Social Gaming

The new video game consoles are coming, and so are some brand-new big budget video games. One of them is Dying Light, the night-day zombie game that Dead Island developer Techland is making for Warner Bros. It’s a scary title where you prey on slow-moving zombies by day and then flee the fast-moving ones as they hunt you down at night. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment recently showed a preview that scared the heck out of me. Gorgeous isn’t a word I would use to describe an extremely violent zombie-killing game. But the graphics look amazing, and it will look quite pretty on next-generation game consoles when it debuts either late this year or next year. One thing is clear from the preview we saw. Techland is ready for the triple-A stage for video games. Its work is first-rate, and I’ll be interested to play this when it comes out. We caught up with Blazej Krakowiak, international brand manager at Techland, for an interview after the preview presentation. Here’s an edited transcript of our conversation. Check out the video at the end as well. Techland will be showing off the game at the upcoming E3 game trade show in Los Angeles in June. GamesBeat: What background do you guys have? What have you done before? Blazej Krakowiak: As a company, we were founded 21 years ago. We were the developers behind Dead Island and the Call of Juarez series. Some people might remember our science fiction shooter Chrome. That’s one of the games that started at all. We have a lot of faithful fans, but we’re always anxious when we bring out something this big. Dying Light is our most ambitious project to date. GamesBeat: How recently did you move on to this? What were you finishing just as you started? Krakowiak: Development on Dying Light started early in 2012 when the core team finished Dead Island. That sold very well – it was one of the milestones for our company – but it wasn’t enough. We wanted to take the zombie experience to another level. We started working on more advanced features for the next iteration of our Chrome engine technology. This will be the first engine powered by Chrome engine 6. It’s built for the next console generation and DirectX 11. We also started looking for a business partner that could do the game justice. We’re very happy to be working with Warner Bros. on that. GamesBeat: What’s going to distinguish the visuals of this game? What’s the next step as far as what you can do now? Krakowiak: For a long time we’ve been talking about needing more power to get the proper number of characters on screen, the right texture resolution, things like that. We wanted a more powerful PC, plus consoles that could keep up or ideally surpass that. We all know that we’re finally getting that power. This game is developed for the next generation and basically ported down to the current generation, although we’re still confident we’ll be able to deliver a good experience there. As far as upgrades, obviously lighting will be key to the game, because of the day-night cycle. We want to introduce advanced animations for the free running. We want to have a lot of zombies and a lot of other characters on the screen without sacrificing performance. That’s especially important in co-op, which we’ll have for up to four players. We’ll also support a range of console features that we can’t discuss in detail at the moment. At E3 we’ll probably be able to tell you more about that. We’ll have some important dates behind us by then. GamesBeat: You mentioned at the close of the demo that you’ll spend your day preparing for what happens at night. Can you explain that a little bit more? Krakowiak: To start off, the game is quest-driven. You’ll complete missions – some of them mandatory, some optional. You’ll have specific objectives. But this is also an open-world game, even more so than any of our other games before it. It allows for exploration and roaming and finding new things to do. As far as preparation, that can inc

