E3 2012: the highlights – The Verge

‘Need for Speed: Most Wanted’ may be the ‘Burnout Paradise’ sequel we’ve been waiting for

2012-06-11T22:30:50-04:00

Need for Speed: Most Wanted

The reps from Criterion Games were the happiest people I met at E3, passing around beers to friends, joshing with the racers getting demolished in their new game, Need for Speed: Most Wanted. They made off-the-cuff comments about the freedom they have as a developer to do whatever they want with the series following the success of their last Need for Speed, Hot Pursuit. They're grown-ups, but they were giggling like kids given the keys to one of EA's finest rides.

The latest iteration of the annual racing franchise, like their beloved Burnout Paradise, takes place in an open-world filled with friends, challenges and as many rewards as there …

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Sony moves ‘beyond’ the living room as Microsoft takes it over

2012-06-07T15:29:03-04:00

Wonderbook

Here's a fancy vocabulary word from E3 this year: "bifurcation." That's how Sony's John Koller, VP of Marketing for Home Console and Handheld Platforms, describes the current state of the gaming industry. Microsoft and Sony's paths are finally diverging - Nintendo, of course, has been veering away for years. According to John, the "battle for the living room was in 2006, and we've totally moved beyond that." Sony is now putting an emphasis on mobile and, well, video games. But is it moving beyond, or ceding the fight?

I spoke to Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis, before Microsoft's press conference on Monday, who said "Sony and …

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Watch this: Microsoft’s Xbox E3 keynote

2012-06-06T03:45:56-04:00

xbox gow

Every year's biggest E3 highlights tend to be concentrated in the three marquee keynotes - those carried out by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony - and one of them has now been posted online in its full glory for repeat consumption. Microsoft's Xbox Media Briefing from Monday includes a deluge of new things to get excited about, such as the return of Master Chief, a teaser for the next instalment of the Gears of War franchise, new languages for Kinect voice controls, and of course, the introduction of the SmartGlass companion app. If you don't quite have the full hour and 50 minutes to digest it all, may we suggest our two-minute summary video be …

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E3 Day 1: Live From The Loft!

2012-06-05T23:50:40-04:00

livebloggin

We're streaming live from The Loft™ (not an actual trademark), regaling tales of the first and zero'th day (that's today and yesterday) of E3: Wii U, Sony, EA and everything else oozing out of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Well, almost everything. Watch the stream, post your comments.

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‘ZombiU’ is proof Wii U’s controls can be more than a gimmick

2012-06-05T17:40:58-04:00

ZombiU

ZombiU is the exclusive zombie-killing simulator for Wii U shown briefly at the Ubisoft and Nintendo press conferences. It is also one of the show's best surprises and one of the most promising games announced for the upcoming console.

Polygon had a chance to go hands-on with the first-person shooter at the Nintendo booth, and found it took full advantage of the Wii U GamePad without falling into the trap of novel, but cumbersome controls.

The GamePad is represented in-game by a tablet your character uses to scan the world, a dilapidated London. Scan bodies to see if they're infected or carrying loot, scan objects to see if they're ammo or …

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Nintendo announces Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon, and YouTube as Wii U content partners

2012-06-05T12:17:24-04:00

wiiu

During today's E3 keynote, Nintendo's Reggie Fils Aime announced four new partners that will be providing content to Wii U owners - Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Video, and YouTube. The keynote was largely focused on games, but further details on these new partnerships are coming. "In the future, we'll show you how the Wii U will integrate and elevate entertainment in your living room," Fils Aime explained.

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Microsoft Xbox SmartGlass: an in‑depth preview

2012-06-05T04:12:25-04:00

Gallery Photo: Microsoft Xbox SmartGlass demo images

This morning Microsoft made good on last week's rumors with the announcement of Xbox SmartGlass, a companion app for mobile devices and Windows 8 PCs that lets you control and interact with videos and games you play on the Xbox 360. We were given an early look at the app running on a Windows 8 tablet and a Windows Phone device, and while there were some bumps in the road we have to say we're quite impressed at the product's potential. In its most primitive form, SmartGlass is a Wi-Fi remote app for video. When launched, the app goes into "listening" mode, and seamlessly syncs up with any SmartGlass-enabled content, providing the usual array …

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‘The Last of Us’ E3 gameplay trailer blows our minds

2012-06-04T22:42:54-04:00

last of us

At Sony's E3 press conference this evening, Naughty Dog unveiled a new gameplay trailer for The Last of Us.

The trailer follows protagonists Joel and Ellie through an abandoned hotel buried in overgrown weeds and a flooded first floor. Joel leads the way with Ellie on his heels, chattering idly to fill the silence. As they climb to the next floor and round a corner, Joel spies someone rifling through the doors of battered dresser. Within seconds Joel has choked the stranger and pockets the goods for himself.

Gunfire heralds the presence of other people, and as Joel returns their fire and advances through the hotel, Ellie creeps along behin …

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Internet Explorer for Xbox arriving this fall, includes Kinect and SmartGlass controls

2012-06-04T13:19:35-04:00

via d35lb3dl296zwu.cloudfront.net

Microsoft has been testing a modified version of its Internet Explorer browser on Xbox 360, and the company unveiled its latest work at E3 2012 today - Internet Explorer for Xbox. Built into a web hub of the Xbox 360, Internet Explorer works from Microsoft's SmartGlass service (using third-party devices) to allow Xbox owners to surf the whole of the web.

Microsoft believes keyboards don't belong in the living room for browsers so it's also supporting Kinect voice and gesture controls with Internet Explorer on Xbox. There's no word on whether Adobe Flash is supported, but Internet Explorer for Xbox will be available this fall for all Xbox 36 …

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Microsoft announces Xbox SmartGlass app for Windows 8 and mobile devices

2012-06-04T13:14:40-04:00

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The rumors were true: Microsoft has just announced Xbox SmartGlass, an app for Windows 8, tablets, and mobile devices that lets users view and interact with new content in association with games and video on their console. On the surface, the app serves as a remote control, allowing users to control what is playing back on their Xbox 360, as well as letting them start video content on one SmartGlass device, and seamlessly pick it up on another. The standout feature, however, is how SmartGlass will serve as a secondary screen, providing additional content related to whatever video or game is playing on the 360 (no doubt dampening Nintendo's h …

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