Since we already told you the important facts about the XBox One yesterday, I thought I would take time to let it sink in and then give my reaction to what was announced. Any of you follow me on Twitter saw my initial reactions yesterday, but I wanted to be fair and take a step back before voicing my actual thoughts instead of just hoping for retweets. This isn’t about being a fanboy or ranting, but just my honest reactions to the announcements.

First off, the name has to be addressed. I like the fact that Microsoft didn’t go with calling the console just “XBox” again and at least the “One” differentiates it. I call my current console the “360″ in conversation and I don’t doubt that I’ll end up calling the XBox One just the “XBox,” but it was at least better than Apple’s iPad, iPad 2 and then “new iPad.” And let’s be honest, the name isn’t what sells a system as the Wii proved since every gamer ripped that name to shreds.

Also, thank you to Microsoft for showing the system. They needed to do something to separate themselves from Sony and the PlayStation 4 and rather than continue the pissing contest that is going to reach E3, they just showed what it looked like. Much like the name, the overall look of the system isn’t going to make or break the sale of a console (again take a look at the Wii). I was happy to see most of the design on the controller remained and was happy to see the D-Pad had been changed as it is especially reviled by fighting gamers.

Hooray for Blu-Ray. Although that means my HD-DVD is now officially in the same category as Betamax and Laserdisc.

I appreciate Skype being on the XBox One and integrated with the “Snap” feature, but I feel like I’ll never use it. The last thing I want when watching TV or a movie is to have someone talking to me. Maybe if I was a sports guy and wanted to talk trash during a game with my friend across the country during a basketball game, I’d be down. But if I am watching The Walking Dead, don’t you dare try calling me during the show.

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Today during its reveal event for the XBox One, Activision’s Eric Hirshberg came to the stage to reveal the first trailer for Call of Duty: Ghosts. Fortunately, as happens in these fast moving times, we’ve already got the trailer for you to see again, or for the very first time.

Without going into too much detail, we can just say this new game looks to continue the tradition established by previous games in this franchise. As in, you get to kick a lot of ass and blow stuff up.

And really, isn’t that what these games are all about? We think so. As long as you do it in the privacy of your own home, of course.

Check out the trailer after the break. Call of Duty: Ghosts arrives in stores later this year.

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During an event today at its Redmond, WA campus, Microsoft announced the brand new Xbox console everyone had been waiting for. Dubbed “XBox One” the new console features a host of internal and external improvement, enhancements and new features/content including 8GB of RAM, a 500 GB internal HD, USB 3.0, 802.11n Wi-Fi, a Blu-ray drive and three operating systems: The standard Xbox OS, the kernel of Windows 8 for web applications and a third platform that connects the two together.

Microsoft has also completely redesigned its Kinect sensor to better respond to users’ voices and gestures and has overhauled its Xbox Live experience, which is now supported by 300,000 servers, or 20 times the number of servers that currently power Xbox Live. That’s a lot of servers.

Microsoft also said during the event that it will launch 15 exclusive games on the Xbox One, 8 of which are new titles. The major one reveled was, of course, a brand new Call of Duty game called: Call of Duty: Ghosts.

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As geeks get older, they tend to accumulate more and more stuff. They also tend to move and/or end up with significant others who may not share their love of collecting things and never getting rid of them. Ever.

Consequently, some stuff may get sold, misplaced or just plain “lost.” Fortunately, if some of that stuff happens to be your original AD&D Second Edition Core Rulebooks, you’re in luck because Wizards of the Coast has got you covered.

That’s right, the company is re-releasing all three books, The Player’s Handbook, Monstrous Manual and Dungeon Master Handbook, in super nice premium editions for your reading, use and collecting pleasure. Of course, the three books contain all of the original content and art, but each rulebook has a new cover design to commemorate the reprint.

Each book will set you back $49.95. Yes, that’s a bit more than they originally cost, but if you need/want them, you need/want them, right? They would also make a fine gift for the D&D geek on your list this holiday season. Not that I’m dropping hints or anything.

