The plan has been to pick up the assorted achievements for number of stars, along with “Quality Soldiering” for completing all declassified missions. Then, once we’ve unlocked Insane difficulty, it’s straight back into the campaign to make a run on “Seriously Judgmental”, awarded for completing every Declassified mission on the hardest difficulty setting. No, I don’t know why I do this to myself.

Now, to be a gamer is to accept that at some point during your latest adventure you may well fall out of the world, start gliding about for no reason or find yourself transformed into a mess of sentient spaghetti. Yup, I’m talking glitches. Sometimes they’re funny, sometimes they are downright creepy and sometimes, well, sometimes they stop me getting achievements. Then I get…tetchy.

Following the recent update to Gears Of War Judgment, there’s been an interesting glitch which…well, just read my open letter to the developers.

Dear Epic Games/People Can Fly/Any God who will listen,

I’d like to open by saying that the Gears Of War series is one of my all time favourites and has provided me with many happy hours of gaming. I continue to work towards my assorted Seriously achievements like the dedicated moron that I am. With a smile on my face and blinding cramp in my thumbs, I while away my days smiting the Locust with my mighty Lancer and popping skulls with the Longshot.

One of the things which makes Gears Of War so great is the opportunity to share it with friends, so you can imagine the delight that my gaming posse and I felt when Judgment finally arrived and we were able to once more dive into the glorious Gears universe, chainsaws a-revvin’. We have been steadily working our way through the campaign on Hardcore, with an eye to unlocking Insane and making a run at Seriously Judgmental – an achievement which I am certain will destroy my last fragile links to sanity and send me spiralling into a maelstrom of horror and despair. In a good way.

It is therefore with some dismay, a little anger and a soupcon of “OH FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST WHY!?!” that I must ask you just what in the hell has happened to my beloved game, following the recent update?

As my friends and I boldly battled through wave after wave of scaly, grey horrors, we ensured that each level began with our activating the Declassified mission, poor, brave fools that we are. Waging war through impenetrable fog, extra-super-hard-bastard mode activated, entire armies taken on with naught but an empty Boltok pistol, we did it all. You may well be thinking to yourselves “Hang on, I know that last one. Sure the Boltok is empty but there are Cleavers to hand!”. Well, yes, that’s what I want to talk to you about. You see, your Cleaver is broken.

We gave the ol’ swinging stick a go, of course. One of my gaming amigos grabbed a Cleaver and ran into the fray, being promptly shot through the face parts for his troubles. “BOLLOCKS, I’M DEAD!” came the cry through the headset. Which was weird, because on our screens he was still running about and continued to do so for some time, before simply collapsing in a heap.

We laughed, as gamers are wont to do when faced with an obvious glitch, before trying again. Oh dear, same shit, different checkpoint. Well, no matter, we’re nothing if not resourceful and completed the level with the odd scavenged round of ammo and a whole lot of pistol whippin’, dagnabbit.

Problem is, when you hit the first section of chapter six, the Declassified mission explicitly states that you MUST use Cleavers. Thanks to the glitch, it may as well read “You MUST use cleavers, but cannot be put down. If you do fall down, you will float around like a ghost for a bit before collapsing, amidst the anguished screams of your teammates”, which makes for an entirely more tricky proposition. We gave it a good go, but given that you’ve seen fit to throw ragers into the mix there, it’s frankly diabolical.

I haven’t stopped crying since our last attempt at that mission, Rayven is running out of fresh underwear, Insensitive has been sectioned and the last time I saw Blameless Ninja he was stood in a pet store, screaming at rabbits. For the sake of our minds, please fix this glitch. Also, send free shit.

Yours cheekily,
Jamie. X

Until this glitch is fixed, the achievements for completing all Declassified missions are blocked and that makes me has a sad. Please don’t make me add Gears Of War Judgment to the Achievement Punter: The Trolling Of Innocent Gamers list, with the likes of Naruto: Rise Of A Ninja, Halo 2 and Cars: Race-O-Rama.

Your move, Epic Games.

Check out Jamie’s previous Achievement Punting escapades as he puts his sanity to the test each week by clicking here.

Achievement Punter: Gears Of War Judgment Cleaver Glitch StickTwiddlers

Show Floor Games

The Rezzed show floor will be jam packed with the latest PC games, from big budget blockbusters to quirky indie gems. All the games listed here are playable.

• Beatbuddy – Threaks
• Caribbean! – Snowbird Games
• Coconut Dodge Revitalised – FuturLab
• Company of Heroes 2 – SEGA
• Democracy 3 – Positech Games
• Droid Assault – Puppy Games
• Eador: Masters of the Broken World – Snowbird Games
• Ethan: Meteor Hunter – Seaven Studio
• Ghost Recon Online – Ubisoft
• Might & Magic: Duel of Champions – Ubisoft
• Project Zomboid – The Indie Stone
• Redshirt – Positech Games
• Revenge of the Sunfish 2 – Bizarre Wound Games
• Revenge of the Titans – Puppy Games
• Shadow Warrior – Devolver Digital
• Sir, You Are Being Hunted – Big Robot
• Space Hulk – Full Control
• Splinter Cell: Blacklist – Ubisoft
• Superfrog HD – Team17
• Surge – FuturLab
• Surgeon Simulator 2013 – Bossa Studios
• Tengami – Nyamyam
• The Mighty Quest For Epic Loot – Ubisoft
• The Red Solstice – Ironward
• Titan Attacks – Puppy Games
• Total War: Rome II – SEGA
• Trials Evolution Gold – Ubisoft
• Ultratron – Puppy Games
• Velocity Ultra – FuturLab
• WildStar – NCSoft
• Worms Clan Wars – Team17

The Leftfield Collection

Even with all the great games listed above on show, the SEGA sponsored Leftfield Collection showcases the stars of the future with a selection of specially curated favourite indie games.

