My most anticipated game of 2015

So it's safe to say that 2015 is going to be epic for gaming (insert long list of games here!), but the game I am most excited about is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

I read, and saw, lots of great things about this game. Then I attended EGX 2014 where they had a theatre studio with some of the game developers walking and talking you through a fraction of the game. To say I was in awe is an understatement, I fell in love instantly. Graphically beautiful, attention to detail in design, and so on.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a continuation of The Witcher 2, which follows the main protagonist, Geralt, and is based in the Northern Kingdoms. A mysterious army known as the Wild Hunt threatens to leave a wake of blood among the Northern Kingdoms leaving Geralt with no other option than to put all other personal missions aside to ensure the safety of the Kingdoms whilst bumping into no shortage of evil on the way.

If you enjoy killing lots of people, by either sword or magic, with an angry gentleman whom has a fractured past, or simply like riding on a horse and taking in the countryside then this game is most definitely for you. I for one plan on doing a lot of horse riding and a lot of killing (I hope you can combine the two).

This game promises a lot, lets hope it delivers on these promises, because I am chomping at the bit to get my grubby hands on this game.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available on Xbox One, PS4 and PC on May 19th.

Which Console Is Winning?

Hey folks, welcome back to 3 Lives Left.

So as you all should know the PS4 released in the US and Canada on the 15th of November, and Xbox one released worldwide on the 22nd and judging by 1st day sales it looks as though Xbox One is going to get a battering. According to CVG (see here and here) Xbox sold a total of 1m units on day one (worldwide), while PS4 shifted the same amount in the same time frame whilst only being released in the US and Canada. Sony are still 2 and a half weeks off of launching the console in their biggest market yet, Japan.

So the Xbox One not doing too great so far...

To top it off, Xbox are also running into a whole host of problems. CVG have reported that some Xbox One users are experiencing problems with Xbox Live whereby Online Multiplayer is currently unavailable and that users are also unable to redeem pre-paid cards and codes. However, these issues are only occurring in the UK.

IGN also reports that some users are are experiencing hardware issues whereby the console sticks in a loop of crashing and rebooting, as well as an issue with the disc tray in which the tray produces a grinding noise when a disc is inserted, however, the disc remains undamaged.

Hardware Problems
Software Problems

Could it get any worse for Xbox? ... I think it might do when PS4 launches this Friday in Europe, with Japan waiting in the wings.

It is early days yet.

- 3 Lives Left

Great Themes, Great Content

Hey guys, welcome back to 3 Lives Left.

Yesterday I published a post stating that Blogger will remain the home for 3 Lives Left, and today I have come to tell you that I have some running themes throughout the month, every month.

They are as follows:

Handheld Fun/Film Night - 1st Saturday (rotating months, title depending)

Next Gen Weekend - 2nd Saturday

Game Review - 3rd Saturday

One To Watch - 4th Saturday

Description:

Handheld Fun and Film Night will work on rotating months, but will be title depending. For example, if I were to post a Handheld Fun article in October by definition in November it would be the turn of Film Night. However, if there were to be no good films being released in the cinema or on DVD then there would be another Handheld Fun article.

Next Gen Weekend aims to produce an insight into new developments surrounding the next generation consoles (PS4 and Xbox One only, sorry Nintendo).

Game Review speaks for itself. I aim to bring you a game review based on General and Special criteria.

One To Watch simply aims to provide you with my researched opinion on which game being released the following month is worth giving a try.

Well, there you have it. The new themes.

Don't forget to check back every Saturday. Maybe even during the week for special posts!

Thanks guys.

-3 Lives Left

Why I will be buying the PS4 and not the Xbox One

So the dust has settled on E3 and both Sony and Microsoft have said and shown everything that needs to be heard and seen. I was glued to my laptop watching all of the games that I was interested in and of course to see what the PS4 and Xbox One had to offer in terms of games, exclusives and all the extras. And here are 5 reasons why I will be buying the PS4 and NOT the Xbox One.

1. Pre-Owned Games and DRM

As you should all know by know (if you don't where have you been!?) Sony have revealed that they will be supporting the pre-owned games initiative and have no intention of charging you or your friends for borrowing/lending games or trading them into your local game shop. There are some rumors coming out that PS4 will not interfere if 3rd party publishers wish to charge for pre-owned games, however, this has not been confirmed. And let it stay that way I say.