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As we previewed early yesterday morning, the team behind Batman: Arkham Origins at Warner Bros. Games Montreal revealed an almost five minute long CGI trailer for the game yesterday afternoon. With it came the reveal of pre-order information, two new major characters and some interesting news on the voice actors.

From the initial teaser, it was already confirmed that Deathstroke would find his way into the game. It was announced today that those who preorder Batman: Arkham Origins would be able to play as Deathstroke. It will be in similar fashion to the Joker or Catwoman challenge maps of Arkham games past as well as contain two additional costumes for Deathstroke.

Additionally, the trailer reveals two characters. Black Mask makes his return to the series after a brief cameo in Arkham City. It should be noted that it is revealed in Arkham City that Black Mask was the only man to ever escape. In addition, Deadshot will be making a return to the series as well.

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Way back in late 2010, Doritos brought out their second free game Doritos Crash Course to the XBLA. The title used XBox avatars as characters in a Wipe-Out / MXC style obstacle course. Luckily, the Doritos name was only present in the title and it never became a hit you over the head advertising ploy. There weren’t any Doritos speed boosts or Cool Ranch extra lives. And it ended up being pretty fun, despite only having three sets of courses that all looked pretty similar.

Doritos Crash Course 2 brings back the fun gameplay of the original with four distinctly different environments, a new unlockable progress system and support for Avatar FameStar. While the environments do a great job of adding visual variety, it’s the system of unlocking new content that gives Doritos Crash Course 2 an original feel. Instead of just progressing in order through levels, players unlock medals and stars that they use to purchase new levels. Getting certain placement against AI opponents earns a player more medals while taking various paths through a level allows access to different stars.

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This past weekend at Dallas Comic Con, the voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy, confirmed he would be returning to the Batman: Arkham series in the upcoming prequel, Batman: Arkham Origins. After a rumor surfaced in April that Conroy was done with the series, there was a lot of hesitance from series’ fans that someone else may be voicing the Dark Knight (because they have heard what happens when Christian Bale does it).

Early in the video below, Kevin discusses his involvement in the project and how he has been working on it for more than nine months. There is tons of hype right now around Batman: Arkham Origins as teaser trailer featuring Deathstroke going toe to toe with Batman from last week revealed a longer version would be premiering later today. So far, we’ve seen a healthy number of Batman villains represented in the two previous Arkham titles but there is a lot of excitement as to who will make their Arkham debut this time.

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If you loved Batman: Arkham Asylum and the sequel, Arkham City (and we’re pretty sure you did), get ready for some more awesome Batman action. That’s right, there’s another installment of the game franchise on the way.

Recently, Warner Bros. Interactive announced the game and it’s called Batman: Arkham Origins. And now, there’s a new teaser trailer highlighting just how great it’s gonna be.

Check out all the action after the break. Look for Batman: Arkham Origins to arrive in stores on October 23.

Want to see the teaser? Sure you do.

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After Scribblenauts Unlimited came to the Wii U with a fairly soft launch, a lot of people wondered what might be next, if at all, for the series. Aside from new puzzles, what was there really left you could do for Scribblenauts that hadn’t already been done with the customizability of Scribblenauts Unlimited? I mean, it has “unlimited” in the title. The answer of course is rather fitting, a comic book crossover.

Whenever publishers in comics are in a sales dip, they crossover a more popular character into another series to give it a sales boost. But why stop at just a Batman Scribblenauts or a Scribblenauts Metropolis? WB Games and 5th Cell took the whole DC Universe and brought it over to the Scribblenauts world in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure. In addition to giving the powers of various DC heroes and villains to Maxell, the trailer below indicates that players will be able to actually play as various DC characters in the game as well in the puzzle solving adventure.

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Wii U owners were pleased to find that the arcade classic Pac-Man found its way to the Wii U shop just about two weeks ago. Not bad to get some excitement about a game getting close to its 33rd birthday. But yesterday, something no one expected happened. A second Pac-Man piece of news in a month popped up with an all new Pac-Man title. Pac-Man would be returning in an all new game. Namco Bandai will be releasing Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures this fall to the XBox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U and Nintendo 3DS.

