Number 5

Mickey 3DS XL Release in April

Disney fans who wanted a special themed 3DS will now have the opportunity to purchase a Mickey Mouse edition 3DS XL from Wal-Mart and the Nintendo World Store next month. Based on the circulating photograph confirmed by Nintendo, the Mickey 3DS XL edition is white with gold Mickey symbols and features the Disney’s Magical World logo on the top. No information regarding the price or if it comes bundled with the Disney’s Magical World game. The Disney’s Magical World game is being released April 11, 2014 in North America. Most likely the Mickey 3DS XL will also be available on that day.

Number 4

Persona 4 Release for the PS3

One of the PS2’s best JRPG hits, Persona 4, is being released on the PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3 April 8th. The only confirmed areas of the Persona 4 digital download release is for North and South America and will cost $9.99. Persona 4 is from Atlus and originally launched in 2008. Here is the story from Atlus’s website:

“Inaba- A quite town in rural Japan. A normal teenager arrives at the station to begin his year-long stay in the countryside, only to be welcomed by the news of a dead TV announcer. Shortly after, another body appears, mysteriously hung from the top of a telephone pole. The cause of death is unknown, with no leads on the suspect… As the peaceful community is thrown into turmoil, the urban youth and his classmates wander into a strange, surreal place covered by a thick fog…”

Number 3

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Trailer and Release Date

The new Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor trailer has brought some mysteries to light. Shadow of Mordor will launch on October 7, 2014 for PS4, PS3, Xbox 360 and Xbox One and PC. Pre-order bonuses will available through participating stores that include a Dark Ranger Character Skin, a “Test of Power” Challenge Mode and access to the leaderboards. According to GameInformer’s article, in addition to the game itself an iOS companion app named Palantir will “sync with game assets and the final game, to reveal additional layers of information, insights and fan-authored content, creating a unique second-screen experience”.

Number 2

Infamous: Second Son to receive a handful of updates

Sucker Punch Productions’ co-founder and producer, Brian Fleming, took to the PlayStation Blog today to update everyone on what is coming next for Infamous: Second Son. The team has gathered feedback from players and are now working on a “handful” of additions and bug fixes.

Players can expect to see the update roll out, at the earliest, in two weeks. Items that will be included in the update are the ability to select the time of day from the options menu when you start a second playthrough. Certain players have also requested the ability to turn off the HUD so they can take high-quality screenshots. Lastly, they will be including the ability for players to cap the game at 30 frames per second.

“Internally we prefer the unlocked frame rate, but we recognize that some players find it distressing,” Fleming wrote. “So we’ll provide a way to ensure the game is not bumping up over 30FPS, if that’s how you prefer to play.”

Number 1

Phil Spencer to take over the reins of the Xbox division at Microsoft

Microsoft announced that the former head of Microsoft Studios, Phil Spencer, is now the leader of the Xbox division. Spencer published a blog post on Xbox Wire in which he describes why he is excited to assume the title, Head of Xbox.

“Combining these teams will strengthen the connection between some of the world’s most innovative creators and those building the Xbox itself,” said Spencer in a statement on Xbox Wire. “It’s been a remarkable year for Xbox and I am honored to lead the team at this incredible time for Microsoft and the games industry.”

In a very detailed companywide letter, Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, explains the move and why it is the right choice for Microsoft. ”Combining all our software, gaming and content assets across the Xbox team under a single leader and aligning with the [Operating Systems Group] team will help ensure we continue to do great work across the Xbox business, and bring more of the magic of Xbox to all form factors, including tablets, PCs and phones,” said Nadella. “I love the way the Xbox team is focused on great games and gaming experiences (go, Titanfall!), connects with its fans, pushes the boundary of entertainment and has embraced the power of the cloud in such interesting and impactful ways. Phil is the right person to lead Xbox forward.”

Honorable Mentions

Some times it’s hard to narrow down all the stories of the week with the big news and all. Here are some honorable mentions:

Check out our 8bit Proof Podcast. The guys talk about gaming, what’s new in the industry, and have all around fun. It’s just a bunch of bros having fun. Also listen to get quick rundowns of the latest and greatest in gaming in audio format. What’s better than that? If you like the guys subscribe to them on iTunes.