UPDATE: See bottom of article.

2. Privacy

I don't know about the rest of you guys but I quite like my privacy and if these reports are true about Kinect always being on and registering everything that is happening in the room, I cannot say I would be too happy about that, especially given the news about the NSA. People have also said 'well you can turn the sensor around', but clearly it can also pick up on voice, speech and dialect.

3. Cost

For those who are strapped for cash and can only afford the one console, like myself, the PS4 is the way to go. The launch price of the PS4 in the UK is £350 compared to £429 for the Xbox One. But don't be confused, just because you are paying £80 less doesn't mean you are paying for a poorer product. Also, think of what you could get for that £80 if you are savvy with your pennies.

4. Exclusives

Okay, okay, you probably want to chop my head off but, personally PS4 have the more interesting exclusive games. Yes, I know Xbox have Ryse: Son of Rome. Yes, I know that Xbox have Forza Motorsport 5 and yes, I know that Xbox have Titanfall. In addition to this, Xbox will also have Halo 5, Deadrising 3 and Quantum Break, including others. The only Xbox One exclusives that made my mouth water were Ryse: Son of Rome, Quantum Break and Project Spark, now let me tell you why.

Titanfall is an MMO and Vince Zampella has confirmed that there will not be a single-player campaign mode in the game. Once I caught wind of this I was instantly disinterested. I love to lose myself in a great storyline - Think Farcry 3. I have never been a fan of Halo and I never will be, I admit that the storyline can be somewhat decent but the handling of the game just doesn't sit well with me. Forza Motorsport 5 - Once you have played one racing game you have played them all.

The PS4 exclusives got me extremely excited. The Order 1886 looks like it will be a great game. Developed by Ready and Dawn at Santa Monica studios, it is a story about an alternative history version of the Victorian era in London, should be a great storyline. Killzone: Shadow Fall speaks for itself. Knack, it may look a bit boring to you guys but to me, it looks like it could just be a bit of fun. But if I could choose, I would bring Project Spark over to PS4.

5. Console

As a whole, the PS4 console looks so much better, it looks slicker, and it is smaller than the PS3, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The design features also look so, so slick.

Judging by the statement that has been released today by Microsoft's interactive entertainment business, Don Mattrick, Xbox One may have pegged one back on the PS4. The statement reads "An internet connection will not be required to play offline Xbox One games..." "Trade-in, lend, resell, gift, and rent disc based games just like you do today..."

To keep up with the goings-on with Microsoft's policy on this, stay tune to CVG

But will this be enough to hold on to me as an Xbox customer? Judging by the other 4 reasons, I don't think so. Xbox would really have to do something outstanding to keep me on board.

Thanks for reading guys!

XBOX One vs PS4 - Round 2

Hey guys! Welcome back to 3 Lives Left. Apologies for not posting in a while but fear not, I am here to give you all of the new information on the next-gen consoles. XBOX was the winner of the last round, but who will win this one? Let's find out.

Starting with the PS4.

Here is the design of the brand new PS4. In the last round I made a big deal of how slick I thought the design of the XBOX One is, but the PS4, to me, seems a lot slicker.

Now, as it has seemed for a while now, and was confirmed at their conference at E3, Sony's focus definitely seems to be on gamers. The console is being sold and marketed as a games console, not as an entertainment system, although these functions will still be available.

PS4 will offer their users the use of their current and additional media services, and a subscription to Playstation Plus will not be needed to access these features. You will also not need a Playstation Plus subscription to access single-player games. In addition, the cost of the PS+ subscription is said to cost UNDER $5. So for the price of a couple of pounds, dollars and euros, you can access all of the services that PS4 have to offer. and from what I can tell, these services seem to be the same to those of XBOX One. Baring mind that XBOX Live customers are already paying £6 p/m, this is a very good deal.

On top of this, Sony Pictures will also offer and exclusive programming network on PSN and PS4 - No surprise. In addition, PS4 will launch and offer a Live Events Viewer that aims to deliver huge live sporting events e.g. WWE PPV's, NBA, NHL etc.