Big Fish Games is expanding its casual cloud-gaming service across four major platforms today. The Big Fish Instant Games app is now available on smartphones, tablets, TVs, and the PC. In doing so, the company is taking cloud gaming to the masses in a way that its rivals Gaikai and OnLive haven’t done. Seattle-based Big Fish Games bills itself as the world’s largest producer of casual games. Its roots are as a maker of downloadable games on websites that primarily target older female gamers, who embrace titles that don’t involve guns and violence. It has published more than 3,000 games produced by its own developers and third-party gamemakers. The company has been adapting to the growth of mobile gaming by launching a series of mobile titles, adapted from its casual web fare. But last year, the company also made a bold move by launching a cloud-based service, where games are stored and executed on web-connected data centers rather than on a player’s computer. The games are streamed to a user’s machine, which doesn’t have to process or store the game data. That allows those games to be played on any device, and Big Fish Games is reaping the rewards of that investment today by launching its cloud service across all four major screens: PCs, smart TVs, tablets, and mobile phones. Big Fish Games is making the app for its cloud service available on the Google Play store today, and it is also releasing it on the Roku 3 set-top box, which will take the content to the television screen. Customers can instantly play the entire Big Fish Instant Games catalog of more than 200 games. The idea is to give users maximum flexibility in where and how people want to play. The Big Fish Instant Games platform will come to more platforms throughout the year. Game progress is stored in the cloud, allowing players to play on one device and then log into the same game from another device. Big Fish Games launched the service on the iPad last year. Since that launch, users have logged more than 200 years of gameplay from over 5 million game sessions. “Adding Android smartphones and Roku to our supported devices has substantially increased the audience of users who can instantly play and enjoy games from Big Fish,” said Jina Heverley, the vice president and general manager of PC, Mac, and Cloud for Big Fish. ”Now you can start a Big Fish game on your TV at home and pick it up later on the go on your smartphone without having to wait for the game to download.” Big Fish charges $7.99 a month for subscriptions to the service. Big Fish also allows free access to a rotating catalog of games via an ad-supported service. Filed under: Business, Games GamesBeat 2013 is our fifth annual conference on disruption in the video game market. You'll get 360-degree perspectives from top gaming executives, developers, and analysts on what’s to come in the industry. Our theme this year is “The Battle Royal.” Check out full event details here, and grab your early-bird tickets here! .blurb-cat-games hr { margin: 10px 0 10px 0; }

Click here to receive the Morning Social Media Newsfeed via email. Twitter Rolls Out Two-Factor Account Authentication (SocialTimes) Twitter Wednesday launched a feature that will allow users to opt into two-factor account authentication on the service. Users who turn on the feature will receive an access code on their smartphone by SMS text message each time they attempt to log in to Twitter. They will be required to enter that code each time they seek to access their accounts. Mashable The move comes after a number of hacks of high-profile Twitter accounts, including The Onion, the Associated Press and E! Online. Jim O’Leary from Twitter’s product security team announced the new feature via a blog post, saying it is in response to accounts “occasionally” being compromised by phishing schemes or password breaches on other sites. The