There’s nothing major to announce today. I mean, there is a little story about a new console, but it’s no big deal right? Hah. Microsoft’s launch of XBox One has set them even with Sony’s PlayStation 4 and gamers from both camps are now playing the next-gen titles however they choose. Both systems are fast and powerful , meaning the winner of this latest console “war” is the consumer. But on to less grandiose topics:
Despite the XBox One being available now, not all of its planned features are included quite yet. Twitch is one of those delayed features in high demand among certain circles. It is planned for 2014, though a specific date has not been given. Microsoft says they “are working to ensure the initial Twitch on Xbox One broadcasting experience meets the expectations of the Twitch community, so while this feature won’t be available right away, we’ll let you know as soon as it is ready.”
The XBox One’s newcomer status today means it doesn’t have many reports of DOA consoles yet, but it will in time. Meanwhile, Sony’s PS4 has been out for a week so it does have those reports. Failures with new hardware are not unheard of, and their stats really aren’t bad, “less than 1%” (a slight increase from the initial report of about 0.4%) being duds. SCEA has said anyone with hardware failures will get a new one immediately, with “expedited shipping.” According to the Sony spokesperson, “We understand the frustration of consumers that have had a problem and are working with them and our retail partners to help troubleshoot issues and ensure affected units are exchanged. SCEA is exchanging units with new replacements for those who call our support line. The exchanges are immediate with expedited shipping.” The rep went on to explain “There have been several issues reported, which leads us to believe there isn’t a singular problem that could impact a broader percentage of PS4 units. We also understand that some units were reportedly damaged during shipping. The number of affected PS4 systems is less than 1%, which represents a very small percentage of total units shipped to date and is within the expected range for a new product introduction.” While 1% isn’t bad odds, over a million were sold on day one. I am one of the 990,000 users who were not affected (knock on wood). Telling one of the 10,000 who does have a bad console about odds won’t be very reassuring. If you are having hardware trouble, Sony has a support page for you here. The same page also has information about replacing the system’s hard drive if you’re interested. You likely know that can be done, but do you know how simple it is?
With The Walking Dead Season One, Telltale Games took one of the most acclaimed shows on television (and a standout comic book, of course) and made one of the best games of 2012. They’re working on Season Two now and I don’t know a single gamer that played the first who isn’t salivating for the sequel. We’re also (im)patiently awaiting episode two of The Wolf Among Us. With that kind of success, it would be easy to rest on their laurels and revel in the sales. But that wouldn’t be their style. Multiple sources are reporting that they’ve started work on another hot television (and book) franchise, George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones. Telltale hasn’t confirmed the rumor, even saying “officially we have no comment.” But they aren’t denying it. This is actually a brilliant franchise for them. Much like The Walking Dead, this is a rich world that has plenty of opportunity to follow characters not seen in the regular series. It would be easy to tie into the main characters, without affecting their ongoing continuity. This is rumor, but you can be sure it’s one we’ll be following closely.
Rockstar Games is hosting its first Social Club event for Grand Theft Auto (V) Online this weekend. The Beach Party theme will see a new playlist of missions and activities (parachute missions; car, bike, and sea races; team deathmatch), and an increased number of free play crate drops for extra RP and weapons. Top performers in various categories can earn vanity plates for vehicles. The event starts today and runs through Sunday. Visit the Social Club for more details.
Did you get an XBox One today? Are you one of the four Americans or bajillion Europeans that will be playing FIFA 14? If so, EA Sports has a warning for you. Don’t connect two controllers until after you have loaded the game. It’s a weird glitch, but apparently having two controllers connected before loading is causing a crash. Once in the FIFA menu the second controller can be connected without issue. A patch to correct the problem is on the way.
We still have no confirmation from Sony, but a few retailers are still indicating we will see a PS4/Vita Ultimate Bundle in time for Christmas. Sony Senior Product Manager Ben Law did say they are “really excited for Vita as we move into Christmas. We’ve got a great campaign with key messaging around new releases like Tearaway, the ever-growing game catalog and the Remote Play service.” This statement seems to confirm that Sony wants to push the union of PS4 and Vita, so a bundle makes sense. Other sources indicate they have seen promotional materials for a “Best Way to Play” Vita ad campaign. With Black Friday only a week away I’d expect something formal to be shown soon if it’s actually happening.
And that does it for this week. We’ve seen two successful console launches in as many weeks and we’re now leading into the always busy holiday season. In a way, it’s a bit of shame the next-gen consoles are out. What do we have to look forward to now? Oh, yeah. The games!!!
Check back Tuesday for next week’s early edition. Actualy, that will be next week’s only edition of VGQH, as I’ll be taking a break to visit family over the holiday.