Watch Dogs and Assassins Creed IV Black Flag are not exclusive to PS4, but judging by the fact that both of Ubisoft's next massive titles turned up on Sony's stage and not Microsoft's, there seems to be an alliance forming. Not only did you see exclusive trailers for the games, there were people from Ubisoft to treat the crowd at E3 to actual game-play. Quite interestingly, PS4 and Bethesda have partnered to offer users The Elder Scrolls Online, which also includes a beta version.

PS4 are also huge on indie titles with the following titles just some of the indie games you can come to expect on the PS4:

- Knack

- Outlast

- Secret Ponchos

- Don't Starve

- Ray's The Dead

Now for the big news, most probably the biggest and most well received news at E3 so far. PS4 promise that they will support used games. So it has been made possible that you can still borrow games from friends or go into CeX, Game, Gamestop or any other retail shop that you choose and purchase a pre-owned game and use it on your console for no extra charge, unlike XBOX One.

PS4 also promise that there will be no need for disc based games to have an online connection in order to play. This is great news for folks out there like myself who have very poor internet connection, or even for those people out there who do not possess and internet connection, again, unlike XBOX One.

Very, very promising indeed.

Now, Xbox One.

Before watching the XBOX One conference at E3 I was excited for lots of games, lots of new great details about the machine and the immersive-ness that would be offered alongside their games. But once finished, I felt underwhelmed, disappointed.

The conference and the XBOX One offered only 4 big announcement. They are as follows:

- A brand new open-world Metal Gear Solid title: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

- Exclusive new game: Ryse: Son of Rome

- Exclusive new game: Titanfall (from the makers of CoD: MW2)

- Exclusive new (old) game: Killer Instinct

In addition to this, XBOX One showed a second trailer for Quantum Break, Battlefield 4 and only some indie games, namely Minecraft. Moreover, it was stated that XBOX One would move away from Microsoft Points and move to local currency. Other than this, some of their team showcased the autosave clip/upload feature and the livestream feature through Twitch.

All in all, very disappointing from Microsoft and XBOX One.

For me, Sony and PS4 win the round hands-down on every section: Console design, support of indie developers, backwards compatibility, support of game sharing, online connection not needed.

That is it for the round. I'm sure there will be at least one more. Thanks for reading you guys.

Don't forget to comment if you have any thoughts.

Head on over to http://www.e3expo.com/ for the latest info.

EA Sports Ignite - A Revolutionary New Engine?

Hey folks and welcome back to 3 Lives Left.

As I mentioned in the last post (PS4 vs Xbox One), I decided that I was going to attempt to breakdown EA Sports Ignite, EA Sports' new engine. It would be cool if you guys could put your opinions across on this new system to see what you think about it too.

So, introducing the brand new engine be EA Sports, which will now power games such as FIFA 14, Madden, NBA Live and UFC.

EA Sports have claimed that the new engine will aim to even out all of the issues we witnessed in previous titles. It also claims to have improved Human Intelligence for better decision making (At last!), Living Worlds, whereby the crowds are now in 3D as opposed to being like cardboard, as well as True Player Motion; haven't we heard this somewhere else before?

CVG compiled an article stating that the new-at-the-time Impact Engine would improve on areas such as First Touch Control (yeah, right.), Player Impact (really?), Complete Dribble (fair enough), Tactical Freekicks (erm...?), and Attacking AI (please.).

Below are just some of the screenshots taken from FIFA 13.

Puyol getting a bit aggressive in his old age.

Neymar has lost his heading ability.

Now c'mon, let's be serious EA. You promised a lot and delivered a little. Here are some of the issues that I fell across whilst playing the most recent FIFA title:

- Major glitching (more below)

- Server issues

- Massive lag issues

- More?

I recall one glitch at the beginning of this game's cycle where I saved a Career Mode with Borussia Dortmund and when I loaded the save file again it just crashed and I could not advance on the calender. Bare in mind, I also made it to 2019. I was extremely disappointed.

On many occasions it has also been very common that half way through a match, the football, or an entire player would completely disappear during the game. Imagine playing football without the football? It's just 22 people running after thin air.