New York Times/Bits Blog Two-step authentication is by no means foolproof. Twitter accounts for larger brands and news outlets are often managed by several employees, but only one employee would receive the log-in code. In those cases, other employees would only be able to access the account from their usual devices, or would need to get the one-time code from the administrator — a hassle that may discourage brands from using the security feature altogether. Forbes Typing in a code sent to your phone may seem like a bit of extra work every time you want to log into your Twitter account. But the extra step only occurs when logging in from a new machine — in most cases users will never notice the new setting. And it’s a small price to pay to prevent embarrassing or false information to be broadcast to your followers. VentureBeat You can turn two-factor authentication on by going to your account settings in Twitter and selecting “require a verification code.” You’ll then have to enter a phone number. After two-factor is set up, you will have to enter the code every time you log in to Twitter. Google Trends Now Ranks Most Searched People, Places and Things in 40+ Categories, Releases Visual Trending Product (The Next Web) Google has released a new and improved version of Google Trends with new charts, updated monthly, of the most-searched people, places and things in more than 40 categories with the ability to filter by 11 countries. PR companies and their customers now have another metric to be highly aware of. Facebook Users Can Now Schedule Gifts (AllFacebook) Facebook added the ability for users to schedule Gifts up to two weeks in advance, enabling them to choose Gifts, fill out the cards and pay in advance. Sister blog Inside Facebook reported on the new feature, saying that previously recipients of Gifts would receive notifications immediately. LinkedIn Has Definitely Acqui-Hired Maybe, Omar Hamoui’s Polling Startup, Minus Hamoui Himself (TechCrunch) Fresh from closing its purchase of newsreading app Pulse, LinkedIn has made another acquisition to dive deeper into the mobile space. TechCrunch has found out, and confirmed, that the social network has aqui-hired Maybe, the social polling startup founded by Omar Hamoui — the man who set up, ran and then sold mobile ad company AdMob to Google for $750 million. This Memorial Day, Put Your Military Hero in the Spotlight with Hashtags4Heroes (AllTwitter) Celebrities and other Twitterati can reign supreme every other day, but if you have a loved one who has served (or is serving now) in the military, Hashtags4Heroes wants to help your special someone take center stage this Memorial Day. Syrian Activists’ Facebook Pages Said to be Shuttered (CNET) Just as Syria recovers from last week’s countrywide Internet outage, a number of government opposition groups are reportedly saying that their Facebook pages have been shuttered, according to Al Arabiya. One of the pages that is no longer available is the profile page of the former brigadier general of the Syrian Republican Guard, Manaf Tlass, who d

It’s that time of year again- FarmVille’s birthday! This year, FarmVille is celebrating it’s fourth birthday with a special 30 Days of prizes which will reward players with a free prize every day.  The 30 Day of prizes will begin on May 20th, 2013 and will run until June 19th, 2013. Today is officially day three of the 30 days of prizes. If you missed day one’s free prize due to technical difficulties (not being able to find the new feature) no worries, simply find day one’s prize, the Cupcake Cow, in your FarmVille Gift Box! Simply login to your FarmVille farm to claim your free prize. For future notice, the FarmVille Birthday 30 Days of Prizes, has its own quick button with a “4″ birthday candle icon that can be found on the right side of your in-game play area. FarmVille 4th Birthday Notice FarmVille Birthday Day 3: 10 Fuel Refills