The hungry little sphere that could is coming back to 3D (with a sidescroller for the 3DS, go figure) with some new powers not yet seen before… well that’s not entirely true. From the look of the trailer below, there will be a transformative power set to the game where upon eating various ghosts, Pac-Man acquires certain abilities. Sounds a little bit like Kirby, wouldn’t you say? Well even though we only see one of these in action, there is certainly a Kirby-esque feel to the way the game looks to play.

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With Lobo now out in the wild and taking names as part of Injustice: Gods Among Us, it’s time to turn our attention to the next character that will be available as a DLC for the game.

Afteer some speculation (and an unfortunate leak) we now know for sure that Batgirl is next in line for the Injustice DLC treatment. In fact, it’s confirmed and there’s even a new trailer to prove it.

Here’s some info from the official press release:

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today released an all-new trailer revealing Batgirl, the next DLC character that will be available for the DC Comics fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us. Batgirl will be available on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for 400 Microsoft Points and PlayStation®Network at a price of $4.99. Developed by award-winning NetherRealm Studios, Injustice: Gods Among Us introduces a new franchise in the fighting game genre and a brand new story created in collaboration between NetherRealm Studios, DC Entertainment and comic book writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti.

Check out the trailer after the jump.

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It’s been about four years since we last saw William “B.J.” Blazkowicz take the fight to the filthy Nazi forces in Wolfenstein. Finally yesterday though, it was announced that B.J. would be making his return in the next installment of Wolfenstein entitled Wolfenstein: The New Order.

From what we’ve been able to find out so far, Wolfenstein: The New Order takes place years after the events of the last Wolfenstein. Although B.J. accomplished his mission, something happened as he was hidden away and he has a new regime to deal with. While some Wolfenstein games have at least started more reality based, Wolfenstein: The New Order is taking the Go Big or Go Home approach right at the start. Gigantic robots with lots of weaponry look to block B.J.’s way.

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It’s difficult to put into words just how great this trailer is. However, as we get paid by the word around here, we should at least give it a try.

Well, to be sure, it’s amazing. So many great bits and so much pop culture and old-school sci-fi/action b-movie nostalgia all rolled into a slick package. And hey, the game, a stand-along expansion to Far Cry 3 itself, looks pretty fun too. It even stars famous sci-fi actor Michael Biehn, which is pretty cool.

If you haven’t seen this trailer for Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, you should. In fact, click through immedietly and watch it. You won’t be sorry. Once you watch it, be sure to buy the game too. We need to support things like this.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is available now for PS 3 via the Playstation Network and XBox 360 via XBox Live Arcade.

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Ever wonder what the attraction to Lobo as a character was? Aside from being an amalgam of various comic tropes and stereotypes, something about him ended up resonating to the point that thirty years since his inception, the anti-hero (who is pretty much just such a badass villain that people still like him) finds his way to the roster of Injustice: Gods Among Us as the first of four DLC characters.

For those who purchased the Season Pass, Lobo was announced on launch day for the game as the first member of the DLC roster. From the video below, he looks like a combination of fighting styles of some of the other brute characters like Solomon Grundy or Doomsday with the gunplay of Deathstroke. The trailer also gives a brief history of Lobo and the concept behind him, and how Lobo started out almost as a parody before taking on a life of his own.

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This should be happy news, but I don’t think it is. Warner Bros. has aquired the movie rights to Dungeons & Dragons and are developing a feature film version.

I’m trying to be optimistic here but this development brings up several important questions, especially this one: what’s the story? If you know anything about D&D, and I would bet most Warner execs don’t, it’s not a game with one, set story. It’s a game where players basically make up the story as they go along.

Sure, there’s some common elements like the various character races, occupations and such, and the Dungeon Master certainly plans out some of what might happen during the game, but the rest unforlds on it’s own as the game progresses. In other words, simply saying “We’re making a D&D movie” doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense.

But that doesn’t really surprise me. Warner Bros. just wants its own Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings and to them D&D is the same thing and a name they can exploit.

To answer the story question (and this doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence either), the studio is apparently going to use an existing script by Wrath Of The Titans and Red Riding Hood writer David Leslie Johnson. That script is called Chainmail and is reportedly based on the game Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson thought up before they created D&D.

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