Human Intelligence: EA Sports' attempt to not just improve the intelligence of the player you are possessing, but also the intelligence of your team-mates and the opposition. I believe they tried this in the last Impact Engine?

True Player Motion: Another of EA Sports' attempts to improve the gaming experience and the realism of gameplay. Again, I thought this was tried in the last Impact Engine?

Living Worlds: EA Sports' are trying to improve the sidelines and crowds in sporting arena's in order to give the player that immersive feeling that real-life sports stars feel as they enter the arena/stadia. Now although EA Sports have always tried to tweak the crowds and add more venue selection, they have never aimed to bring a real-life situation to the player in regards to offering that 'immersive feeling'.

The head of EA Sports was interviewed by IGN on the new EA Sports Ignite engine and pretty much openly admitted that this new engine was years in the planning and was intended as a protective measure for the next-gen consoles. Find the interview here.

So there you have it guys. The "new" EA Sports engine for the next-gen consoles. I have a feeling it is going to be more of the same. What about you?

Leave your comments below.

See ya later folks.

XBOX One vs PS4 - Round One

Alright guys, welcome back to 3 Lives Left and also welcome to the big post: XBOX One vs PS4 Round 1. Let's get started.

This is going to be a somewhat long-winded post, as you would imagine. But fear not! I am going to bring you all of the available information in one, easy to read post that may help you make up your mind on the next-gen consoles.

First up is the PS4.

So, here is the new DualShock 4 PS4 controller that was revealed by Sony at their conference, which you can find here. And here are some fun, new facts about the new controller:

- It has a touch pad which will be used in-game and to maneuver around the home page.

-A brand new Share button that will allow the player to instantly share live or saved game-play with their PSN friends.

-Light bar, located on the top of the controller which will be used for player identification.

Sony also revealed some cool new features about the functionality of the console and its partnership with the controller:

- The power button uses a new Resume/Save function for ease of use, so that the game you were playing would continue from exactly where you left it.

-The player will be able to download a fraction of games whilst allowing the remainder of the download to continue in the background (A bit like downloading a film on Sky Plus). It is claimed to be seamless and lag free.

-Brand new interface - See below.

Everything will be personalised for you, the gamer.

Here is the brand new PS4 interface. I personally do not like it at all, it seems too clunky and unorganised.

Sony bought out organisation GaiKai a little while back now, mainly for PS4 purposes, and here are the main things to be concerned about:

- Allows pop-up comments on screen from other gamers.

- Cloud gaming

- Partnership with UStream allows players to stream saved or live game-plays with friends and subscribers on UStream.

As well as being partnered with UStream, the other big-hitting organisation they have teamed up with is... Facebook. Not much has been revealed on how their presence will improve the experience but I guess we will find out.

Now, here is a big bit of news.

This, the PS Vita, will be used in the exact same way that the Wii U is used. You can use this and the PS4 to switch between platforms and will allow you to continue playing your game (no word on if it can be used as a controller also).

Imagine, you're playing the new Unchartered game and you get a call from one of your friends to go round to their house for an hour. Just switch to your PS Vita and carry on playing, save the game whenever you want, then pick up where you left off when you get home to your PS4.

The biggest news of all? Sony are working on technology that will allow 100% backwards compatibility. That means all of your PS1, PS2, PS3 & Handheld device games will be at your disposal on the new system, cool huh?

As you all know, or should, there are no images for the new console, which is a bit of a shame. But my guess is that they knew Microsoft would reveal a console on their reveal, so decided to wait until E3.

Now, follow me into the world that is - XBOX One.

Here you can see the new logo from Microsoft for the XBOX One, and it comes as no surprise that they have gone with a simple name and a simple logo with the customary XBOX colours, white and green.

So, Microsoft, XBOX and their partners have really went all out on their XBOX Reveal conference in an attempt to trump Sony, and to also treat the viewers. And I do not think that they failed.

Below is the brand new XBOX One.

So here it is, the new XBOX One. The machine that the team at Microsoft and XBOX say will change the entire landscape of the living room and how entertainment is provided.

First, let's address the design. From the logo and the design of this new console, it is clear that XBOX are battling on two fronts. The war between XBOX and Sony and the war between Microsoft and Apple - Why do I say this?