FarmVille 30 Days of Prizes Day 3 Daily Prize: 10 Fuel Refills FarmVille Daily Fun Fact: In the last year, 400 billion crops have been planted in Farmville! Sneak Peek of all the Birthday Prizes after the jump! FarmVille 4th Birthday Prizes: FarmVille Birthday Day 1: 4th Birthday Cupcake Cow FarmVille Birthday Day 2: 4th Birthday Candle Tree FarmVille Birthday Day 3: 10 Fuel Refills FarmVille Birthday Day 4: Atlantis Buildable Part Package FarmVille Birthday Day 5: Fertilize All Package FarmVille Birthday Day 6: 4th Birthday Bush FarmVille Birthday Day 7: 2 Mystery Game Darts FarmVille Birthday Day 8: 4th Birthday Party Tree FarmVille Birthday Day 9: 20 Watering Cans FarmVille Birthday Day 10: 3 Unwithers FarmVille Birthday Day 11: 4th Birthday Chicken FarmVille Birthday Day 12: 3 Pack of Turbo Chargers FarmVille Birthday Day 13: Sunlight & Mushroom Package FarmVille Birthday Day 14: 10 Farmhands FarmVille Birthday Day 15: 4th Birthday Mare FarmVille Birthday Day 16: 4th Birthday Sheep FarmVille Birthday Day 17: 4th Birthday Bouncy House FarmVille Birthday Day 18: 3-Pack of Instagrows FarmVille Birthday Day 19: 4th Birthday Bedazzled Horse FarmVille Birthday Day 20: 10 Arborists FarmVille Birthday Day 21: Atlantis Treasure Parts Package FarmVille Birthday Day 22: Book of XP FarmVille Birthday Day 23: 4th Birthday Cake Pop Tree FarmVille Birthday Day 24: 20 Fuel Refills FarmVille Birthday Day 25: 4th Birthday Gnome FarmVille Birthday Day 26: 4th Birthday Party Horse FarmVille Birthday Day 27: Australian Vineyard Package FarmVille Birthday Day 28: 4th Birthday Cotton Candy Tree FarmVille Birthday Day 29: 4th Birthday Unicorn FarmVille Birthday Day 25: 4th Birthday Pegacorn

Hewlett-Packard is moving into the innovative new category of tabletop computing today with the announcement of its HP Envy Rove 20 all-in-one computer. The touchscreen device has a 20-inch screen that you can fix at a variety of angles. You can even lay it flat as a tabletop computer. The machine is part of a growing category of tabletop computers coming from major computer makers. Sony launched its Sony Tap 20 computer last fall, while Lenovo is coming out soon with a 27-inch tabletop computer that you can play Air Hockey on. These models are pricier, as computer makers hope to entice PC buyers to upgrade to the more versatile machines. The device also comes with a built-in battery that can last for three hours while unplugged. In that sense, you can use it as a giant touchscreen tablet. You can carry it around the house or play games on it on the kitchen table. The machine uses Intel integrated graphics and Haswell processors. It has an in-plane switching (IPS) panel with wide viewing angles and 10-finger multitouch. It has Beats Audio and comes per-installed with software including EA Monopoly, Fingertapps Jigsaw Wars Puzzle, Fingertapps Musical Instruments, and Disney Fairies. It will debut in July for an undisclosed price. Filed under: Business, Gadgets, Games

FarmVille Crafting to the Max Loading Screen FarmVille has made some improvements to the Craft Shop menu and organization. You will notice, recipes are now organized by categories. You can also sort and search recipes using the search bar. There’s also a “Specials” tab where you can find limited time recipes. Check out some of the images below and when you try out the upgraded feature, please let us know what you think in the comments below. What do you think, FarmVille Freaks? Are you excited about the FarmVille Craftshop makeover? FarmVille New & Improved Craft Shop Preview FarmVille New Craftshop Recipes Coming Soon: RecipeBushel #1Bushel #1Bushel #1Start DateCraft Time Mystery Dart6 Soybean7 Lilac7 Squash5/22/20132 Hours 2 Fuel Can3 Carrots4 Ghost Chilis3 Wool5/22/20132 Hours Lace Pegacorn5 Mushroom Fairy5 Elderberry5 Dandelion5/22/201314 Hours Flying Goat3 Cabbage3 Mustard3 Aloe Vera5/22/20133 Hours Gold Dragon6 Broccoli6 Peanut6 Amaranth5/22/20136 