It’s that time of week again when we take a fond look back at the top five news stories from the week, and oh what a week it was in the wake of E3. Welcome to the Weekly Wrap-Up. Below you’ll find a brief summary of the stories, but for the full articles, click on the hyperlink. Feel free to let us know if you agree or disagree with our choices; if you have suggestions for future entries, feel free to email me at jeremy.tyler@bagogames.com.
Enjoy!
Number 5
Microsoft Offers Fable III For Free To Gold Members
Although Microsoft made little reference to this whilst they were surrounded by negativity during E3 last week many are not aware that Microsoft is running a new promotion which is (finally) giving Xbox Live Gold members more value which they deserve.
The promotion, “Games With Gold”, is expected to run until the end of this year offering some of the best titles which are available on the Xbox 360 to those with gold memberships for free! Next month Assassin’s Creed II and Halo 3 will be made available for free (the game is yours to keep whether your subscription is active or not, something which PlayStation Plus does not offer!) although many gamers questioned why the promotion did not start immediately. But it has.
Number 4
Nintendo Expands StreetPass App With DLC
One of the biggest (and most fun) functions of Nintendo’s latest handheld, the Nintendo 3DS, is not that it can download a whole catalog of retro titles from Nintendo’s own eShop, nor the huge collection of new titles available both in physical and digital format, but the ability to ‘StreetPass’ other handheld owners to swap data, collect Play Coins and build an army of Mii’s to take on fierce dragons waiting to be battled within your 3D handheld.
So it makes sense we guess that Nintendo is expanding the fun by delivering four new mini-games for fans of StreetPass to purchase for £4.49 each or as a bundle for £13.49, a saving of £4.47; nearly a entire DLC game. The new software also brings with it 99 new hats and outfits for your Mii to wear to then StreetPass other gamers.
Number 3
PS4 Already Taking A Early Lead Over Xbox One
If you thought the excitement and buzz of E3 last week would die down soon they you were obviously mistaken as early data from major online retailers in the United States have revealed gamers true thoughts on the two next generation consoles which are hitting our stores before the end of the year.
Between the period of June 10th to June 12th, early data showed that consumers had pre-ordered approximately three PlayStation 4 units to every two Xbox One units. A small lead but a lead nonetheless.
Number 2
Sony Hold Back PS3 Update After Bricking Some Consoles
Earlier this week the latest firmware update for the PlayStation 3 was sent out to Sony fans across the globe under the name of 4.45 although it was quickly taken offline after some users reported to Sony that the update had actually bricked their consoles (rendered them useless)!
Over at the official PlayStation forums a topic was created by one user named “JadeTreeInWind” who first reported the issue at 07:12PM on 06-18-2013. Since then the topic has grown to 82 pages with many other users reporting to Sony that the update has had an impact on their own consoles also.
In a statement to Eurogamer the company said:
“We are aware of reports that the recent PlayStation 3 system software update (version 4.45) has caused the XMB to not display on a small number of PS3 systems. We have temporarily taken 4.45 offline and are investigating the cause of the problem. We will announce when the system update is available for download as soon as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
Number 1
Xbox One No Longer Needs to Be Online, Can Trade-in and Loan Games
It would seem that Microsoft is changing its plan with the Xbox One, as a recent update on the system, given by Don Mattrick, confirms that the Xbox One will not require an Internet connection and disc based games are subject to lending, renting and trading in.
“Since unveiling our plans for Xbox One, my team and I have heard directly from many of you, read your comments and listened to your feedback. I would like to take the opportunity today to thank you for your assistance in helping us to reshape the future of Xbox One,” reads the post.
“You told us how much you loved the flexibility you have today with games delivered on disc. The ability to lend, share, and resell these games at your discretion is of incredible importance to you. Also important to you is the freedom to play offline, for any length of time, anywhere in the world.”
The Xbox One will only require an internet connection for the initial setup of the system. The 24 hour check-in is now a thing of the past and there are no limits on what you do with your physical games. So go nuts (but not too nuts).
Honorable Mentions
This week had a lot of big news and the news staff and I found it hard to narrow it down to the usual five stories:
- Sony Matches Microsoft: PS4 Titles Also Priced The Same As PS3
- PlayStation 3 Fix for Software Update 4.45 Coming June 27th
- GameStop See Shares Jump 5.32% After Xbox One Reversal
If you missed out on the big news items this week, you can check out our weekly podcast and get an audio update of this week’s madness from our podcasting team. Listen to us as we talk about some things seriously and a few other things not so much. We guarantee this episode will make you shake your fist at times and nod your head at others.