• Apotheon – Alientrap Games
• Ending – Aaron Steed
• Ether One – White Paper Games
• Full Mojo Rampage – Over the Top Games
• Gone Home – The Fullbright Company
• Gun Monkeys – Size Five Games
• Hacker, the movie hacker simulation game – Liam Fogerty
• Helix – Michael Brough
• icefishing v – Nathan Gallardo
• Luminesca – Matt Glanville
• Morphopolis – Micro Macro Games
• Out There – Mi-Clos Studio
• Reus – Abbey Games
• rymdkapsel – Grapefrukt Games
• Silhouette – Manikin Games
• Sneaksneak – Frambosa
• Stickets – Wanderlands
• That Dragon, Cancer – Josh Larson
• Trash TV – Lawrie Russell
• Undercurrent – Undercurrent Development

Board Games

If you’re more tabletop than digitial, or if you just prefer a break from the norm, there’s a vast collection of brilliant board games to try out at Rezzed provided by Esdevium Games.

• Batman Arkham City Escape – Cryptozoic Entertainment
• Carcassonne – Z-Man Games
• DC Comics Deck-Building Game – Cryptozoic Entertainment
• Dobble – Asmodee
• King of Tokyo – IELLO
• Settlers of Catan – Mayfair Games
• Smash Up – Alderac Entertainment Group
• Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game – Fantasy Flight Games
• The Resistance – Indie Boards and Cards
• Zombie Dice – Steve Jackson Games

Developer Sessions & Panels

Amongst all the gaming goodness, there are plenty of developer sessions and panels on offer over the two days to give attendees an insight into new projects and various aspects of the gaming industry.

Saturday 22nd June
12:00 – Panel: How can new business models improve PC gaming?
John Walker hosts Mark Morris, Chris Delay, Paul Taylor, Chris Avellone and Ragnar Tornquist in a round table discussion.

13:00 – Prison Architect
Introversion Software’s Mark Morris and Chris Delay return to Rezzed a year on to show more of the game and reflect on its hugely successful alpha launch.

14:00 – A look back at Frozen Synapse and a look forward to Frozen Endzone
Paul Taylor and Ian Hardingham from Mode 7 Games explain how development of Frozen Synapse influenced Frozen Endzone and introduce the new game.

15:00 – Dreamfall Chapters
Rangar Tornquist, Martin Bruusgaard and Dag Scheve from Red Thread Games are promising to show new content from their Kickstarter-funded adventure game.

16:00 – Project Eternity
One of the most successful Kickstarters ever, Project Eternity is the eagerly awaited new fantasy RPG from Obsidian Entertainment. Chris Avellone shares its progress.

17:00 – Sir, You Are Being Hunted
Fans of tweed-loving British sci-fi will want to join Big Robot’s Tom Betts to learn more about this sinister game where artificial gentlemen hunt humans for sport.

Sunday 23rd June
12:00 – Panel: Is storytelling in games getting any better?
John Walker hosts Dean Hall, Chris Avellone, Ragnar Tornquist, Ed Stern and Will Porter in a round table discussion.

13:00 – Luftrausers vs. Hotline Miami
Vlambeer’s Rami Ismail and Dennaton’s Dennis Wedin share the stage to compare and contrast their iconoclastic output.

14:00 – Total War: Rome II Live Code Demo
The Creative Assembly present the latest work on the most ambitious real-time strategy game in the studio’s history.

15:00 – WildStar
Developers from Carbine Studios showcases its upcoming science-fiction MMORPG, published by NCSoft.

16:00 – Creative Assembly Game Jam
Having built a game in a day, teams present their work to an expert panel of Chris Avellone (Obsidian), Ed Stern (Splash Damage) and Keith Stuart (The Guardian).

17:00 – DayZ Standalone
Dean Hall returns to Rezzed to share progress made on the standalone version of his hugely successful zombie survival mod for ArmA 2.

Tickets & Location

The venue for this year’s event is The NEC in Birmingham:
National Exhibition Centre
Birmingham
B40 1NT

Single day tickets for Saturday and Sunday are priced at £12 per person. A weekend pass is also available for the bargain price of £20. There are also group discounts on offer for 5+, 11+, 21+ and 51+ tickets.

Rezzed 2013 takes place June 22nd and 23rd 2013 at the Birmingham NEC. You can buy tickets directly from the Rezzed website.

Rezzed 2013: Games & Developer Session Details StickTwiddlers

Speaking to Official PlayStation Magazine at E3 2013, Gera explained that the decision to make gamers pay for access to online multiplayer was something that Sony had to “agonise over for a very long time”. The deciding factors were primarily built around Sony wanting to “introduce the console at a healthy price-point compared with PS3,” and building a truly incredible premium service.