Hours Spring Unicorn6 Blueberry7 Pumpkin6 Cucumber5/22/201310 Hours Dark Willow Tree3 Wheat4 Cucumber4 Basil5/22/20135 Hours Dogwood Bonsai3 Lemon3 Orange4 Peanuts5/22/20138 Hours Paperback Maple Tree2 Manure3 Peanuts2 Pumpkin5/22/20134 Hours Purple Pegacorn7 Jalapeno7 Cotton8 Golden Poppies5/22/201316 Hours Heart Pattern Mini Horse6 Apple Wood6 Lilac8 Spinach5/22/20138 Hours Turbo Charger2 Broccoli3 Cotton2 Peanuts5/22/201312 Hours Mini GreenHouse8 Strawberry6 Wheat8 Blueberry5/22/20132 Hours Flowery Archway3 Lilac4 Pumpkin3 Mustard5/22/20131 Hour Lamp Post (New)3 Cranberries2 Peanuts3 Wheat5/22/20132 Hours Iron Ornate Fence3 Oats3 Strawberry3 Cotton5/22/201330 Minutes Delicate Cottage4 Cabbage3 Cranberries3 Cotton5/22/20136 Hours Swiss Manor3 Coffee4 Acorn Squash3 Sorghum5/22/20135 Hours Fall Garden Shed4 Basil6 Chickpea2 Wheat5/22/20134 Hours Forest Campsite3 Cotton2 Wheat3 Mustard5/22/20135 Hours Backyard Cottage2 Rhubarb3 Cranberries3 Cucumber5/22/20134 Hours Stone Cottage3 Oats4 Broccoli4 Ghost Chilis5/22/20134 Hours Fairy Combine6 Apple Wood8 Cotton4 Pumpkin5/22/201310 Hours Library3 Cranberries4 Cotton4 Orange5/22/20135 Hours Asian Pavilion6 Cranberries4 Cotton4 Spinach5/22/20134 Hours Outdoor Cafe4 Wheat4 Lilac6 Peanuts5/22/20134 Hours Sparkle Seed2 Cotton2 Ghost Chilis3 Asparagus5/22/20134 Hours Sunshine Dog Treat2 Cucumber2 Lilac2 Gladiolus5/22/20134 Hours Cupcake Dog Treat2 Wheat2 Bell Pepper2 Aloe Vera5/22/20134 Hours Sturdy Dog Treat2 Cotton3 Clover3 Green Roses5/22/20134 Hours Sporty Dog Treat2 Bamboo3 Elderberries3 Wheat5/22/20134 Hours Special Delivery (SDB)2 Golden Poppies2 Coffee3 Basil5/22/20136 Hours Vial of Sunlight2 Ghost Chilis1 Coffee2 Cucumber5/22/20134 Hours Magic Mushroom2 Green Tea2 Asparagus2 Ginger5/22/20134 Hours Pipe1 Broccoli2 Aloe Vera1 Basil5/22/20133 Hours Shrub2 Wheat2 Cranberries2 Carrot5/22/20133 Hours Wrench1 Cabbage3 Ghost Chilis1 Cranberries5/22/20133 Hours Rake3 Clover2 Amaranth1 Chickpea5/22/20133 Hours Pot2 Blueberry3 Cotton2 Wheat5/22/20133 Hours Leaf Blower2 Blueberry2 Acorn Squash2 Carrots5/22/20133 Hours Warpstone1 Manure2 Mustard1 Wheat5/22/20136 Hours Star Rock1 Lemon2 Cotton1 Mustard5/22/20136 Hours Mithril Ore1 Apple Wood2 Cotton1 Eggplant5/22/20136 Hours Grape Vine2 Peanuts2 Cotton1 Lemon5/22/20133 Hours Wine Barrel1 Wheat1 Aloe Vera 2 Milk Jug5/22/20133 Hours Stone Bench1 Raspberry2 Pumpkin1 Apple Wood5/22/20133 Hours Sunburst Cloud2 Chickpea2 Sorghum1 Orange5/22/20134 Hours Sunrise Seed1 Strawberry2 Cranberries2 Cherry5/22/20134 Hours Star Dust2 Tomato1 Coffee2 Maple Syrup5/22/20134 Hours

FarmVille Farm Bingo FarmVille released its new FarmVille Farm Bingo game feature. In this new feature, you will collect Bingo Balls from friends and match numbers to win awesome prizes. You can ask your friends for Bingo Balls every 6 hours by posting a Facebook News Feed share. FarmVille Farm Bingo Notice The Farm Bingo Feature you will win prizes from 4 different eras as shown below: FarmVille Farm Bing The Fifties Era FarmVille Farm Bing The Sixties Era FarmVille Farm Bing The Seventies Era FarmVille Farm Bing The Eighties Era FarmVille Farm Bingo The Fiftie’s Prizes: FarmVille Poodle Skirt Pegacorn FarmVille Designer Suit Cow FarmVille Horned Glasses Sheep FarmVille Bow Tree FarmVille At the Hop FarmVille Farm Bingo The Sixties’s Prizes: FarmVille Greaser Pegacorn FarmVille Beehive Cow FarmVille Thick Glasses Sheep FarmVille Platform Shoes Tree FarmVille High School Bleachers FarmVille Farm Bingo The Seventie’s Prizes: FarmVille Flower Child Pegacorn FarmVille Tie Dye Cow FarmVille Hustle Sheep FarmVille Sunglasses Tree FarmVille Disco Party FarmVille Farm Bingo The Eighties’s Prizes: FarmVille Hair Band Pegacorn FarmVille Pop Cow FarmVille Rebel Sheep FarmVille Saddle Shoes Tree FarmVille Boombox Breakdance What do you think of the FarmVille Farm Bingo feature? Are you excited about earning any of these free prizes?

