At first I thought it was a joke.  I mean, putting Mega Man in Smash Bros. is what gamers have been wanting and couldn't ever seem to get, so when I saw a video posted on YouTube, I thought it was somehow fan made.  Then I saw it on the Capcom Unity website and on the tail end of today's Nintendo Direct...and I couldn't be more estatic.  Mega Man is joining the Smash Bros. crew in the upcoming 3DS and Wii U entries simply titled Super Smash Bros. at this time, and along with him he's bringing nine robot master weapons from his classic adventures.  Personally, I can't wait until this gets released.

This video was found on the YouTube channel SmashBrosCh, but can also be found towards the end of today's Nintendo Direct.

While Jeremy touched on a few things that Mad Catz is announcing at the show, here are three more products that we just got wind of.

• M.O.J.O. Android Micro Console: A few companies are putting out micro consoles utilizing the Android operating system and Mad Catz is getting into the game. I don't see any specs (I'll ask when I see them today which chipset they are using), but the small box has all the connections needed to plug into a TV as well as controllers. Pair it up with the Bluetooth 4.0 C.T.R.L.R. controllers and you'll have a full fledge console on your hands for your TV.
• C.T.R.L.R. Wireless Controller :  These wireless controllers use Bluetooth 4.0 technology to connect to any product you own as well as the new M.O.J.O coming from Mad Catz. It features a technology called GameSmart mode which will simplify connecting to devices as well as improve battery life. Sounds promising and it will come in three colors: black, white, and red.
• Arcade Fight Stick Tournament Edition 2 for Xbox One: That's a mouthful, but it will be the fighting stick from makers of great fightings sticks for the Xbox One. This sounds like a perfect compliment for Killer Instinct. You can check out the pictures below, but expect some thoughts later today as I try and get my hands on this one.

It looks like you can boil Konami's current strategy down to Castlevania, Metal Gear, soccer, and mobile as their lineup is dominated by those titles.  Matt will be checking out the booth later this week but here's what he'll hopefully be checking out:

• Castlevania -Lords of Shadow (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
• Castlevania -Lords of Shadow- 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
• Metal Gear Solid :  The Phantom Pain
• Metal Gear Solid: Legacy Collection (PS3)
• Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Warner Bros. revealed a new map for Turbine's upcoming MOBA Infinite Crisis, Coast City.

The map presents DC heroes with two lanes above and below a central area called "The Wastes." Located in this area is the Doomsday Device, a gameplay addition that offers a powerful attack against enemy characters and structures. The device must be captured by tema after every respawn, and is defended by a neutral turret, making it a veritable choke zone for both teams.

Coast City also uses "power relays," points that give players a patrolling view of the entire map. Coast City is the newest announcement in Turbine's line of environments that aim to "introduce new and innovative features to the MOBA genre." 
 

The newest original installment in the Legend of Zelda franchise is now called A Link Between Worlds, and Nintendo revealed a new gameplay trailer at its Nintendo Direct E3 conference today.

The new entry is a sequel to the SNES' A Link to the Past, using the art style of the Nintendo DS titles Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, as well as a mechanic that allows Link to flatten himself along walls. He uses this power to avoid falling during a platforming sequence in the new trailer, which also shows the different tools Link will come across in A Lin Between Worlds.

Although A Link Between Worlds has no definitive release date, Nintendo has said that it aims to release the 3DS game this holiday season. 

Mad Catz has gone from being the maker simple, third-party controllers to one of the leading accessory designers and producers in the industry. The company has definitely made a fan out of me over the past couple of years. They are currently out at E3 showing off some of their latest products including. Some of the new things being shown at the show include:

• TRITTON Kunai Universal Headset: This sleek, universal stereo headset is compatible with most consoles as well as PC and mobile devices. As long as it remains comparable to the Vita / PS3 release that I reviewed last year they will likely have another quality headset on their hands
• TRITTON Kunai Stereo Headset for PC / Mac: Just like above, a quality product line that is simply expanding its platform options.
• S.T.R.I.K.E.3 Professional Gaming Keyboard for PC: Featuring 12 macro keys and 36 programmable commands, this keyboard aims to be a quality tool in the field of competitive gaming. The entire keyboard bed is backlit with the ability to display millions of colors, allowing you to customize the glow to your liking. Dedicated media controls are also included for your non-gaming downtime.
• TRITTON Pro+ Headset for PC / Mac: The Pro+ is a full, 5.1 surround sound headphone option for computer gamers out there. This version includes four separate drivers in each earcup, enabling true, 5.1 surround performance.
• F.R.E.Q. 4D Headset for PC / mobile devices: This variation of the FREQ line (which includes the EXCELLENT FREQ 7) features ViviTouch 4D sound, adding a new dimension of perception to the headphone realm.

John will be meeting with Mad Catz this week and will have full details on all of these products and more.

Last night during Sony's E3 press conference we caught sight of the new gameplay trailer for Batman: Arkham Origins (I missed the Mocrosoft conference so I'm not sure if it showed there as well).  The trailer showcases some of the villains you'll meet in the game such as Bane, Deathstroke, and Black Mask, as well as a sneak peak at some of the new features such as the all-new Crime Scene system and the Remote Claw gadget.  The game will release on October 25th for the Xbox 360, Wii U, PS3, and PC, as well as on the 3DS as Batman: City Origins Blackgate.

