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<rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Halo Articles: Halo Articles</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/page/28/?d=1</link><description>Halo Articles: Halo Articles</description><language>en</language><item><title>Xbox Live Temporarily Down</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/xbox-live-temporarily-down-r568/</link><description><![CDATA[
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<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="xbox-live-logo.jpg" src="https://www.343industries.org/forum/uploads/imageproxy/xbox-live-logo.jpg.06e0c7e5b6ebfac0625a636ffa2a4c03.jpg"></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.neowin.net/" rel="external nofollow">Source-Neowin</a></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration:underline;">It seems The Xbox has been having problems this evening but it will be fixed</span></em></strong></p></div>
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<p>It looks like Microsoft is having some issues with its Xbox Live service this evening. People have reported they are unable to sign onto the online gaming service and Microsoft's Xbox Live support webpage confirms the issues.</p>
<p><a href="http://support.xbox.com/en-GB/xbox-live-status" rel="external nofollow">The status page</a> claims the problems are affecting Xbox 360 owners, along with Windows 8, Windows Phone, Games for Windows Live and even the Zune PC client. Microsofts message states:</p>
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<div style="margin-left:1px;">"It looks like you’ve been disconnected from Xbox LIVE and worse, you can’t sign back in! We will get this fixed as quickly as possible. Thanks for being patient while we sort this out. Please check back in half an hour for more information."</div>
<p>Hopefully this will be solved quickly.</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">568</guid><pubDate>Wed, 30 Jan 2013 03:28:59 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Netflix  and Hulu Plus Free This Weekend</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/netflix-and-hulu-plus-free-this-weekend-r572/</link><description><![CDATA[
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<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="xbox-live.jpg" src="http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/xbox-live.jpg"></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.slashgear.com/" rel="external nofollow">Source-Slash Gear</a></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration:underline;">It seems people with silver membership get to watch hulu plus free but gotta have a paying netflix account if they wanna use Netflix.</span></em></strong></p></div>
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<p>Microsoft <span style="font-size:14px;">is </span><a href="http://majornelson.com/2013/01/31/netflix-unlocked-this-weekend-on-xbox/" rel="external nofollow">unlocking two of the most popular video-streaming services</a><span style="font-size:14px;"> on Xbox LIve</span><span style="font-size:14px;"> this weekend. Xbox Live Silver members will be able to access Netflix</span><span style="font-size:14px;"> and Hulu PLus</span><span style="font-size:14px;"> without having to pay for a Xbox Live Gold membership. While you’ll still need a Netflix subscription to access movies and TV shows, Hulu is allowing access to Hulu Plus at no cost throughout the weekend.</span></p>
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<p>Netflix’s new original series House of Cards is debuting this weekend, and it seems Netflix wants as many users as it can get to watch the new show, even if it means unlocking access on Xbox Live. Plus, all episodes of the new show will be available for streaming, so clear all your weekend plans and make sure to tune in if you’re interested.</p>
<p>Furthermore, Hulu Plus on Xbox Live will be completely free for anyone this weekend. Since it’s Super Bowl weekend specifically, Hulu is letting users access the Hulu AdZone in order to watch all the commercials from this year’s Super Bowl, as well as commercials from as far back as 2008 that aired during the big game.</p>
<p>Again, both Netflix and Hulu Plus will be open to Xbox Live Silver members at no cost, but you’ll still need a separate Netflix subscription in order to access the app, while Hulu Plus will be completely free for anyone with an Xbox 360 and an internet connection. Happy watching!</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">572</guid><pubDate>Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:26:54 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Mlg Producing There Own Game?</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/mlg-producing-there-own-game-r570/</link><description><![CDATA[
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<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="mlg_81197_embed.jpg" src="http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2012/250/mlg_81197_embed.jpg"></div>
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<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/" rel="external nofollow"><em><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Source-Gamespo</span></em></a><em><span style="text-decoration:underline;">t</span></em>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><em><span style="text-decoration:underline;">If Mlg creates a game it will most likely be a game only for mlg players.</span></em></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><em><span style="text-decoration:underline;">SweatyBagels Found this news- Give him a pat on the back when you see him.</span></em></p></div>
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<p>Major League Gaming CEO Sundance DiGiovanni told <a href="http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/major-league-gaming-ceo-says-an-mlg-created-first-person-shooter-is-inevita" rel="external nofollow">The Penny Arcade Report</a> that an internally produced game is inevitable, though the competitive gaming company is in no rush.</p>
