Other minor additions include a retail version of DC Universe Online Ultimate Edition and new skins for Injustice: Gods Among Us, including Batgirl, The Killing Joke skins and Red Son. Here is the full list:

PS3 Games

• Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger
• Capcom Arcade Cabinet
• DC Universe Online Ultimate Edition
• Fast and Furios Showdown
• Murgen Souls
• Resident Evil Revelations

PS Vita Games

• Men’s Room Mayhem

PS3 DLC

• Deadly Premonition (numerous additions)
• Dragon Dogma Ring Sets
• Injustice: Gods Among Us skins
• Metro Last Light weapons

Positives

Solid Specs

The guts and gore of the Xbox One were talked about briefly at the event, and they certainly looked solid. The new Xbox contains 8GB RAM along with an 8 core CPU and 3.0 USB Ports.  As most normal people have glazed over by now, it basically means that the Xbox One’s specs are really very good, allowing for more graphical fidelity and larger scope, as seen by the on stage tech demo for Call of Duty: Ghosts.

A breakdown of the Xbox One’s components

The inclusion of a Blu Ray drive is a huge relief too, not only aiding the console in its general game development but also for the playback of Blu Ray movies! The Xbox One’s new technical power is very similar to that of the PS4 as well, hopefully meaning a smaller difference and difficulty in ports and versions across both platforms. Overall, the Xbox One, much like the PS4 is a powerhouse piece of kit that can hopefully be utilised to its fullest.

Interface

Windows 8 hasn’t been a huge success in the modern market, but its design influences over the Xbox One’s new interface looked brilliant, with the tablet-aimed setup complementing a controller or Kinect input. The different boxes for games, movies, TV and music on the Home Screen seemed much tidier than the 360’s dashboard, and will hopefully act as a solid base for the entire interface. We also liked the Trending section, integrating a sort of Twitter recommendation service which could be a small, but huge tweak. The small glimpse we got of the interface looked smooth and sexy, a perfect combination for the new generation.

Kinect 2

The Kinect has always been a bit of a sore spot for the Xbox brand, but the revamped and much improved version, Kinect 2, sounded much more practical, and precise, than its older parent. Featuring 1080p output at 30fps, Kinect 2 is said to be able to pick up on the slightest movement, from facial expressions to even your heart beat (as shown by some eerie tech demos). Whilst these could always be false promises, the new precision works in great harmony with the new hand gestures for swiping and grasping, making the Kinect-Xbox relationship a little more practical than before.

Although nothing new, the voice commands yet again worked a treat on stage but whether that level of competence will continue after release, we will have to wait. Kinect 2 surprised us with its clever integration and sky high potential, if Microsoft use it correctly this time!

New Controller Design

Smoothly carrying on from the improved Kinect 2 is the new design for the classic Xbox controller. We love the Xbox controller, but the small innovations really seemed to tip it further towards perfection. The face buttons technicalities have been switched, with a new magnetic clicker system which will hopefully result in quicker and more accurate button inputs, great for the intense gaming moments. Similarly, it’s refreshing to see that the D-Pad has finally been redesigned, allowing many gamers breathe a sigh of relief! We prefer the matte black look as well, tying in nicely with the actual console’s finish. Although just a small change, we really like the new controller and can’t wait to get our sweaty hands on it!

Interactive TV

If there was a main take-away from the Xbox One’s reveal, it would be that Microsoft are aiming to create a truly multimedia machine, with TV services playing a major part. The onstage demos of live TV switching and social media integration were awesome, pushing the envelope of our modern day TV experiences. The live fantasy league updates for NBA and NFL seemed like great fun so fingers crossed a similar service arrives for Premiership or Champions League football! We also saw the transitioning between games, movies, TV, music and internet, which, although seeming slightly superficial, could streamline the Xbox One experience even more. Plus, we love the idea of being able to quickly IMDB an actor without having to whip out the phone or laptop! Now that is next generation!

Negatives

Too Much Multimedia

We know we sound a bit like a spoilt child here, but with the Xbox One seeming to push its multimedia status, we got a sense that there is too much concentration on other sources of entertainment. Around 60% of the event was taken up by talks of new TV services, new ways of sharing your favourite programmes and new ways of watching sport via the NFL partnership, giving the conference a more multimedia tone, not a gaming tone for the console. To strengthen this idea, Kinect 2 was talked about, but only in a way relating to its usage with TV, not as an improved gaming experience.

The Halo TV series felt like filler

We feel the entertainment aspects got piled on one another and as a result, the Xbox One is becoming distilled as a gaming machine. Don’t get us wrong, a Halo Live action TV series backed by 343 Games and hugely respected Steven Spielberg is great. However, actual gaming was only referred to around 5 times we reckon, and although it’s great to see Microsoft striving for living room domination, the lack of solid information regarding the Xbox’s games seriously hindered the reveal, nicely leading onto………

Lack Of Games

That was a nice link wasn’t it? Anyway, back to the point. Through the jungle of streaming, sharing and socialising, not many games were actually announced for the Xbox One. Yes there was the new array of EA Sports games such as NBA Live, FIFA 14 and UFC, but all those games are also coming to current consoles and the PS4, meaning there is little exclusiveness to the titles. The subdued announcement of Forza 5 didn’t come as a surprise at all.

