Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014

RealGunner wrote:BREAKING: Xbox One dropping Kinect for a $399 (£349) unit.

Eurogamer.net wrote:Ubisoft makes Far Cry 4 official, due this November



Ubisoft has confirmed Far Cry 4 will be released on 21st November in the UK on PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

As previously reported by Eurogamer, the title will be set in the Himalayas.

Specifically, the region will be named Kyrat, a "breathtaking, perilous and wild region of the Himalayas struggling under the regime of a despotic self-appointed king". Expect the usual array of weapons, vehicles, and wild animals - such as those ridable elephants.

Development is being lead by Ubisoft Montreal, in collaboration with Ubisoft's Red Storm Entertainment, Ubisoft Toronto, Ubisoft Shanghai and Ubisoft Kiev.

"Following the success of Far Cry 3, we wanted to take the franchise to the next level and create a game that will surprise players and exceed fans' expectations," executive producer Dan Hay said. "Given the unique setting, we feel Far Cry 4 will stand out as a top first-person shooter and we're eager to reveal more about the game in the coming months."

Eurogamer.net wrote:Microsoft announces Halo 5: Guardians for Xbox One



Microsoft has announced Halo 5: Guardians for Xbox One and said that it will be released in autumn 2015.

Halo 5: Guardians is described as a "massive and exciting project" by Bonnie Ross, general manager of developer 343 Industries, who also described it as "the next instalment in the legendary saga of the Master Chief".

"Making a Halo game that runs at 60 frames per second, on dedicated servers, with the scope, features and scale we've been dreaming of for more than a decade, is non-trivial," Ross explained in a blog post on Xbox Wire.

"It's a task that we, at 343 Industries, are taking very seriously to ensure we deliver the Halo game that fans deserve, and a game that is built from the ground up for Xbox One."
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Microsoft released one image to accompany the announcement. Whatever can it mean? Expect more at E3.

"Halo 5: Guardians is a bigger effort than Halo 4," she continued. "That applies to the content and scope of the game, as well as the technology in what's now a brand new and more powerful engine.

"Certainly there are some core elements carried over from prior games, but we've invested a huge effort in retooling our tech to take full advantage of the Xbox One's hardware and ecosystem to create worlds and experiences worthy of next-gen.

"It's a game that will hopefully demonstrate the talent, learnings and abilities of the 343 Industries team.

"A game that will incorporate the things we learned from Halo 4 about technology, aesthetics, performance and scale - and perhaps more importantly, understanding and embracing a community of gamers who love what lies at the heart of this game, and the limitless potential of the Halo universe."

So that's Halo 5: Guardians, then, but Ross also spoke cryptically about the "journey" we're all about to go on. "That journey definitely begins in 2014 with a giant leap, rather than one small step," she wrote.
Does Kinect-free Xbox One mean more power for games? Yes, says Digital Foundry, but it may not close the gap. Does Kinect-free Xbox One mean more power for games?

"We'll give you much more information about our plans for this year at the Xbox E3 2014 Media Briefing on June 9, and we're confident that Halo fans will be pretty excited [about] the special plans we have in store."

Whatever could it mean? Some sort of beta? Or perhaps Ross is talking about the Halo 2 Anniversary edition that has been rumoured over the last few months - after all, Halo 2 will be 10 years old this November.

It doesn't seem to be a reference to the TV series that was announced last year, though, because elsewhere in her post Ross makes explicit reference to that also being due in autumn 2015.

A mystery, then, but one we won't have to wait long to solve.