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<p>"One day we will. One day we will. Yeah," he said. "We've had people approach us about it. Right now we want to focus on partners with games like PlanetSide 2 and help them broaden out and take advantage of what we’ve built."</p>
<p>"But we can also take advantage of their understanding of the game mechanics. We've done this with folks at Bungie, with folks at Activision. We've done it with lots of studios. We've done that enough times to have the understanding to take to our own title, eventually."</p>
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<p>No firm plans are in place just yet for the MLG-developed game, but DiGiovanni said he hopes it would "disrupt" the current state of play.</p>
<p>"The thing is, I think it would have to be derivative of a few things. I loved Quake, and I've played a lot of Counter-Strike and fighting games," DiGiovanni said. "The perfect game for me is something that would disrupt a little. I've always dreamed of a multi-screen experience where you have players and coaches interacting and having touch surfaces and communication, but that's so complicated and hard to explain."</p>
<p>Whatever the case, DiGiovanni and MLG are not likely to create the game anytime soon. "I don't want to rush," he said.</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">570</guid><pubDate>Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:31:22 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Minecraft Update 8 Detailed</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/minecraft-update-8-detailed-r566/</link><description><![CDATA[
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<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="minecraft-dungeon-700x325.jpg" src="http://societyandreligion.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/minecraft-dungeon-700x325.jpg"></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.oxm.co.uk/" rel="external nofollow">Source-The Offical Xbox Magazine</a></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><em>There is still no release date,but there has been many details on Update 8 Released</em></span></strong></p></div>
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<p>On the release date front, 4J offers the following via Twitter: "we're hoping it's this month, but we need to wait and see how it does in Cert Testing." Fingers crossed.</p>
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<p>And with that, I disappear backwards into the velvet darkness of night, leaving the world with naught but the silvery echo of my mocking laugh. The fix list is below:</p>
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<p>- Fix for random crash on Kick Player.</p>
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<p>- Fix for a random crash on loading the tutorial.</p>
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<p>- Fix for freeze when writing on a sign as an autosave starts.</p>
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<p>- Fix for crash when attempting to enter an online enabled game session after losing connection to the Xbox LIVE service.</p>
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<p>- Performance improvement for the Enchantment interface.</p>
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<p>- Fix to display a message when monsters are nearby on trying to sleep in a bed.</p>
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<p>- Fix for an issue causing blocks to reappear after being destroyed when the server is busy.</p>
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<p>- Fix for Experience Orbs being invisible for a period of time when created.</p>
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<p>- Fix to force a Nether Fortress, Blaze Spawner and Nether Wart to always be present in the Nether for a newly created world.</p>
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<p>- Fix for autosave not working when the host has gone into an idle state.</p>
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<p>- Fix to increase the spawn rate for Mooshrooms.</p>
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<p>- Change to make Blazes drop Glowstone Dust as well as Blaze Rods.</p>
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<p>- Fix to player experience level display in two player vertical splitscreen mode.</p>
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<p>- Fix for Quick Move not being possible while holding something in the cursor.</p>
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<p>- Fix for armor position on Bad Santa when sat down.</p>
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<p>- Changed "Download Content" menu to "Minecraft Store".</p>
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<p>- New photo frames for avatar items in the Minecraft Store.</p>
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<p>- Fix for Magma Cube hit boxes.</p>
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<p>- Added an Awkward Potion to the Potions page in the Creative Menu.</p>
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<p>- Fix to show the aura of enchanted items for other players in an online game.</p>
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<p>- Fix for tools enchanted with Unbreaking occasionally repairing themselves.</p>
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<p>- Changes to improve breeding - Love Mode status is now network synchronised, and animals react more correctly if spawn limits are reached when breeding.</p>
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<p>- Fix for issue with "Take Half" in the Brewing Stand interface.</p>
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<p>- Fix to allow the map to be displayed when the player has turned off Display Hand.</p>
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<p>- Fix for potion effects being removed after using the Nether Portal.</p>
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<p>- Fix to stop the item in hand being changed when traveling to/from the Nether.</p>
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<p>- Fix for Compass not pointing to the original spawn point after having been in The Nether.</p>
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<p>- Fix to allow players to be able to eat food even if they are not allowed to build and mine.</p>
