The more we see, the more we can't wait for its release, the more we froth at the mouth. Stunning visuals, amazing story, addicting gameplay - this dark/fantasy RPG is everything you would want to finish out Geralt of Rivia's tale. Rest assured, we'll be keeping an eye out for a solid release date when it emerges sometime in 2014. Did we mention we're looking FORWARD to this game? We did? Still frothing.

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FORWARD! - Dragon Age: Inquisition (PS3/XBOX360/XBOXONE/PS4)

"Forward!" is the section of this site dedicated to previews of upcoming Tech and Junk. This is the stuff we're looking forward to. (We are so creative.)

For me?

"A cataclysmic event has plunged the land of Thedas into turmoil. Dragons now darken the sky, casting a shadow of terror over a once-peaceful kingdom. Mages have broken into an all-out war against the oppressive Templars. Nations rise against one another. It falls to you to restore order as you lead the Inquisition and hunt down the agents of chaos - your choices will forever change the Dragon Age." - www.dragonage.com

Dragon Age™Inquisition is Bioware's third entry in the Dragon Age™ series and by the looks of it, it stands to be the best yet. Many were turned off by Dragon Age™II's limited scope and lack of exploration, however Inquisition is poised to blow away our expectations - "It's an opportunity with the generation change, as well as the new engine change, to revitalize things," says Cameron Lee, producer on Inquisition. "We've rebuilt everything from the ground up. It's all re-written, recreated content."

We're about a year away from Dragon Age™Inquisition's release in Fall 2014, but we are looking FORWARD to it!

@techandjunk

BUDGET! - XBOX ONE

"Budget!" is the section of this site dedicated to planning your purchases. Let's face it, most of us don't have unlimited budgets and whether its your parents or your significant other - sometimes they take some convincing to "green-light" the endeavor. We calculate the total cost, lay out some suggestions and point out things to avoid. You'll come away with a clear understanding of how much your purchase will cost you and how to get the best value at check-out.

It's the ONE, I want ONE, Gimme ONE, XBOX ONE! Let's break it all down - here's the Necessities:

• XBOX ONE Hardware - ($499.99) - Duh.
• XBOX LIVE Subscription - ($59.99) - The original pioneer in the console online-gaming space, this service is the life-blood of the XBOX ONE and as we mentioned - you won't be able to take advantage of most of your hardware's capabilities without it. 
• XBOX ONE Play & Charge Kit - ($24.99) - The new Impulse triggers won't save you from battery drain and unfortunately you'll be swapping AA batteries with a vengeance if you don't pick this bad boy up! Trust me, you'll thank me later.
• XBOX ONE Game - ($59.99) - Several known franchises are launching along side the console including : Call of Duty®: Ghosts, Battlefield 4 and Assassin's Creed® IV: Black Flag (Shark-Assassin).

To recap, the above gets you the console, Kinect Camera, one headset, one controller, one game and access to online-play. Now, you gotta ask yourself: am I going to play with anyone else locally (in the same room)? If the answer is "No", then you're fine but if you answered "Yes" - an Extra XBOX ONE controller will be necessary, which brings us to our ancillary purchases.

Here's our Extras:

• Extra XBOX ONE Controller - ($59.99) - So you can play with someone else. (OR yourself)

• Extra XBOX ONE Play & Charge Kit - ($24.99) - Because batteries suck.

Adding it all up for the Necessities:

($499.99) + ($59.99) + ($24.99) + ($59.99) = ($644.96) * Sales Tax 10% (estimate) = $709.46

Adding it all up for ALL OF THE ABOVE:

($499.99) + ($59.99) + ($24.99) + ($59.99) + ($59.99) + ($24.99) = ($729.94) * Sales Tax 10% (estimate) = $802.93

Ready, Set, BUDGET!

@techandjunk

First-Person Shooters - I suck

First-person shooters are by and far, the most popular genre of video-game today. Call of Duty, Halo, Battlefield - the list goes on. But here's the thing - I suck. Not like "oh my god, which way is up" but more like "I have no idea who just shot me". I have a good time though, and I really enjoy playing FPS' with my friends. That said, we've been doing the same dog and pony show for a while now. 2007 was the year the original "Modern Warfare" erupted from the Call of Duty franchise and it has since dominated the scene, overtaking even Halo in player mindshare. It's mainstream, it's fun but I'm bored.

I didn't realize how bored I was though, until I saw Titanfall. It was my own groundhog day scenario - playing the same thing, iteration after iteration with no concise thought as to my own malaise and distaste for the genre. And then Titanfall. For the uninformed, Titanfall is a new FPS game developed by Respawn Entertainment. These are the guys that did the original Modern Warfare and it's sequel, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, before a schism with their parent company Activision lead to a studio exodus that would then become the foundation for Respawn Entertainment under new publisher, Electronic Arts (EA).  They bottled lightning once and from the looks of it, they've done it again.

Jeeez...

The video speaks for itself. What it comes down to is that it looks fun. So fun, that even someone who sucks could have a good time. It takes everything that made the post-Modern Warfare, Call of Duty titles amazing and ratchets it up to eleven.

Multiplayer is the focus rather than having a jaundiced single-player addition. You're not just moving fast - you're free running off walls. And then you add mechs into the equation and you've got gold. The "Titans" offer a whole new dimension to the FPS formula. Rather than slow and rigid mech-suits ala Aliens, you're getting something more akin to Avatar mechs.

Inspiration?

What's funny about this whole thing is that, initially, this game is coming out for the Microsoft ecosystem  (Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC),  which recently I have been less enthused with. So, my ETA to play this game is most likely longer than most. But from what I've seen, it'll be worth the wait because I believe Titanfall will be the disrupter that pushes the genre out of Modern Warfare's shadow. Regardless, the last thing I'll feel playing Titanfall is boredom. (All hail the new King!)

Check out www.titanfall.com for more info!

Visual History of Gaming Generations 1985-2013

Thanks GameTrailers!