Author: John Scalzo

John Scalzo is Warp Zoned's Editor-In-Chief and resident retro gaming expert. You can email him at john AT warpzoned DOT com.

Xbox One will launch worldwide later this year; CoD Ghosts DLC will launch on Xbox One first

Posted on May 21, 2013 by John Scalzo

nextxboxreveal-header

Don Mattrick has returned to the stage to confirm that the Xbox One will launch “around the world” later this year. And Mattrick wanted to remind everyone that more Xbox One games will be announced at this year’s E3 Expo.

Then he dropped a bombshell… nah… we all expected this. Mattrick confirmed that all downloadable content for Call of Duty: Ghosts will be released for the Xbox One first.

That’s all folks. See you at E3!

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged , ,

Microsoft will release 15 exclusive Xbox One games in the first year; live-action Halo series announced

Posted on May 21, 2013 by John Scalzo

nextxboxreveal-header

Phil Spencer closed his part of the “Next Xbox Reveal” with the news that Microsoft plans to release 15 exclusive Xbox One games during the system’s first year. He also confirmed that eight of them are brand new franchises.

But enough of this games stuff, Nancy Tellem, President of Xbox Entertainment Studios, and Bonnie Ross, Head of 343 Industries, have just announced that they’re teaming up to create a live-action television series based on Halo… and it’ll be produced by Steven Spielberg. Take that, Peter Jackson!

Halo: The Television Series will be available on Xbox Live as a “premium television series” (read: it’ll cost extra above and beyond your Xbox Live subscription price).

Posted in Etcetera, News, Xbox One |

Remedy is developing Quantum Break for Xbox One

Posted on May 21, 2013 by John Scalzo

nextxboxreveal-header

Microsoft’s Phil Spencer is still of stage and he’s got another announcement… this time from Max Payne and Alan Wake creators Remedy. Instead of the Alan Wake sequel everyone expected, Remedy is working on something known as Quantum Break.

Spencer treated the crowd to a live-action trailer starring a mysterious little girl known as Peyton who sucks her mom into an Xbox One-rendered world of a tanker crashing into a bridge. Tagline: “Time Is The Fire… In Which We Burn.”

Spencer pointedly mentioned “bullet time” when introducing Quantum Break and it looks like stopping time will play a big part in the game.

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Forza Motorsport 5 announced for Xbox One

Posted on May 21, 2013 by John Scalzo

nextxboxreveal-header

Phil Spencer, the Vice President of Microsoft Game Studios, has taken the stage to talk about some of the new games on the Xbox One. It is about tinme. What are we, 40 minutes into this thing? The first game he announced was Forza Motorsport 5. All I can say is it looks beautiful. It’s all pre-rendered, but it’s pretty.

Forza Motorsport 5 is in development at Turn 10 Studios and will be available at launch. A more in-depth look at Forza 5 will take place at this year’s E3 Expo.

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged ,

EA Sports bringing Madden 25, FIFA 14, NBA Live 14, EA Sports UFC to Xbox One

Posted on May 21, 2013 by John Scalzo

nextxboxreveal-header

EA Sports’ Andrew Wilson has announced that Microsoft and EA Sports have entered into a “broad partnership” to bring their sports simulations to the Xbox One. The first phase of this partnership includes the release of Madden NFL 25, FIFA Soccer 14, NBA Live 14, and EA Sports UFC on the Xbox One. All four will launch in the next 12 months.

To build their next-generation titles, Wilson revealed “EA Sports Ignite,” a brand new game engine that will be used for these four titles. Wilson wants gamers to know that the Ignite engine allows EA to bring “True Player Motion, Human Intelligence,” and “Living Worlds” to EA Sports games.

The Xbox One version of FIFA 14 will receive exclusive FIFA Ultimate Team content and a “daily stream of new content” for the other games will be available through Xbox Live.

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged , , , ,

Xbox One has a “Game DVR” and video editing tools

Posted on May 21, 2013 by John Scalzo

nextxboxreveal-header

Marc Whitten, the General Manager of Xbox Live, has announced that Xbox One will take the PS4’s Share button a bit further with the “Game DVR” included with Microsoft’s new console. The “Game DVR” includes a variety of video editing tools and videos can be uploaded and shared thanks to the 300,000 servers Microsoft plans to bring online by the end of the year.

For comparison’s sake, when Xbox Live launched in 2002, it was powered by 500 servers with more 15,000 in use today.

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged

Xbox One controller includes 40 design improvements

Posted on May 21, 2013 by John Scalzo

nextxboxreveal-header

While it mostly looks the same, the Xbox One controller has undergone a few changes.

Marc Whitten, the General Manager of Xbox Live, revealed that the controller includes improved ergonomics, an integrated battery compartment, “Impulse Triggers to build feedback directly into the controller,” Wi-Fi Direct Radio Stack, and a Precision Directional Pad.

At least it still includes four triggers, four face buttons, two analog sticks, and a D-Pad.

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged

Xbox One includes 8 GB of RAM, Blu-ray, “next-generation” of Kinect

Posted on May 21, 2013 by John Scalzo

nextxboxreveal-header

Marc Whitten, the General Manager of Xbox Live, has taken the stage to take us under the hood of the Xbox One.

The new console includes 5 billion Transistors and 8 GB of RAM, USB 3.0, 8 CPU Cores, 64-bit architecture, a 500 GB hard drive, a Blu-ray Drive (somewhere, SCEA executives are smiling), 802.11n Wireless with Wi-Fi Direct, and HDMI In/Out. It is also said to operate “silently.” The Xbox One also includes a redesigned Kinect sensor that is said to be much more responsive.

Still waiting on any new game announcements…

Posted in News, Xbox One |