Gara, much like many gamers, recognised that the current version of PlayStation Plus is “a tremendously well-received service” that Sony saw as an “opportunity to extend” with the release of the PS4. He commented that the premium service, currently priced at £39.99 annually, offers “immense value for that subscription charge,” especially when you take into account that it’s rewards include content across all three consoles.

As we mentioned in our PlayStation 4 Features article, Sony have built a lot more online and social features into their new console, something that has seen Sony “investing in a higher performance network” that will also provide “better performance [and] better reliability”.

In addition to online multiplayer, PS Plus on PS4 1ill allow users to seamlessly start playing games and join their online friends while spectating gameplay, as well as access to exclusive discounts, cloud game saves and the Instant Game Collection. Sony giving DriveClub away from day one had Gara comment that gamers “could argue [your PS Plus subscription] is sort of paid back almost immediately. So we still think it’s tremendous value”.

With the PlayStation Plus service arguably offering much better value for money that their competitors Xbox LIVE Gold service, it’s hard to give Sony a rough time to matching their competitors decision to make online multiplayer a premium service. However, is it really okay to essentially limit a gamers options because they don’t want to pay an extra fee to their console of choice?

What do you think about Sony’s decision to make online multiplayer a paid service? Should online multiplayer on any console be limited by whether you choose to pay? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Twitter and Facebook.

Sony Clarify Need For PS Plus To Play Online StickTwiddlers

The custom PS3 consoles were made by Jriquelme Mods who has also posted several other images of the custom consoles showing what they look like when they are turned on. The Assassin’s Creed III PS3 features a special wooden case and each of the consoles light up when they are turned on.

What do you think of the custom PS3 consoles? Which one is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Twitter and Facebook.

Sony Give Custom PS3 Consoles To Developers StickTwiddlers

ROCKSMITH 2014

Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell kicked things off with a live demo of the new and improved Rocksmith 2014. Featuring a completely redesigned interface and all-new features, Rocksmith 2014 will enable players to rock along to a virtual band that will dynamically jam alongside you, adapting live as you play.

A new fully customizable “Riff Repeater” lets players select any section of a song they want to play, and adjust the difficulty and speed on-the-fly. A new “Master Mode” makes playing by memory more approachable and new “Guitarcade” mini-games have been created to hone specific guitar skills. For those looking for a fun way to learn guitar, Rocksmith 2014 is one to watch out for.

SPLINTER CELL BLACK\LIST

Tagged as the “biggest Splinter Cell ever,” Splinter Cell Blacklist will include not only a gripping campaign, but also multiple co-op missions and the return of the insane Spies vs Mercs multiplayer. We’ve seen and heard a lot about Blacklist by now and as such all we got during the conference was a new trailer.

Despite recent concerns about Ubisoft pulling away from developing for the Wii U, the game is still geared towards providing a deeper experience on the console with the Wii U GamePad. With an overall focus on “owning your play style,” Splinter Cell Blacklist should be an interesting example of how the series is evolving.

RAYMAN LEGENDS

Rayman Origins stole our hearts a mere 2 years ago and Ubisoft subsequently broke them when they initially announced that follow-up Rayman Legends would be a Wii U exclusive. Thankfully the game is now multiplatform and looks to only improve on all the platforming joy we got in Rayman Origins.

Rayman Legends introduces a new character, Barbara, who we saw in the new trailer shown during the conference. The new game appears to have been given a bit of a makeover and appears to have a slightly more shaded look that its predecessor. With over 120 levels and competitive multiplayer, Rayman Legends is a must buy when it’s released on September 3rd.

THE MIGHTY QUEST FOR EPIC LOOT

Staying true to modern gamings ability to mish-mash a whole bunch of genres together, The Mighty Quest For Epic Loot is a free-to-play, third person dungeon crawler with elements of tower defense and real-time strategy. Set in a medieval fantasy world, players must steal their neighbours treasure whilst protecting their own.

You can check the game out for yourself on PC by visiting www.themightyquest.com where the game is now in open beta. The Mighty Quest For Epic Loot looks like it could be a fun and free little time-waster.

SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH

The future of the foul-mouthed fantasy RPG from Matt Stone and Trey Parker was left at somewhat of a mystery with the closure of previous publishers THQ, however Ubisoft seemed keen to show that the title is still alive and well with a brand new trailer.

After Stan Marsh demonstrates the deadly “Nagasaki” move, Cartman states that the title will be “Coming this Holiday season… Or some Holiday season. You know how video games are.” We can confirm that South Park: The Stick Of Truth will be coming to multiple platforms this Holiday season. Schweeet.

THE CREW

It was at this point Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot took to the stage to start showing off what the publishers are bringing to the next gen. He introduced The Crew, developed by Reflection and Ivory Towers, as a game that will “revolutionise the genre.” To me and many of the folks watching, it looked a lot like Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit.

The easiest way to describe The Crew is by calling it an MMO racer that is playable to some degree across multiple devices, such as smartphones and tablets. Whilst the actual gameplay might not be that impressive, the concept is certainly intriguing and it’ll be interesting to see how the game is received.

WATCH DOGS

This was one of the biggest let downs of the conference for me. Watch Dogs producer Dominic Guay walked out on stage, introduced the E3 trailer they’d released earlier that day, and then walked off stage.

