Games

We are finally reveling in an influx of details on the fresh rival gaming systems of Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One. While the two consoles share a physical resemblance, they diverge in a lot of ways. One major difference involves the handling of used games.

Sony has said there will be no restriction on the PS4 used-game market, while Microsoft is placing restrictions on selling and sharing games.

Microsoft's new policies have given Sony an opening to promote the PS4 as a friendlier alternative to the Xbox One. That has resulted in a tongue-in-cheek video released on the official PlayStation YouTube channel, titled "Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video."… Read more

LOS ANGELES -- This isn't a normal E3 for Nintendo. For the first time in recent memory, the company has decided to forgo a traditional press conference in lieu of a more intimate experience.

While Microsoft and Sony continue to exchange unpleasantries, Nintendo is using the opportunity to give the media a behind-closed-doors look at some of its upcoming Wii U titles, some of which are completely unannounced.

I got to sit down with these games and get some hands-on time to see what Nintendo has planned for the Wii U, a console that has undoubtedly stumbled out of … Read more

LOS ANGELES -- To Electronic Arts, Nintendo's Wii U console plays second fiddle to some of the faster-growing areas in the video game business.

That includes the other next-generation consoles, Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4, as well as the current-generation systems and mobile devices, according to Frank Gibeau, head of labels at EA.

"I think it's fair to characterize that Xbox One, PS4, and mobile are the highest growth platforms that we're looking at right now," Gibeau said in an interview with CNET on Monday.

EA would rather invest in those … Read more

LOS ANGELES -- Thunderous applause greeted Sony Computer Entertainment of America CEO Jack Tretton when he announced that there would be no restrictions on used games for the PlayStation 4.

Tretton smiled and paused, garnering him a second wave of enthusiastic clapping and hollering.

In a battle between two titans of the console gaming industry on the unofficial first day of the E3 video game conference, Sony came out on top on Monday not by showing off a more impressive lineup of games, but by answering a few simple questions the right way.

"We believe in the model that … Read more

Sony's next-generation console not only had its hardware shown off on Monday, but its price too.

At the tail end of its E3 press conference, Sony said it would charge $399 for the PS4 in the U.S., which it plans to launch in time for holiday shopping in the U.S. and Europe. The price is 349 pounds in the U.K. and 399 euros in other parts of Europe.

The price comes in $100 less than what Microsoft plans to charge for its Xbox One -- news that was delivered earlier Monday.

Alongside the price reveal came … Read more

Sony has finally taken the wraps off the look and design of its next-generation PlayStation.

At its E3 press conference Monday night, the consolemaker provided a quick reveal of the PS4 box, which looks a tad bit larger than the current PS3 design.

Sony gave people a teaser of the console's design near the end of May, on the eve of Microsoft's Xbox One reveal, and had previously shown off pieces of hardware like the controller and new Eye accessory at the original PS4 reveal back in February.

Price and precise release date for the hardware have yet … Read more

To the delight of many gamers at E3 on Monday, EA DICE showed off Star Wars Battlefront -- a next-generation "Star Wars" video game that uses the Frostbite 3 graphics engine. DICE uses the same graphics engine in Battlefield 4.

As the 30-second trailer kicks off, you can clearly see a snowy tundra on the ice planet Hoth, presumably set during the battle seen in "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back," or perhaps a different time in the canon. … Read more

LOS ANGELES -- So, the Xbox One does play games after all.

After enduring criticism from the gaming community that the Xbox One launch last month was light on the gaming news, Microsoft responded on Monday at a pre-E3 press conference with a torrent of game announcements, including a handful of key exclusive titles, such as Dead Rising 3, and a tease of the next game in the Halo franchise, which will land next year.

In running through a marathon of announcements, Microsoft's message to the gamers was simple: We haven't abandoned you. The company also said the Xbox One would launch in November and sell for $499. … Read more

Microsoft has announced the lineup of games for its upcoming Xbox One console at its 2013 E3 press conference in Los Angeles with highlights including Ryse: Son of Rome and the god-sim Project Spark.

The first game announced at Microsoft's E3 press conference in Los Angeles was Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, featuring Kiefer Sutherland as the voice of Snake.

The trailer opened with a scene on horseback reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption and detailed gameplay elements such as "deeper stealth action" and "tactical espionage."

The next exclusive Xbox One game to be … Read more