Electronic Arts came into E3 this year with a lot to prove.  The industry titan has been battered a bit over the last year with all of the noise around the launch of SimCity, the departure of their CEO, and a lot of other noise around online passes and other parts of their business.  EA came out swinging and I'm not just talking about the joking jabs that Peter Moore took at certain media personalities before the presentation started and delivered one of their best press conferences in years.  Here's the high level summary of the event
 
Talking Points

• Very heavy focus on next generation gaming
• All games will either use the Frostbite engine or the Ignite engine
• Next Generation isn't just about graphics
• Smartglass/mobile is an important part of next generation games 

New Things

• Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare - fantastic third person spin on the popular game
• Peggle 2 - 'nuff said
• Titanfall - one of the best looking games of the show so far.  Love the look and feel of the game and how can you go wrong with a game with mechs and jetpacks in it? 
• Battlefront - The prayers of every Star Wars fan were answered when this short teaser came up.  No details but  the thought of a Star Wars game running on the Frostbite engine is awe inspiring
• Need for Speed Rivals - great looking game and digging how single and multiplayer action blends together so seamlessly
• Dragon Age: Inquisition - More Dragon Age which makes a lot of people happy
• Battlefield 4 - sure it's a lot of the same thing over again but the multi-player demo was amazing for the level of destruction you can cause.  Battlefield 4 doesn't drop mics, it drops entire buildings
• Mirrors Edge 2 - you wanted it, you got it.  No release date though other than "When it's done"

 
What they didn't say

• Why NHL 14 won't be on next gen consoles this year
• What's going on for current generation systems?
• Is there anything at all in development for the Wii U
• Release dates/windows for Battlefront, Mirrors Edge 2  

Summary
Like I said earlier, this was one of the best presentations Electronic Arts has put on in years.  The list of games was a perfect mix of titles that we already knew about mixed in with some fantastic surprises like Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare and Battlefront.  While I'm personally disappointed at the lack of a next gen NHL game this was a different EA on stage today, a confident and relaxed EA that looks to be delivering some fun content over the next few years. 

Oh yeah and they also announced that you can play games on PS4 without having to worry about having to connect the system online at least once every 24 hours. 

This was all great news but nothing I have ever seen at E3 before would compare to the amazing reaction from the crowd exploding in cheers once this news was announced. 

Man, Sony just attacked Microsoft's weak point for massive damage! 

Check it out below. 

As we entered the movie theatre for the preview of Disney's Infinity it became easy to understand the appeal of the game.  Looking up at the screen we were greeted with the visages of Mike and Sully from Monster U and Tonto and the Lone Ranger from The Lone Ranger movie. 
 
Seeing the "Infinity versions" of these characters peering down everyone, it was easy to image the company cranking out figures for each of their feature films:
New Marvel movie?   New figures. 
New Muppet movie?  New figures. 
New Star Wars movie?  Tons of new figures. 
 
I almost wondered if Infinity was the name of the game or a clever way of describing how much money Disney was expecting to generate from the new system. 
 
It's easy to compare the game to Activision's Skylanders.  Both feature cute figurines that you place on a pad that's attached to your console which causes a digital representation of that character to appear in the game.  There are a few significant differences though.
 
The Infinity figures don't just represent a character in the game, they represent a new world to play in replete with and new gameplay modes.  The Lone Rangers figures adds all kinds of Western themed gameplay while he Monster U characters bring in college hijinks like a mode where you try to capture the opposing school's mascot. 
 
It's best to think of Infinity as a game platform and not just a game as the real fun of infinity comes from the single player content as well as the fact that players can craft their own levels.  The levels are built using components from a central "Toy box" that ships with the game.  Each new figure you add to your collection adds new buildings and toys for your toy box.  .  Thus as your collection of figures grows, the tools they will have to craft those levels will grow as well. 
 

The pad you place the figures on is also a bit different from the one in Skylanders in that it has three different ports.  The front two support the character figures (along with up to three power ups) while a third pad in the back allows you to add special mounts (horses, motorcycles, Tron light cars) to the game.  It's an ingenious setup as now the characters can now be modified with parts that will more than likely be sold separately.
 
Level creation isn't a solo experience as you can have up to four people helping you build levels.  Couch co-op is supported which will allow parents to create levels with their children.   What was impressive about the levels is how much space you are given to work with.  Levels aren't just big flat spaces but there's a lot of vertical space to work with. 
 
Levels aren't just about the placing of objects though as players will be able to create their own game modes with Infinity.  Much like Little Big Planet, the game comes with single player content in the box for players to enjoy but also to serve as a tutorial of what the game can do.
 
Your creations will have some limits in terms of how complex they can get as it would be easy to create massive system choking levels.  Players will be limited by the number of points they can spend on a level and certain things will cost more than others as they tax the system more.  
 