Watch Dogs is by far my most anticipated upcoming title for the next year and I was a little bit miffed to see them save all the juicy stuff for Sony’s E3 2013 conference that aired at 2am in the UK. Even more so when it was bumped off to make way for…

JUST DANCE 2014

THE HORROR! THE HORROR!! For those of you who do you like flailing about in front of a TV totally sober, Just Dance 2014 will include new modes and features, including the On Stage Mode and World Dance Floor – the series first foray into online multiplayer.

The Xbox One has nabbed itself a couple of exclusive modes for Just Dance 2014 such as Just Dance DJ that allows the player to “control the beats themselves between songs,” and 6 Player Dances with specific maps that feature unique choreography for each player. Just Dance 2014 is scheduled for release in October 2013.

RABBIDS INVASION

The freaky little offspring from Rayman are back with a new interactive TV show in partnership with France Television and Nickelodeon titled Rabbids Invasion. The series will span over 78 episodes and players will be able to use their next gen consoles and mobile devices to interact with key elements.

Due for release in 2014, we can’t imagine the innovative new series being as well received as fully-fledged game, Rayman Legends, but I can imagine it’ll be a good laugh for young children.

ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG

Creative director Jean Guesdon arrived on stage to talk about the next “true pirate experience” to grace the Ubisoft staple series, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Showing off a brand new cinematic style gameplay trailer, if one thing is certain it’s that Ubisoft know how to make a damn good trailer.

Due for release on November 1st, 2013 on all current and next gen platforms, there’s not a lot of new information to give about Assassin’s Creed IV that we haven’t already discussed in our previous coverage.

TRIALS FUSION & TRIALS FRONTIER

Adrenaline and rage fuelled high score chasing to top the leaderboards is coming back in 2014 with the announcement of Trials Fusion coming to next gen consoles and PC and Trials Frontier coming to mobile devices. Like most next gen titles, both games will include a social element in addition to a brand new FMX Physics Trick System.

We’re sure that both of these titles will prove to be a smash hit with gamers when they are released in 2014. We certainly had a damn good time with Trials Evolution.

TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISION

Ubisoft ended their E3 2013 conference with a title that left a lot of gamers confused as to what it was, but nonetheless incredibly excited. Based on the Tom Clancy universe, The Division is an open world action RPG set in New York city which has been hit by a devastating pandemic.

As a Division agent, players will be able to team up in seamless massive multiplayer to combine their skills to fight, investigate, trade and more. There’s even a companion app that allows you to aid allies in combat when you’re away from the game. This is definitely one to watch.

If you missed it, or if you just want to see the whole thing again, you can watch the Ubisoft E3 2013 conference in it’s entirety in the video below. You can catch up on all the latest news, trailers and conferences by checking out our E3 2013 coverage.

What did you think of EA’s E3 2013 conference? What game are you looking forward to most? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Twitter and Facebook.

E3 2013: Ubisoft Conference Summary StickTwiddlers

No, of course you won’t, because most of you are too busy attacking each other over your choice of console. Twitter has been a dark, dark place over the last couple of days. “Screw Sony”, “Microsoft? More like…uh…screw Microsoft!” and other such nonsense has filled my timeline and I’ve had enough. I’ve remained neutral, of course, in my eyes everyone is free to make their own choice of console and I’ll think no less of them because of it. Of course, you’ve probably guessed that a “but” is coming and yes it is a big one…

I’m sick of being attacked because I’ve all but decided on an Xbox One. Sure, I can’t defend everything Microsoft have done. In all honesty, Don Mattrick might as well have said “We have something for those without access to internet,” before grabbing his crotch, thrusting at the camera and flipping the bird. Despite that, the reasons for which I’m told that I’m “aN 1deeut!” for opting for the Xbone (quit giggling, you) just don’t sway my opinion. Reasons like…

1) “OMG DA XBONE R SOOOOOO UGLY!!!!!1!!!!One!!!!”

Here is the Xbox One.

Here is the Xbox One in a high wind.

Oh wait, that was the PS4? So sorry. Look, I’m not slating the PS4, I’m happy with the look of both of them. It’s just that I don’t think anyone should be openly mocking me via social media for choosing the “ugly” Xbox One, when the PS4 looks like the Xbox One in italics. Both are black, both have a mixed matte and gloss finish, and both will fit in nicely on your entertainment centre. What else have you got, internet peoples?

2) “HAVE FUN BEING SPIED ON BY KINECT!”

The Xbox One and Kinect 2.0 are a lot like Ant and Dec, inseparable. This means that there’s a little camera watching everything you do and OMG! ITZ CAN BE HAXXORED!! The thing is, I spend most of my day in front of a computer. A computer with a webcam. If the “1 in 2 webcams can be hacked” figure currently floating about the net is true, there’s probably someone watching me already. Question is, why would they bloody want to?

Well, there are fears of Microsoft collecting data recorded through Kinect in order to tailor advertising to households, for one thing. Also, we’ve seen rumours of recognition based rights for film and TV, blocking people from watching if the Kinect identifies them as someone who’s not paid for whatever it is you’re trying to view. There have also been weird conspiracy theories about government spies but they won’t catch us because we’re wearing tinfoil pants. That’s right, yeah?

