Entertainment

For the better part of a decade the video game landscape remained mostly unchanged, complacent in a sea of sequels, motion controls, and downloadable content.

It's a generation that has lasted longer than any other before it, albeit for generally good reasons. And perhaps most impressive is that though their PC gaming counterparts have long since passed them by, these aging consoles are still able to render great-looking games.

So while the sun begins to set on what will go down as a pivotal generation for video games, we look ahead to see what owning a console will be … Read more

After several high-profile incriminating pictures hitting the Intertubes this year, TMZ reports that Justin Bieber wants all visitors to his Calabasas, Calif., mega mansion to sign a liability waiver restricting any social-media divulge about the goings-on behind closed doors.

The supposed waiver (PDF) isn't the friendliest welcome mat, as anyone with loose lips automatically gets pegged with a $5 million lawsuit -- plus they forfeit a few rights, including the ability to sue Bieber.

"Without in any way limiting the foregoing, under no circumstances will you divulge the details of you entering and being on the Property or engaging in the Activities by any means or through any media whatsoever, including without limitation, through photographs, video, blogging, texting, "tweeting" or posting any such information on any social-media site," says the alleged waiver. … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- All of CNET's coverage of yesterday's Xbox One event.

- Here's what we know about Xbox One games.

- Microsoft talks Xbox One naming, privacy and more (Q&A).

- Sharon Vaknin and CNET Reviews' John Falcone at last night's Webby Awards.

- Courts turning to UrbanDictionary as an authoritative source on slang. And here's The 404's contribution to UrbanDictionary.… Read more

Web site Comics Alliance, a three-time winner of the Eisner award -- went mysteriously silent toward the end of April, to the distress and consternation of comics fans.

No word -- official or otherwise -- was heard from either parent company AOL or any of the Comics Alliance staff members. However, the lack of updates on the site since April 29, where it usually updated several times a day, seemed to confirm that Comics Alliance was being shelved and archived. This apparent move was puzzling, as the site was not losing money; quite the contrary, in fact.

A new post on the Web site, however, seems to indicate that perhaps the whole thing was merely a hiatus.… Read more

The debate around video game violence and whether it leads to actual violence has once again come to the fore this year since the Obama administration asked for funding to study the matter. A study by researchers at the University of Connecticut isn't trying to answer that particular thorny question, but it has uncovered a noteworthy component to the level of aggression gamers display when playing.

The study monitored 148 participants as they played Quake 3 Revolution on PlayStation 2. They battled opponents that either looked closely human or characters that looked like inhuman monsters. The gamers were surveyed afterward. The study found that fighting human targets increased both verbal aggression and aggressive thoughts. The research was just published in the journal Mass Communication and Society.… Read more

The wait is over. Microsoft's new console is called the Xbox One, and it will be a machine that will wear many hats. But what did we learn about the games?

First off, Microsoft tells CNET that the Xbox One will not be backward compatible with any previous Xbox game. Xbox One games will also need to be fully installed, and if the install disc is used on another console, there will be a small fee for doing so. We don't have a lot of the details beyond that, but fears of anti-used-game tactics have officially been realized. … Read more

Microsoft unveiled its long-awaited new game and entertainment console today, the Xbox One.

The third generation of Microsoft's console, the Xbox One integrates an advanced technical architecture with an all-new design meant to give users a personalized experience that responds almost instantly to their voice and gesture commands.

The new console, black and sleek with a horizontal slit across its center and a modern Xbox logo, features 5 billion transistors, 8GB of RAM, USB 3.0, Wi-Fi direct, a Blu-Ray drive, and a native 64-bit architecture. In addition, it has a 1080P HD RGB camera and an all-new game … Read more

Microsoft and 343 Industries have recruited film director Steven Spielberg in the creation of a new Halo live-action TV series.

The companies announced the new series during their Xbox One unveil event today.

Spielberg presumably will produce the new show in conjunction with Halo developer 343 Industries. Halo, the popular franchise that has anchored Xbox for years, used to be developed by Bungie Studios. Microsoft did not specify what Spielberg's role would be.

Though Spielberg was not able to attend Microsoft's Xbox One event in Redmond, Wash., he appeared on screen, noting that the Halo franchise is "… Read more

In recent years, we've seen people dabble in bringing a narrative film experience to mobile phones. It makes sense -- there's an interactive personal screen in your pocket that allows you to pick up content wherever you go. But neither the interactive film "Tender Loving Care" (starring John Hurt) nor the Dutch film "App," which interacted with your iOS or Android device during cinematic screenings, picked up much traction.

"Haunting Melissa," by film producer Neal Edelstein, might have what it takes. Available globally as a free app on iOS, the film is accessible, and it's using the flexibility of mobile devices to experiment with the genre. … Read more