Well, it is natural that Microsoft want to beat Sony on the gaming and entertainment front. But Microsoft also want to catch Apple in terms of design features, branding, marketing etc.

The design looks slick and the three components complement each other - The console, the controller, and the Kinect 2.0.

Just a quick shot of the XBOX One interface for PS4 comparison. Not much has changed.

XBOX revealed a whole host of things in relation to what to expect when using the new console:

- Huge emphasis on entertainment

- All in one system (games, tv, internet)

- Instant switching between functions (see Kinect 2.0 section)

- Snap Mode - Run multiple programmes at one time (more below)

- Integration of smartphones to interact with Snap Mode functions

- New and improved Skype, can be used on Snap Mode

- XBOX One TV guide. The guide saves favourites and shows what is trending

Snap Mode allows the user to run multiple functions or programmes at once. Imagine while playing a game, you will be able to open Snap Mode, which appears in a panel on the right, and you can start a Skype call as you play.

Alternatively, you could be watching a film and open Snap Mode, within this you could search and watch the trailer for a sequel with the movement of a hand or a word processed gesture. Examples of both are given in the conference (see link to video above).

There have also been improvements to the XBOX Live service:

- 300,000 dedicated servers for XBOX Live

- Editing and sharing tools as a result of dedicated game DVR

- Acheivements have changed. It is now about HOW you play the game - Not what you DO

Now we get to the bit you guys really want to know about, the games and are there any exclusives?

There is a special relationship between EA sports and Microsoft for four new games that will be released within the next 12 months - FIFA 14, Madden, NBA Live and UFC - Accompanied by their new engine, EA Ignite (this will be covered in more depth on the next post). EA also announced that there will be an XBOX only exclusive on FIFA 14's Ultimate Team - This will probably be revealed at E3.

Remedy, part of Microsoft Studios, confirmed a brand new exclusive for XBOX One - Quantum Break as well as a new Max Payne title. There were also some rumors of a new Alan Wake title but this has been squashed by the creator of the franchise. I still think they will make it.

Microsoft also confirmed that there will be 15 new exclusives to XBOX One with 8 of these being brand new titles. One exclusive that is coming back, and was premiered at the conference was Forza Motorsport 5.

The last exclusive? Take a guess...... Call of Duty: Ghosts. Yes, the new title premiered the new campaign trailer at the conference as well as teasing us with multi-player, and I for one think that they are ripping up the handbook on the new title. It will not be 100% exclusive, however, it will have timed exclusives such as getting all of the content before any other console.

XBOX and 343 Studios have announced the creation of a Halo TV series that will be exclusive to XBOX One customers only, created in partnership with the one and only Steven Spielberg.

And here is probably the biggest, best, and most certainly the most expensive partnership in gaming. XBOX and the NFL have set up a partnership at the cost of $400 million. This partnership means you will be able to watch ALL NFL games through the XBOX One in the regular and play-off season. I also assume this may include the Super-Bowl. In addition to this, the Snap Mode will allow the user to also check their Fantasy Football Team, this function also works for NBA.

Where does this leave all of us football/soccer fans? In the dark for now, let's wait for E3.

Now, for the final section of this breakdown, let's focus on Kinect 2.0

The Kinect 2.0 sensor is said to be more reactive to movements and voice control. It seems as though that this is the catalyst in order to get the most out of your XBOX One.

The Kinect 2.0 allows you to use simple hand movements in order to swipe through menus in addition to using a 'grab and stretch' technique that will allow the player to enhance the screen as well as decreasing which allows you to go back to the menu. It also has improved voice recognition that will open anything you want instantly, on demand. A bit like Siri for Apple, just more responsive.

All in all both systems seem great and I'm sure we will see a lot more from these systems at E3. It is said that the companies are aiming for a Q4 release (Christmas rush) in order to boost profits, no surprises there. BUT, rumors are circulating that XBOX may be willing to sell their system for a lower price in order to get people to buy into the service on a long term basis. Not such a bad business move.

I know I am not meant to be biased, but my vote is swinging in the way of Microsoft, for now.

I really hope that you guys enjoyed this post. Don't forget to comment and stay tuned for the next one. Thanks guys.