Quantum Break seemed a mysterious project

Likewise, the 10 minute presentation on Call Of Duty: Ghosts seemed to forget that the Call Of Duty franchise is multiplatform, and wasn’t overly exciting in the first place. The only new game that was revealed was Quantum Break, which looked interesting to say the least. We understand that more games will be revealed at E3 and that there is a promise of 15 exclusives in the first year (which we guarantee includes 5 Kinect only games), but the lack of any serious, exclusive titles for the Xbox One left us with a slightly anticlimactic taste in our mouths.

Preowned Fee And Backwards Compatibility

This news was not presented at the actual event but a Microsoft spokesperson told Wired that there will be a preowned fee for Xbox One games. Whilst not as bad as you may think, the fee appears if you install the game onto your hard drive then give it to a friend who wants to install it too. Still, it could be a game changer and not for the better.

You might not be able to play classic Xbox games such as the Gears of War franchise

We understand that Microsoft want to clamp down on the pre-owned market growth but having to pay to borrow a friend’s game is unfair. The Xbox One is appealing to the casual gamer, and with that kind of incentive, your average Joe gamer could potentially be turned off. The spokesman also confirmed a lack of backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 games. Of course this is a disappointment but the technical chasm between the two consoles makes the decision understandable. It would be great to hear about some ‘Xbox One version’ policy, like the PS4, so fingers crossed on the backwards compatibility front.

The Look

There is the conception that a console is merely a black box, but from what we’ve seen of the Xbox One’s design, it takes the joke too far. It doesn’t have to be an absolute looker as, let’s be honest, it will be covered in dust under our TV in only a few months, but the design just seems too box-y and brutal in our opinions. We like the chequered finish design but its similarities to a Sky box with a disc drive makes it an unwelcome sight for what should be a grand and graceful device. As we said, it doesn’t really matter what it looks like, we imagine the PS4 is going to look very similar, but a few rounded corners and sexy swishes wouldn’t go a miss. Still, it could be redesigned, we ever know!

We just find it too box-y for our liking

The Xbox One is a true piece of next generation hardware with its monstrous specs and Kinect integration. The synergy between all aspects of the console seemed to create one, harmonious, interconnected device that could potentially replace everything in our living rooms. Whilst the lack of games and design of the box partially hindered the reveal, we cannot wait till E3 where we’ll be able to see more of Microsoft’s next generation beast.

So that’s what we thought of the Xbox One reveal, but the real question is what did you guys think? Are you excited? What do you want to see? Did it beat the PS4 event? Let us know below!

David Karp also sent a memo out to employees stating they are ‘not turning purple’. It is understood that Karp, who will remain Tumblr’s chief executive, will be tied into the company for at least four years for his payment of about $220m to vest.

Explaining the deal, Yahoo said that Tumblr has more than 300 million monthly unique visitors and 120,000 signups every day, 900 posts a second and 24bn minutes spent on the site every month. On mobile, more than half of its visitors are using the Tumblr mobile app, for an average of seven sessions a day.

“The combination of Tumblr+Yahoo! is expected to grow Yahoo!’s audience by 50% to more than a billion monthly visitors, and to grow traffic by approximately 20%,” the company said.

So what does this mean for Tumblr users? Advertisement solutions on one hand but on the other hand, potentially enhanced features to really grow Tumblr – it works both ways and both sides have plenty to gain, including users from all bases.

There are some pretty cool technology Microsoft’s built into the Xbox One – The Instant Switching and Snap Mode. Instant Switching does exactly what it says – switcch between gaming, watching videos, watching TV or listening to music seamlessly and instantly. The Kinect voice commands are picked up instantly and within a few blinks, the magic happens.

You can easily switch between different forms of entertainment check what’s new and then go back and carry on. So how does this work? The Xbox One has 3 operating system – the Xbox One OS that we see and interact with, then there’s the Windows OS, which allows apps to run such as Internet Explorer, snap mode and notifications; and finally a final operating system that combines them all together to experience all these features on the Xbox One.

Yusuf Mehdi who spoke at the Xbox One reveal today did an awesome presentation, showcasing the new way Xbox One functions. Watch the new functions below

As mentioned earlier, Snap Mode from Windows 8 transfer over to Xbox One, where a simple Snap command will snap apps to the side, as from what we know in Windows 8. You can swipe the app into snap mode or simply voice command it – all requiring little effort. This is great for viewing other content without needing to exit the current app, such as watching a movie and searching Bing for more information about a character. Add to this specific sports apps as demoed by Yusuf, the NBA showtime app and you can see how powerful it becomes.

