Games and gear

Microsoft's next Xbox won't allow gamers to play titles from an optical drive, according to a newly leaked document.

The folks over at VGLeaks recently released what they claim is the Microsoft documentation for its next console, code-named Durango. In the long-winded document, which makes mention of enhanced graphics and an improved Kinect sensor that will be sold with the console, Microsoft notes that only hard drive-based game playback will be offered.

"Every Durango console will have a hard drive, although its exact capacity has not been chosen," the company wrote in the documentation. "It will be large enough, however, to hold a large number of games. All games will be installed on the hard drive. Play from the optical disc will not be supported."… Read more

Snickers come easily when dealing with a product like the Stinky Footboard, to be announced later today. It has a corny name. The idea of a specialized foot-based input device for PC gaming seems spectacularly niche and nerdy.

Then you use it, and you recognize its benefits almost immediately.… Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- 60,000 Redditors want to know what's in this safe.

- NYC looks to Facebook for the future of payphones.

- UD Replicas makes a replica of the most underrated accessory from "The Dark Knight."

- Samsung Galaxy Watch "definitely" coming, Samsung confirms.

- The Pebble smartwatch finally arrives on doorsteps to a chorus of approval.

- Pebble breakdown shows waterproofing makes repairs impossible.… Read more

Valve's Team Fortress 2 will be the first game to work with the Oculus Rift virtual-reality headset.

The game will receive an update over the next few weeks to enable support, dubbed VR Mode, for the Oculus Rift. Users will be able to play in public servers using the headset. The Oculus Rift is only available for the Windows platform, with Mac and Linux support in the pipeline.

The first developer kits for the Oculus Rift -- the product of a very successful Kickstarter campaign -- is expected to ship to backers soon. The $300 headset was initially scheduled to ship by December. … Read more

EA has detailed the list of Origin games it will offer to customers affected by the disastrous launch of SimCity.

All copies of SimCity registered on Origin before March 25 will give applicable customers a chance to pick one free game from the following list: Battlefield 3; Bejeweled 3; Dead Space 3; Mass Effect 3; Medal of Honor: Warfighter; Need for Speed: Most Wanted; Plants vs. Zombies; and SimCity 4: Deluxe Edition. … Read more

Zynga is trying to capitalize on the popularity of its drawing game Draw Something by launching a sequel, Draw Something 2, a game unveiled today in a tweet from Ryan Seacrest.

The American Idol host tweeted a "drawing" from the new Draw Something 2, quipping, "I somehow convinced them to give me #DrawSomething2 first...this may be the best Mariah & Randy have ever looked." … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Ad creep creeps are getting creepier -- a couple of the strangest ad-placements ever.

- You know Best Buy is doing poorly when a positive customer review is news.

- How manufactured smells are making people shop longer and kill better.

- Jack from our 404 Subreddit created an RSS feed of every 404 episode. Thanks dude!… Read more

During its bizarre unveiling of the Galaxy S4, there were a few accessories that Samsung didn't get to spend much time on. For example, some reporters later stumbled upon a wireless charging feature, and a prototype of a nifty gaming controller that docks with some Galaxy devices while pairing via Bluetooth has also popped up.

The controller is dubbed simply the "Game Pad" and looks an awful lot like it came off of an Xbox 360. Samsung says it is capable of one-touch Bluetooth pairing via Samsung's funky NFC Tectile system, which works with the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S2 as well, among others. It also functions as a remote control for use with your bigger screens at home.… Read more

According to an official invitation sent to GameSpot, Electronic Arts and DICE plan to "celebrate a new era of Battlefield" at an upcoming Battlefield 4 event in San Francisco on March 26 at 7 p.m. PT. The event occurs during the 2013 Game Developers Conference that takes place from March 25-29.

For those craving more information about the upcoming shooter, well, there isn't much to work with at the moment.… Read more