Xbox One

Its first time on top in 2014.
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#IDARB? It Draws a Red Box. ^

What once was a red box on Twitter has now become a platforming, jump-all-over-the-place, arena-ball esport that’ll make the crowds go wild. Crowds? Yes. For the first time, people can actively participate or interfere with games in progress by Twitch or Twitter. By using different hashtags, different effects may occur to really liven the game up: reversed controls, water floods, fireworks and even an internet meme that will never give up. Games played live may never be the same.

The best part? #IDARB is participating in Microsoft’s Games with Gold program in February, developer Other Ocean Interactive announced today. Microsoft members with an Xbox Live Gold membership will be able to attain #IDARB for free when downloaded while the game is in the program.

Can’t wait until February? Well, you’re in luck.

Other Ocean has started giving out full game codes two months early to some of its most vocal fans. If you want your chance to play the game early, visit Other Ocean’s Twitter page here, Twitch page here and website here to declare your desire to play the game.

Mike Mika, Head of Development for Other Ocean Interactive had this to say about giving away the game early: “It might sound kind of strange to give the game away for free two months before it officially comes out, but that’s in line with how #IDARB was built from day one.”

What is this game, and how does it play? Check out the trailers inside to see festivities in action.

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#dealwithit

That was Adam Orth’s comment in 2013 about future consoles being “always-online.” It was the comment that sparked major internet backlash, put him on his path to be released from Microsoft and set his life in a spiral.

You could say his life was…Adrift. You could say, this is his attempt to #dealwithit.

Studio Three One Zero describes Adrift as “an immersive First Person Experience (FPX) that tells the story of an astronaut in peril. Floating silently amongst the wreckage of a destroyed space station with no memory and a severely damaged EVA suit, the only survivor struggles to determine the cause of the catastrophic event that took the lives of everyone on board. The player fights to stay alive by exploring the wreckage for precious resources, and overcomes the challenges of an unforgiving environment to repair the damaged emergency escape vehicle and safely return home.”

Sound familiar? Parallels can be drawn to Adam Orth’s experience and his attempts to salvage his life, pick up the pieces and learn from his mistakes in the process.

Check out the trailer below for the first look at Adrift.

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In the eight months immediately following the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One launches in November of 2013, Sony, riding high on major public relations victories over Microsoft, led next-gen console sales by a supposed margin of nearly two to one. Despite selling at a pace much quicker than the last-gen-market-leading Xbox 360 did during the same point in its life cycle, the Xbox One was lagging far behind the PlayStation 4 in market share.

So Microsoft made some changes.

Executives Don Mattrick and Marc Whitten left the company. Phil Spencer took over as the head of the Xbox team. Kinect was unbundled from the console. Larger multimedia initiatives were cut entirely or made ancillary in favor of a focus on gaming first and foremost. Finally, the Xbox One’s price was temporarily (for the holidays) dropped to $350 with a $60 retail game bundled in.

Those maneuvers seem to be paying off, as data reporting firm InfoScout found that the Xbox One enjoyed a Black Friday sales lead of 22 percent over the PlayStation 4, according to data compiled from more than 180,000 sales receipts. InfoScout followed up by conducting a survey of 350 consumers who purchased a console on Black Friday, and found that 71 percent of Xbox One buyers cited cost as a major influence on their purchase. Comparatively, just 48 percent of PlayStation 4 buyers surveyed indicated that price played a major role in their purchase decision.

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The historical origins of Giana Sisters date back to 1987 with the release of The Great Giana Sisters on the Commodore 64. Fast forward to March 20, 2013, Xbox Live Arcade saw the release of Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams for $15.00 USD. For fans of the XBLA game and curious newcomers alike, Black Forest Games is introducing Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams — Director’s Cut to Xbox One users on December 12, 2014 for 14,99 € and undisclosed USD price.

What is the difference between the Xbox 360 version and Xbox One version?

More everything.

This release encompasses the original Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams as well as the add-on Rise of the Owlverlord. On top of that, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams — Director’s Cut will also contain The Christmas Levels and The Halloween Levels, which will total for 38 action filled levels in 1080p HD graphics at 60 frames per second.

Included after the jump is an early announcement trailer of the festivities coming soon.

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Available now, in a galaxy not far, far away — Star Wars skins come to Minecraft. There are 55 total skins, which include characters from Episodes IV, V and VI …
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Last month, rumors started circling that the black-and-white indie gem Limbo may get an Xbox One release. The rumor has been unofficially confirmed, as users have been receiving free copies of the …
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Terraria was originally developed by Re-Logic; 505 Games published the Xbox One port. It is scheduled for release on November 14, 2014 and will cost $19.99. A copy was provided for review purposes.

I’m not sure when or why I began to think more sceptically about re-released and high definition remasters of past-generation games. Perhaps it was only recently, when the Xbox One became awash with them. First there was Minecraft, then all three current Telltale Games productions and now, less than two weeks later, we have Terraria (and in the retail space, Halo: The Master Chief Collection.)

I’ve always enjoyed Terraria, as I described at length in my review of the original Xbox 360 release. Because this is essentially still the same game — albeit with the addition of a number of key updates — it should come as no surprise that the original critique still stands. There are, however, some important new bits that make the Xbox One release different. Let’s unearth them.

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A brand new system update for the Xbox One is rolling out now, packed with plenty of fan-requested features. This will be the last major update this year, following 10 consecutive updates that released throughout 2014. This may be the year’s final update, but more feature-rich updates are planned for 2015.

Customization is a big part of the new update. You’ll now be able to set your background image, using either unlocked achievement art or your own imported images. You’ll also be able to customize your profile, letting you edit and display your location and bio. The brand new showcase feature lets you pick your favorite achievements and game clips and attach them to your profile, letting you show off your accomplishments to the world. If game clips are your thing, you’ll now be able to share them through Twitter if you have an account linked to your Gamertag.

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Costume Quest 2 was developed by Double Fine Productions and published by Midnight City Games. It was released on October 31, 2014 for $14.99 on Xbox 360 and Xbox One. A copy was provided for review purposes.

Appropriately released just before Halloween, Costume Quest 2 has more tricks, treats and timed-button pushes. The sequel to Double Fine’s 2010 Costume Quest, this release picks up shortly after the first game. The two main protagonists, Reynold and Wren, return as playable characters with new companions to battle alongside with, and, not to be forgotten, the supporting cast from the first game, which play an important role in the time-traveling tale.

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