The New Dashboard is further inspired by Windows 8 (with the Xbox 360 already utilising the modern UI), with the tile interface still present though tweaked in a different arrangment. Where it excels is the login system. Simply saying ‘Xbox On’ , the Xbox One powers up, recognises your voice and scans you with the Kinect and the next thing you know, it automatically logs you into your account and your in.

So these are 3 highlighted features on the Xbox One – what do you think so far?

Want to find more Xbox One content? How about:

The Xbox One – Kinect & Xbox One Controller Goes Under The Scope

The Xbox One – System Specifications Detailed & Analysed

Microsoft Announces The Xbox One, The Next Generation All-in-One Entertainment System

Featuring a brand new Call of Duty Engine, you’ll see what the developers say, how next gen hardware supporting the heightened creativity and the all juicy gameplay footage running on the Xbox One.

Call of Duty: Ghosts also explores new fronts in multiplayer, with true dynamic environments as earthquakes cause destruction, water flooding rages through the lands and destruction happening everywhere. Your ghost can also have custom heads, bodies, armour and helmets which is a small snippet of the customisation options in multiplayer.

What are your thoughts on Call of Duty: Ghosts?

We couldn’t imagine EA not launching their beloved title on the next gen consoles and should add to a strong lineup for when both consoles release later this year.

Source – Press Release

The new Xbox One controller shown above in many ways does things in a new way, yet has that same feeling. The blueprint of the Xbox 360 controller is still present here, with the same girth and handle grips but with slight refinements – the curves are more accentuated and sharp, which is also exemplified with the flat and straight edge below the d-pad and analog stick.

The analog sticks  are similar to the 360 controller, however the indent has a pointed tippedand looks to be a bit shallow. The outer ring is also texturised for enhanced grip. The Xbox Logo is now located higher up the face of the gamepad, with the assumption it’s still a button that also illuminates and brings up a miniturised dashboard – time will tell.

The main face also dips under the Xbox logo as the 2nd layer behind the face extends up and is aligned with the front shoulder buttons. The interesting part hereare also what Microsoft call the impulse triggers, featuring an upward curving trigger for tight gripping. THe front face finally has 2 small sized buttons which were originally the start and select buttons are now are what seems to be a menu option and share button (at first glance).

Did we also mention the controllers now have integrated batteries? Nope, well yeah they do. What kind of battery we’re not. after a quick glimpse of the controller we now have the Kinect.

The kinect has had a radical change from the originall, featuring a bold, sharp and boxed design in harmony with the Xbox One design. The diagonal vents are present on the side whilst a simplistic front holds the illuminating Xbox logo and Camera sensor. The camera was touted to be a major upgraded and with higher body pinpoints and a moe sophisticated method of tracking, we can imagine it would be.

It picks up more joints for higher precision and action accuracy whilst also able to detect the level of depth, orientation and even heart rate when exercising – scary. As well as the motion sensing you’ll notice a wide grill for picking up sound. We’d imagine voice recognition and sound pickup is far superior to the original as Yusuf Mehdi had no problem demoing it at the Xbox Reveal today.

The Kinect was heavily touted as a core function of the Xbox One, making it a necessity for the full experience rather than an add-on. In essence, this is how voice command and motion sensing should be.

Want to find more Xbox One content? How about:

Microsoft Announces The Xbox One, The Next Generation All-in-One Entertainment System

The Xbox One – System Specifications Detailed & Analysed

The Xbox One

The Xbox One has an 8 Core CPU, built with 8GB of RAM, 500GB HDD a slot-loading Blu-ray drive, built-in Wifi and Wifi direct, a HDMI In/ Out for the addition of live TV and 2 USB 3.0 ports. The 8 Core CPU is assumed to be built on X86 architecture, which is the PC standard but also what is found on the PS4. This would mean all platforms are aligned for the same kind of development, making it easier for developers to develop games on either platform and port them over to other versions.

Crucially, it should mean the quality across all are similar with minimal discrepancies. The 8GB RAM allows for better resource management, as the system has more RAM for multitasking, dealing with several intense actions like the touted play games whilst downloading from Xbox Live. The inclusion of HDMI out allows the Xbox One to also become a PVR, to record channels from Live TV in addition to storage for downloadable games and user content.

The ports are all at the back this time, including the USB 3.0 ports, leaving a flush simplistic design at the front. The inclusion of a Blu-ray drive was a given, for higher-capactity disks as next-gen games become larger, utilising more space on each disk – DVD’s just won’t suffice in this day of age. So Blu-ray is present for new Xbox One titles as well as Blu-ray pllayback of movies.

What we don’t know yet is what processor Microsoft are using and what graphics card is pumping out those polycounts. We’ll keep you updated on that one however the Xbox One is simply no slouch, as an individual entertainment system and also against the PS4.

Want to find more Xbox One content? How about:

Microsoft Announces The Xbox One, The Next Generation All-in-One Entertainment System