In case you missed it… FarmVille’s 30 Days of Prizes in honor of FarmVille’s fourth birthday has arrived!!! Today is officially day two of the 30 days of prizes. If you missed yesterday’s free prize due to technical difficulties (not being able to find the new feature) no worries, simply find day one’s prize, the Cupcake Cow, in your FarmVille Gift Box! For future notice, the FarmVille Birthday 30 Days of Prizes, has its own quick button with a “4″ birthday candle icon that can be found on the right side of your in-game play area. “Trouble finding your Farmville 4th Birthday prizes in the gift box (including the 4th Birthday Cupcake Cow)? We’re working on a fix! Thanks for your patience Farmers!” – FarmVille FarmVille 4th Birthday Notice It’s that time of year again- FarmVille’s birthday! This year, FarmVille is celebrating it’s fourth birthday with a special 30 Days of prizes which will reward players with a free prize every day.  The 30 Day of prizes will begin on May 20th, 2013 and will run until June 19th, 2013. Simply login to your FarmVille farm to claim your free prize. FarmVille Birthday Day 2: 4th Birthday Candle Tree FarmVille 30 Days of Prizes Day 2 Daily Prize: 4th Birthday Candle Tree FarmVille Daily Fun Fact: Over 37 million Farmers have “liked” the FarmVille fan page on Facebook! Sneak Peek of all the Birthday Prizes after the jump! FarmVille 4th Birthday Prizes: FarmVille Birthday Day 1: 4th Birthday Cupcake Cow FarmVille Birthday Day 2: 4th Birthday Candle Tree FarmVille Birthday Day 3: 10 Fuel Refills FarmVille Birthday Day 4: Atlantis Buildable Part Package FarmVille Birthday Day 5: Fertilize All Package FarmVille Birthday Day 6: 4th Birthday Bush FarmVille Birthday Day 7: 2 Mystery Game Darts FarmVille Birthday Day 8: 4th Birthday Party Tree FarmVille Birthday Day 9: 20 Watering Cans FarmVille Birthday Day 10: 3 Unwithers FarmVille Birthday Day 11: 4th Birthday Chicken FarmVille Birthday Day 12: 3 Pack of Turbo Chargers FarmVille Birthday Day 13: Sunlight & Mushroom Package FarmVille Birthday Day 14: 10 Farmhands FarmVille Birthday Day 15: 4th Birthday Mare FarmVille Birthday Day 16: 4th Birthday Sheep FarmVille Birthday Day 17: 4th Birthday Bouncy House FarmVille Birthday Day 18: 3-Pack of Instagrows FarmVille Birthday Day 19: 4th Birthday Bedazzled Horse FarmVille Birthday Day 20: 10 Arborists FarmVille Birthday Day 21: Atlantis Treasure Parts Package FarmVille Birthday Day 22: Book of XP FarmVille Birthday Day 23: 4th Birthday Cake Pop Tree FarmVille Birthday Day 24: 20 Fuel Refills FarmVille Birthday Day 25: 4th Birthday Gnome FarmVille Birthday Day 26: 4th Birthday Party Horse FarmVille Birthday Day 27: Australian Vineyard Package FarmVille Birthday Day 28: 4th Birthday Cotton Candy Tree FarmVille Birthday Day 29: 4th Birthday Unicorn FarmVille Birthday Day 25: 4th Birthday Pegacorn

Nothing can stop the next-gen hype train now that Microsoft and Sony have both unveiled their new home consoles. Sony showed off its PlayStation 4 in February, and Microsoft did the same yesterday with its Xbox One. We now know the basics about each device, and that gives us a chance to look at each system to decide which one is best prepared to win over gamers’ hearts this holiday and beyond. First, let’s get some basics out of the way. We don’t know the price. We barely know about the games. Each company, and their partners, will certainly show more at the Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show in early June. Until then, we’re simply working from the visions that Microsoft and Sony attempted to establish with their announcements. Analyst Jesse Divinch, the vice president of insights at industry-analysis firm EEDAR, thinks it’s too early to tell. “It’s always difficult to determine winners and losers off of highly choreographed presentations, but from other experiences, it is too close of a call to say one presentation was better than the other,” said Divinch. “From EEDAR’s view point, both were successful in demonstrating their platform’s core experience, and we believe that both Microsoft and Sony will realize market success at launch and through 2017. It’s too early to predict who will have a larger market share, but we are confident in saying that both will be profitable and viable platforms for third-party developers.” Let’s look at the facts and then you can decide. Hardware separated at birth Microsoft has already lifted the curtain on the design for its new box. The PlayStation 4′s aesthetics are still under wraps. That doesn’t really matter, because gamers know that true beauty comes from within. When it comes to internals, these two consoles are nearly identical. That’s because both are using the same AMD Jaguar accelerated processing unit that combines the computational and the graphical processing on to a single, streamlined chip. The Xbox One collection. Both systems have eight cores running at around 1.6GHz, with 4MB of L2 cache. Things don’t diverge significantly until we look at the system memory. Again, both systems have 8GB of RAM, but the PS4 uses the speedier GDDR5 memory that can stream data at 5,500MHz, while Xbox One’s DDR3 RAM tops out at 2,133MHz. That translates into a huge difference in the amount of memory each system can move at any one time. That gives