Once your levels are created you can submit them to Disney for distribution to other players.  Disney will curate the levels and release the good ones (i.e. the ones without any lewdness, profanity, or copyright infringements) into the wild where others can download and play them.  This dramatically increases the quantity of the value of the game as free new content
 
It's hard not to be impressed with the vision of what Disney Interactive is trying to do with Infinity.  They are taking some of the best elements of several class leading games and mixing in their large portfolio of their iconic characters.  It's also not hard to see how many places Disney is going to put their hands in your pocket for more money.  Beyond the obvious expense of new figures there's also the question of how much new power-ups and mounts will cost.  Sure they aren't necessarily things you need to enjoy the game but you or your kids will "need" to have them at some point.
 
The platform is set to launch in August and will ship with a three pack of Captain Jack Sparrow, Mr Incredible, and Sully.   

The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena emptied tonight to the sound of applause and cheers, from media and fans alike. After weeks of rumors and announcements that both the Xbox One and Playstation 4 would require a constant online connection, digital rights management and high price points, Sony disproved them all –– at least, on Sony’s end.
 
The Playstation 4 will not always require an online connection, it supports used games, and is priced at $399, one hundred dollars less than its competitor, the Xbox One.
 
“Playstation is in a state of rapid evolution,” Andrew House, president and CEO of Sony, said at the company’s E3 press conference. “It’s defined by breakthrough content that resonates with gamers of all kinds.”
 
While this corporate presentation jargon has been heard at many a company’s press conference in the years between each E3, Sony made due on their promise.
 
Emerging from development limbo was Final Fantasy Versus XIII. However, that name no longer exists; it’s been re-branded Final Fantasy XV, checking another one of several boxes off of struggling developer Square Enix’s list.
 
Next box on that list is Kingdom Hearts III, the sought after title that was finally announced at Sony’s press conference tonight. The teaser showed shots of previous series entries, followed by protagonist Sora finding a keyblade on a deserted beach. This marks the first numbered entry since Kingdom Hearts II, which released in 2006.
 
Sony also revealed that previously-announced titles Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Watch Dogs will have content exclusive to the Playstation 4, including missions and outfits for both. New gameplay demos aired for both, showing a suave Edward Kenway spring through a burning village and a decisive Aiden Pierce make short work of an entire city.
 
The first gameplay demo was then shown for Bungie’s Destiny, in which Bungie’s co-founder Jason Jones took to the stage to play a cooperative game in which he and his partner explored an abandoned Russian wall. New partners continually joined the play session, until a total of eight players were fighting together on an open beachhead.
 
The Elder Scrolls Online will be coming to Playstation 4, allowing players to team up to fight the forces of Oblivion for the first time in an Elder Scrolls title.
 
As for new IP, Sony revealed The Order: 1886, a steampunk shooter set in19th century White Chapel. The Order is a Playstation 4 exclusive developed by Ready At Dawn studios, and published by Sony Santa Monica. The trailer showed four fighters emerging from a stagecoach to defend against a slew of zombie-like creatures under the shadows of zeppelins and demonic creatures.
 
After the reveal of several new IP, after the promise of third party exclusive content and after several new gameplay videos, Sony made good on another promise: to support independent developers.
 
Klei Entertainment, developer of Shank and mark of the Ninja, is bringing its newest title Don’t Starve, to the Playstation 4. Other independent titles coming to Sony’s new console include Outlast, Octodad: Dadliest Catch, Transistor, Ray’s The Dead, Secret Ponchos and New n’ Tasty, an Oddworld: Abe’s Odyssey remake.
 
Sony wants to ““continue to lead the console space as the most open and inclusive console for independent developers,” Adam Boyce, vice president of third party relations told the audience.
 
These independent titles will each be free for one month for Playstation Plus members. Also: Playstation Plus memberships carry over from the Playstation 3. In fact, players will receive a free version of Drive Club, a new racing game exclusive to Sony’s upcoming console, for signing up for Playstation Plus before the Playstation 4’s release.
 
The only major difference with Playstation Plus is that online multiplayer on the Playstation 4 will require the former, whereas it’s free on the Playstation 3. Both next-generation consoles will require a membership in order to play online multiplayer, but Sony is not requiring an Internet connection to play single player; Microsoft is.
 
Sony made its conference about the games; it made its conference about the consumer, about independent developers making games they’re passionate about, and about allowing players to play them. Sony made a plethora of bold moves tonight, and it’s up to Microsoft to recover.
 

Madden 25 is one of the titles that will join the Xbox One when it makes its debut in stores this November. The game was confirmed for the platform today, along with the PS4 version, and promised to be available at launch.

Adrian Peterson was also named the cover star for the next generation versions of the game. It is interesting to see EA launching different covers for the various platforms as it is not something that they usually do. You can get your first glimpse at the official cover for the game below and read the rest of the details in the press release on the next page. [READ MORE]

BioWare announced during the EA E3 press conference that Dragon Age: Inquisition is coming to next-gen platforms this fall.

Inquisition, which has dropped the "3" from its titles since its announcement a few months ago, will utilize the Frostbite engine to create an immersive, open world, according to the developer.
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