What no-one has mentioned is that Microsoft have addressed these issues. Kinect may be always on, kind of, to allow it to respond instantly. If you want to turn on the Xbox by saying “Xbox On” and feel like a boss, you need an active mic. That’s not to say that you can’t turn everything off if you want to, given that it’s an electrical device and ultimately, even if it’s a case of flicking the switch at the wall, generally speaking such devices come with an on/off switch of some kind. But why go to such extremes when Microsoft have stated (in an interview with Kotaku) that there will be “simple, easy methods to customize privacy settings, provide clear notifications and meaningful privacy choices for how data will be used, stored and shared”.

If Microsoft want to check out what type of cereal I eat in the mornings and then try to sell me some more via dashboard ads, good luck to them. I don’t think there’s that much chance of this coming to pass but if it does, whilst I admit it’s a slightly unsettling thought, I’ll just ignore the ads and maybe switch to toast. Of course, if their reasons are more sinister and they’re just really intent on watching a fat man prance about in the nude to Lady Gaga tunes, they only have to ask. I’m not shy.

3) “WHY WOULD YOU CHOOSE A CONSOLE THAT HAS TO BE PERMANENTLY CONNECTED TO THE INTERWEBZ!?”

Why not? I’m not going to try and defend Microsoft on this one, don’t get me wrong. Yeah, I can see some benefits to the permanent connectivity, such as the hourly updates to EA Sports games, but that doesn’t excuse the massive shafting that this delivers to those who, for whatever reason, don’t have regular broadband access. I have regular broadband access. I’m sorry for those who don’t and I agree one hundred percent that Microsoft need to do something about it that doesn’t involve having Don Mattrick deliver a hearty “fuck thee” to the fans, but it won’t cause me a problem personally.

“…so, to sum up, you’re all wankers. Why are you booing me?!”

Ok, not strictly true. I may move house at some point in the next four or five years and if so, will likely be without broadband for a week, maybe even two. If and when that happens, I won’t be able to game. Then again, I’ll be trying to move an actual shit-ton of boxes into a new house with two children running around under my feet and my wife constantly yelling at me that the couch is “TOO FAR TO THE LEFT, MORON!”.

Past experience may have coloured my idea of the average house move, but either way it will be a temporary issue, some time in the future. When it comes I’ll likely curse Microsoft to hell and back, but I’m willing to put up with that to get in on the ground floor of next-gen gaming.

4) “EHRMAGERD! URXPURNSURVE!”

I believe that means “Oh goodness gracious, the Xbox One certainly costs a pretty penny, wouldn’t you say Jenkins?” or words to that effect. Yes, the price point is higher than expected and a little more than I’m comfortable in shelling out, but given that I’ll most likely be looking at picking up an Xbox One a few months after release, I’ll have time to hope for a price drop, keep an eye out for a sale and generally shop around a bit. Even so, I’ll admit that Microsoft are overcharging a tad on this one. So how can I defend it?

I can’t. But, I’m sick of people screaming at me that it costs too much and I’m an idiot to buy one. Specifically, I’m sick of Sony fanatics giving me a hard time for it. Casting my mind back…

SONY FAN (circa 2006): “Hey, just been out to pick up my PS3!”

ME (circa the same): “Nice! I opted for the Xbox 360. PS3 was way out of my price range.”

SONY FAN: “You get what you pay for dude! Screw the Xbox!”

Fast forward a little…

ME (circa nowish): “Well, I’m off to pick up my Xbox One.”

SONY FAN (also nowish, circa-wise): “Xbox One? You moron! They cost a fortune!”

ME: “So did the PS3 at launch, but you went for it. Each to their own and whatnot.”

SONY FAN: “What? No it didn’t. It was free. Your MUM cost a fortune at launch!”

The Xbox One pricepoint is high, much like the PS3 before it, but buying one doesn’t make you a moron. It just means you’re grudgingly handing over a few extra notes because you’ve decided the pros outweigh the cons.

5) “SURE, I’D BUY AN XBOX ONE. IF I WANTED TO WATCH TV INSTEAD OF GAMING. HUR HUR HUR.”

This is what hell looks like.

Did you not watch the Microsoft conference? Right up until that £429 bit where the Internet went batshit mental, it was awesome. Setting aside the Xbox 360 titles, Microsoft showed off a total of 15 titles during their E3 conference and asides from a brief “SmartGlass is cool, huh”, that’s all they did. Games, games and more games were the order of the night.

The Xbox One is NOT just about TV. Yes, there’s a lot of non-gaming gumph floating around in that box and if you don’t want to use it, you don’t have to. That’s right people, free will is an actual thing and you can make use of it right there by saying “I’ll play games on my 360 but I’m not too fussed about the telly stuff, thanks”. Bob’s your mother’s brother, you’ve got yourself a console!

6) “PS4 HAS MAD EXCLUSIVES, YO!”

No, you don’t. Let me rephrase before I’m beaten to death by the barrage of comments. You don’t have any exclusives that draw me in, personally. It’s no secret that I’m a Halo fanatic so the Xbox will always have that over PlayStation for me, not to mention the Gears Of War franchise and my burgeoning Minecraft addiction.