the PlayStation 4 a clear edge in raw computing power – but it’s not as simple as that. Microsoft specifically designed Xbox One to offload computation into the fabled cloud. “There are a growing number of transistors in the cloud that you can move the [computational] loads onto,” Microsoft software expert Boyd Multerer said in during an Xbox One panel. “I think it’s an inflection point. So — over time — your box gets more powerful. We move loads into the cloud to free up resources on the box.” The idea is that Microsoft will continually get better at handling certain kinds of computations (artificial intelligence, for example) on its servers. This will open up One’s local hardware so it can process more detailed visuals and other kinds of data. That’s the plan, anyhow. It is up to game developers to follow through with that. Meanwhile, Sony’s Gaikai cloud service might be able to do the same thing, but it looks like it is attempting to unload entire game demos into the cloud rather than piecemeal portions each title. In the end, these two machines are a pair of powerful PC-based gaming rigs that should produce high-quality graphics. Gaming or multimedia features If PlayStation 4 is a slightly more powerful Xbox One — or Xbox One is a slightly slower PlayStation 4 — then what separates these devices? The answer to that question is features: software, social capabilities, and

For more on the Xbox One reveal, check out our complete coverage. Click. Click. Click. Click. That was the sound we heard as we went inside the previously secret lab where Microsoft is testing game controllers for the Xbox One game console. It’s the sound of a robot pushing a controller four to five times a second, which is probably faster than you’ll be doing if you get your hands on these controllers. At the Xbox One revelation yesterday, Microsoft took the press through the labs to show how thorough its research was in devising a controller that was just right for you. Game controllers are a critical accessory that can make or break a system, particularly for hardcore gamers, who develop passionate feelings about the devices that they hold for hours at a time. If there are problems with the controller, it could cascade into a general dislike for the console, which is anticipated to be a multibillion-dollar platform. Fortunately for Microsoft, the feedback yesterday from people who held the controller is positive. It isn’t dramatically different from the current Xbox 360 game controller, and that’s a good thing. Those with long memories will remember what an embarrassment Microsoft faced when its first game controller for the original Xbox in 2001 was too large, partly because it required two slots for bulky flash storage cards. Anyone with small hands couldn’t even wield the bulky thing well. Microsoft quickly redesigned the controller to be smaller. Since that time, the company has learned a thing or two about industrial design. With the Xbox 360, Microsoft created a widely acclaimed console controller with the help of outside industrial design companies such as Astro Gaming in San Francisco. But this time, Microsoft was able to do a lot more of the process inside its own walls, said Carl Ledbetter, the senior principal creative director and a leader of the Xbox One industrial design. During our tour, Ledbetter said the team in one building could create a design and walk it over to the Model Shop in another, where Vince Jesus, the lab director, could print out a 3D prototype. That enabled Microsoft to preserve secrecy on the whole project more easily. “We could bring people in-house and watch them play games in Studio B,” Ledbetter said. “We watched them, with their permission. We videotaped them.” One of the big changes is a new magnetic trigger that feels different when you pull it. The haptic triggers give you immediate touch feedback. The device also has much more accurate and nuanced force feedback. Older controllers would simply shake when you were shooting a gun or during an intense part of a game. But the force feedback on this sends you different signals depending on what is happening. If you are driving a car, you can feel the bump of the wheels on the road, and you get a different sensation when you hit the brakes. You can also get precise feedback that feels like a beating heart. Together with the fact that the new Kinect can actually detect your heartbeat, this feature could make for some very interesting effects in future games. The device can simulate a different kind of feedback when you fire a gun. You can feel the rumble of helicopter rotors in another demo. The device does not have a touchpad or “share button” like Sony’s does with its new PlayStation 4 controller. But Microsoft’s device includes an infrared LED on the front of controller to enable seamless player pairing and identification. Using Kinect, Microsoft can clearly identify a person who is using a controller. The results — players easily jump in and out of games. Ledbetter said that gamers didn’t really complain about the Xbox 360 controller. But there were things that annoyed them. People with bigger hands felt the battery case on the bottom of the controller get in their way. The screw holes on the bottom of the grip and a plastic seam were also thing