Sony did show off a wide range of indie titles which will debut exclusively to PS4 and some of them look fantastic, but for those with a time limited exclusivity, that means that some of those titles could come to Xbox in the future. So, Microsoft has exclusives over which I drool excessively, but what does PS4 have to offer me?

Drive Club – In my gaming career I have played three racing games which I have fallen deeply in love with. Rock ‘n’ Roll Racing on the SNES, Burnout Revenge on Xbox 360 and good old Mario Kart 64. Any other racing title that I’ve picked up has been a case of “shiny shiny shiny vroooom damn it crashed again bored now”. So, though Drive Club looks like a fine example of the racing genre, it holds no personal allure for me.

Knack – When they showed this during the PS4 reveal, I had one thought. “Why are you releasing your tech demo and calling it a game?” Turns out that was a bit unfair and having seen the E3 trailer, I’ve got to say Knack is looking pretty damn good. That doesn’t mean I’m desperate to pick up a PS4 to play it. Think of it as a night out on the town with whichever celebrity floats your personal boat. Sure, you’d probably have a lot of fun but it’s not going to happen so why worry about it?

Infamous: Second Son – Having never played the previous Infamous titles, admittedly because they were PS3 exclusive and I’m an Xbox man, the sequel holds no immediate “OH MY GOD MOAR INFAMOUS” attraction for me. I can’t deny what we’ve seen of it has left me with a teensy pang of jealousy for those who’ll get to play it in the future, but again, not enough to make me jump ship.

So, that’s your lot. If that’s swung you over to Sony’s side then more power to you and I wish you nothing but joyous moments and short loading times. Perhaps you could do me the same courtesy?

7) “OUR CONTROLLER IS BETTER THAN YOURS!”

Oh, shut up. We’re not going to go through this debate all over again. Unsurprisingly an Xbox-style controller for the PS4 has already been manufactured, which you can see in the image above. For me, the PlayStation controllers have always felt small, made my hands cramp and I hate the shoulder buttons. For PlayStation users, no doubt the Xbox controller feels cumbersome and unwieldy. The controller will NEVER make me jump ship and I doubt anyone else would either based on that.

8) YOU’RE LIKE THE ONLY PERSON WHO’S BUYING AN XBOX, LOSER!”

Firstly, no I’m not you asswit. Secondly, you’ve touched upon one of the major reasons that the Xbox One is topping my Christmas list and that’s the fact that other people will be buying it. chiefly, my friends. I’ve a regular, rag tag assembly of gaming buddies and while some may succumb to Sony’s siren song, the majority are most likely going to be sticking with Microsoft.

I’m the pretty one.

Now, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Come closer so I can whisper it in your ear… GAMING’S MORE FUN WITH FRIENDS! Oh sorry, tad loud, but the point is made. Some of my happiest gaming moments have been tearing through co-op campaigns with a group of mates or taking a squad out into the wide world of competitive multiplayer, sharing many a giggle as we go.

It’s thanks to gaming with my friends that I now quote Monster’s Inc whenever I take someone out with a sniper rifle, why I regularly tell people to shut up for not saying anything, and why our clan will forever be known as Team Active Camel, for reasons too confusing to name. I don’t expect you to understand any of what I just said because they are the in-jokes and stories which make multiplayer gaming with friends such a massive part of my life and I don’t intend to be screwed out of that because I opted for the “wrong” console.

Anyone who’s leaning towards the PlayStation 4 could easily reel off a list of reasons for siding with Sony and I would nod, smile and say “That’s entirely your choice”. As for me? Right now, I’m pretty certain that I’ll be picking up an Xbox One. Microsoft have done us wrong in many ways but for me, on a personal level, the positive column has more ticks than the negative.

If you’re going for the PlayStation 4, that’s entirely your choice and I wish you well. Maybe I’ll pop round for coffee and a blast on Infamous some time. The point that I’m trying to make and that I’ve been stressing throughout this entire article is that it all comes down to free will. Whether I buy an Xbox One, a PlayStation 4 or a pogo stick to ram up my arse so I can bounce about the house singing the Tigger song, the choice is mine and I shouldn’t have to defend it to anyone.

Will you be buying an Xbox One or a PS4? What do you think about the current state of the console wars? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Twitter and Facebook.

8 Reasons Not To Buy An Xbox One (Which Won’t Stop Me Buying One) StickTwiddlers

PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE

The EA conference opened with an introduction to Plants Versus Zombies: Garden Warfare. A far cry from the top-down arcade title of yore, this is a third-person shooter headed for Xbox One and Xbox 360.

Boasting four player co-operative survivor mode with an array of characters, some pretty sweet looking graphics and a host of entertaining enemies including the terrifying Gargantuar. This looks like a fun title and I for one look forward to getting some hands on time with it.

Before John Vechey of Popcap left the stage, he also announced Peggle 2, along with an enthusiastic leaping fist pump. No further info has been offered for Peggle 2 as of yet, just that it’s coming this year for “unannounced platforms”.

TITANFALL

Further to the unveiling of Titanfall at the Microsoft E3 2013 conference earlier in the day, EA brought out some behind the scenes footage of their new sci-fi shooter with developers talking about the conception and development of the title.

Respawn say that Titanfall is a result of their wish to create “something so fun and unique that we couldn’t put it down ourselves”. The game features Titans, which are “extensions or evolutions of modern, experimental exoskeletons”. Gameplay is a blend of on foot FPS and mech action aboard the mighty metal machines. something that the studio have worked hard to blend together.

STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT

The Battlefront series has attracted a massive following worldwide and fans have long awaited the next installment in the series. At E3 2013, EA unveiled the first title in their multi-year Star Wars licensing deal with Disney, simply titled Star Wars: Battlefront.

The short but exciting trailer opens on a snowy, desolate *cough* Hoth *cough* landscape. A laser blast or two later and an A-Wing is ploughing into the snow, right before the camera guy is stomped to mush by an AT-AT. No real information about the title itself but the announcement alone is enough to send fans into a spin, definitely one to watch.

NEED FOR SPEED RIVALS

Next up is the high octane Need For Speed Rivals. The trailer is typical Need For Speed, fast cars, bright lights and terrain zipping past fast enough to make you sick.

In development by Ghost Games and Criterion, NFS Rivals introduces the revolutionary All Drive system. Essentially, single player and multiplayer have merged. While whizzing around the game world, you could find yourself suddenly being chased by one your friends, playing as a cop, while another buddy calls in police helicopters via tablet connectivity. Rivals looks like fast-paced fun and a worth entry into the NFS series.

Also mentioned during the Rivals announcement was the Need For Speed movie, coming to theatres in 2014. The general reaction from Twitter? No-one seemed to have ever cared less about anything in the history of forever. Still, if you’re at all interested, the film stars Breaking Bad actor Aaron Paul as street racer Tobey Marshall. Imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit and eventually released, he aims to clear his name and right the wrongs by entering a cross-country race. Yeah, we’re not sure how it all works either.

DRAGON AGE INQUISITION

With Dragon Age Inquisition, EA and Bioware are promising a vast, open world and a “new RPG experience”, with a rich cast of “diverse and complex” characters, including faces both new and familiar. On that note, one thing that’s raised some buzz online is the appearance of Morrigan from the first Dragon’s Age.

Not a great deal of information available other than that, except for a fall 2014 release date and a very pretty trailer.

NBA LIVE 14

After a nice history of EA video and some frankly bizarre performance poetry, EA introduced NBA Live 14. The latest installment in the hit basketball franchise offers some new innovations, including improve ball dribbling via “bounce tech” and hourly updates to keep the information in NBA Live up to date and true to life.

MADDEN NFL 25

From basketball to american football and the ever popular Madden series. EA are promising the smoothest, most realistic experience yet from the series, using new  true step locomotion. The publishers also highlighted their player sense tech which allows for better AI reaction and talked about their rebuilt “O line, D line” play, which puts scrimmaging right at the heart of the game.

EA also announced a new cover for the next gen version of Madden, featuring Adrian Peterson, running back for Minnesota Vikings. The current gen edition will feature Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders, as was previously announced.

FIFA 14

The next load of balls (never get’s old, that) were footballs, with a look at FIFA 14. A next gen trailer was shown, after a few words from rapper Drake, of course. The trailer shows off the smooth graphics and gameplay.

EA were excited to talk about the FIFA 14 “living stadiums”, massive crowds made up entirely of 3D models, adding heightened realism to the game. FIFA 14 is fully playable at E3 so expect to hear more via Twitter and Facebook over the next couple of days.

UFC

EA moved on to the next step in the popular fighting franchise, announcing a new partnership with UFC. UFC President Dana White was on hand, alongside UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and UFC lightweight champion Ben Henderson. Jones explained how fighting is all about improvisation and EA are bringing that loose style into the fighting games.

EA also detailed their new full body deformation, a technique never before seen in fighting games which is really going to let players feel the brutality of UFC. I’m not sure I want to feel the brutality, I’m a delicate flower. Still, it looks damned impressive and launches worldwide on Xbox One and PS4 in spring 2014

BATTLEFIELD 4

We already saw some exciting Battlefield 4 footage during the Microsoft E3 2013 conference, but EA kept a few tricks up their sleeve for their own session, showcasing the incredibly impressive 64 player multiplayer sessions. This all took place on a massive map, set amongst the ruins of a sprawling city block, with huge skyscrapers which include playable areas. As one team holed up on the top floor of a high rise, an enemy player took to a helicopter to strafe the windows. This is massive scale warfare at it’s best.

EA were also showcasing their Commander mode. Table connectivity allows one player to monitor the game from a birds eye view and assist where needed. As the helicopter strafed the skyrise, tanks also opened fire on the building. The team dug in on the upper levels called in an artillery strike from their commander to lay waste to the tanks, possibly one of the best uses of tablet connectivity I’ve seen to date, mixing strategy with first person shooter battle.

As the video rounded out, the skyscraper in which one team had been based was entirely destroyed and came crashing to the ground, we’re talking destroyable environments on a ridiculously epic scale. Battlefield 4 will definitely be one to watch.

MIRROR’S EDGE 2

EA rounded off their conference with a look at something that player’s have been asking for again and again over the past few years. Finally, Mirror’s Edge 2 is coming.

Mirror’s Edge 2, gamers. Coming…when it’s ready.

If you missed it, or if you just want to see the whole thing again, you can watch the EA E3 2013 conference in it’s entirety in the video below. You can catch up on all the latest news, trailers and conferences by checking out our E3 2013 coverage.

What did you think of EA’s E3 2013 conference? What game are you looking forward to most? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Twitter and Facebook.

E3 2013: EA Conference Summary StickTwiddlers

PlayStation 4 Overview:

• Price and release date: You’ll be able to get your hands on the PS4 later this year for just £349.
  

• PlayStation Plus: Will carry across to PS4, with a single membership bringing benefits to PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 3 and of course, PS4.
  

• PS Plus on PS4: Will allow users to seamlessly start playing games and join their online friends while spectating gameplay or enjoying cross game voice chat, as well as exclusive discounts, cloud game saves and Instant Game Collection.
  

• Instant Game Collection: will launch on PS4 with #DRIVECLUB PS Plus Edition available at no extra charge.
  

• Digital Games: You’ll be able to play digital titles as they download from PlayStation Store, and update PS4 even when it is switched off.
  

• Suspend Mode: Immediately pick up any saved game where you left off – the “suspend mode” of PS4 gets rid of loading times and lets you carry on by simply pressing the power button.
  

• Demos: Gaikai technology will let you instantly try out sections of any game that catches your eye on PlayStation Store.
  

• New PS4 Menu: Check out what your friends are up to and see the games, TV shows, movies and music recommended especially for you on the newly designed PS4 menu screen.
  

• UStream: Broadcast as you play via Ustream. If you get stuck, your mates can join in to help you or offer comments in real time.
  

• Seamless Use: You can use a variety of applications, such as a web browser, while you play a game.
  

• Remote Play: Your favourite PS4 games will be playable on PlayStation Vita via Wi-Fi with Remote Play.
  

• PlayStation App: Lets you turn your smartphone into a second screen – for example, to let you view a map or see how a friend is tackling the same part of a game.

DualShock 4 Controller Overview

• A new, built-in sensor will enable highly sensitive motion control.
  

• You’ll be able to interact with games in new ways thanks to a touch pad on the front of the controller.
  

• Additional sound effects will come from an inbuilt speaker; a headset jack lets you hear these in detail as well as chat with friends.
  

• The controller’s familiar dual analog sticks have been enhanced to provide better precision.
  

• New, curved L2 and R2 buttons will give you greater control.
  

• Upload images and video to Facebook with a tap of the new SHARE button.
  

• An LED Light Bar on the top of the controller will match the colour of in-game characters so players can keep track of each other. You’ll also be able to spot when a character has been injured, for instance.
  

• A new camera has been developed alongside the controller, and tracks the location of DUALSHOCK 4 via its LED Light Bar.

PS4 Gaming Overview:

• SCE Worldwide Studios has more than 30 PS4 exclusive titles in development, 20 of which will launch during the first year of PS4.
  

• The line-up of games on PS4 includes 12 completely new titles, including The Order: 1886 from Ready at Dawn.
  

• Sony have also provided updates to other exciting PS4 titles #DRIVECLUB, inFAMOUS Second Son, Killzone: Shadow Fall and KNACK.
  

• Sony have reinforced their support for independent and smaller developers with nine new titles that will debut exclusively on PlayStation 4.
  

• Overall, there are more than 140 games in development for PS4, including over 100 that will be available within the first year.
  

• Confirmed titles so far include #DRIVECLUB, Killzone: Shadow Fall, inFAMOUS Second Son, Mad Max, The Order: 1886, Transistor, Outlast, Skylanders SWAP Force, Secret Ponchos, Daylight, Watch_Dogs, Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, deep down, THIEF, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Destiny, The Witness, and KNACK.

DRM & Region Free

To elaborate a little further on the fantastic bit of trolling Sony dished out to Microsoft in the video above, not only will PS4 games be DRM free, they’ll also be region free as well. However, SCEA boss Jack Tretton has stated that “the DRM decision for third-party games will be up to publishers.”

Being DRM free means that PlayStation 4 will support used games. “We believe in the model that people embrace today with PlayStation 3 and will continue to demand,” smiled Jack Tretton. Trade them, loan them to friends or just keep them in your games collection forever – there are no restrictions. And you don’t need to stay connected to the internet to keep the game working.

Upgradeable Harddrive

Another fantastic piece of news for gamers always worrying about their storage space is that the PS4 HDD will be completely user upgradeable. Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida confirmed via Twitter earlier today that “PS4′s HDD is upgradable like PS3,” meaning you can switch out that 500GB standard HDD in the PS4 for something with a little more room.

Online Multiplayer

Now if we have to nitpick one little thing about the PS4, it’s that gamers will need to have a valid PlayStation Plus account in order to play online. A PlayStation Plus membership is priced at £11.99 for 3 months or £39.99 for a year and is valid for all your Sony gaming systems – PS4, PS3, and the PS Vita.

Sony has been praised by those on both sides of the console wars for their fantastic premium service and they plan to continue that with the launch of the PS4. The only difference here is that online multiplayer will only be available to those paying for premium – something Xbox has been doing for quite a while.

Go under the hood of the PlayStation 4 and check out the technical specifications for the PS4 console, the DualShock 4 controller and the brand new PlayStation Camera in our PS4: Tech Specs article.

What do you think of the new features on the PS4? Will you be picking one up at launch? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Twitter and Facebook.

E3 2013: PS4 Features – Upgradeable HDD, DRM Free & Region Free StickTwiddlers