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<p>- Fix to allow client players to toggle Custom Skin Animation.</p>
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<p>- Fix for player gamertag border color being wrong after a respawn/dimension change.</p>
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<p>- Fix for issue in splitscreen where it was possible to craft items without a player having the resources required.</p>
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<p>- Fix to remove the Love Mode tooltip when animals are unable to enter Love Mode.</p>
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<p>- Change to moderator option description in the Host and Player Options.</p>
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<p>- Fix for the submerged edge of the world emitting a faint light.</p>
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<p>- Fix for lighting issue with mobs in water.</p>
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<p>- Fix to stop food being removed when feeding animals in Creative Mode.</p>
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<p>- Fix to stop Bones being removed when taming wolves in Creative Mode.</p>
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<p>- Change to make baby wolves tame when born.</p>
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<p>- Fix for Blaze Rods not being identified as fuel for a furnace.</p>
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<p>- Fix for issue with sky lighting values making bedrock layer fully lit.</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">566</guid><pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 23:13:21 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Crytek announces Crysis 3 Multiplayer Beta</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/crytek-announces-crysis-3-multiplayer-beta-r565/</link><description><![CDATA[
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p>Source: Crydev.net, official home to Crytek GMBH.</p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p>For those who don't know, Crysis 3 ships in February 19th.  It is eagerly anticipated and one of the MUST have titles for 2013.  Crytek has listened to us fans and given us 2 new modes similar to Halo.  New modes include Hunter and Crash Site.  Hunter works similar to Juggernaut with a twist.  Crash Site operates exactly like Territories.  Read all about it below....</p></div>
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<p><a href="http://www.crydev.net/images/news/large/104738.png?v=27" rel="external nofollow"><img alt="104738.png?v=27" src="http://www.crydev.net/images/news/large/104738.png?v=27"></a></p>
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<p>Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) and award-winning developer Crytek GmbH today announced an open multiplayer beta* for the premiere sandbox shooter experience, Crysis®3, will be available starting January 29th for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC. Including two team-based modes and two maps, the extensive beta will give players an opportunity to master the superpowers of the Nanosuit. The Crysis 3 multiplayer beta will be available for two weeks and give players the chance to get a leg up on the competition before Crysis 3 launches on February 19 in North America and February 21 in Europe.</p>
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<p>“With Crysis 3 we are delivering the deepest, most robust Crysis multiplayer experience yet,” said Cevat Yerli, CEO of Crytek. “We have listened closely to our fans and have evolved the multiplayer in Crysis 3 by adding a host of new gameplay features including the unique Hunter mode, deadly new weapons like the Predator bow, deeper loadout and unlock options, enhanced upgrade systems and more social features like the New York Feed. Top it all off with the ultimate weapon in the Nanosuit and you have a multiplayer experience that is unlike anything else out there.”</p>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=fisfSSa74uQ" rel="external nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=fisfSSa74uQ</a></div>
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<p>Beginning on January 29 and ending on February 12 the Crysis 3 multiplayer beta will feature two of the eight modes included in Crysis 3. In Crash Site, players must secure and defend specific locations, earning points along the way for kills and their ability to hold those locations. The exciting, all-new Hunter mode makes its debut in Crysis 3. This asymmetrical, time based mode pits two players vs. ten (two vs. 14 on PC) in matches that begin with two cloaked hunters stalking 10 opposing CELL troopers. Armed only with enhanced Nanosuits and the lethal Predator bow, hunters must systematically stalk and kill the CELL operatives, who in turn must work together as a team as they fight to stay alive before the round ends. The twist is that once a CELL trooper is killed, that player will then respawn as a hunter, joining the others in their attempt to eliminate the remaining CELL operatives before the clock strikes zero. The Crysis 3 multiplayer beta will also showcase two of the game’s twelve visually stunning maps, Airport and Museum. Both will provide players a taste of the lush, urban rainforest and tactical sandbox that awaits them under the Liberty Dome of New York City.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Also included in the Crysis 3 multiplayer beta is the New York Feed, a brand new in-game social feed that will showcase the accomplishments of gamers and their friends while offering dynamic challenges to complete. Crysis 3 multiplayer also contains exciting new gameplay features including Rip &amp; Throw, which allows players to interact with the elements of the environment to use as weapons or shields as well as the chance to control the Pinger, a fearsome alien tripod war machine that can be used to devastating effect.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Powered by Crytek’s proprietary CryENGINE 3, Crysis 3 advances the state of the art with unparalleled visuals and dynamic shooter gameplay. Players take on the role of ‘Prophet’ as he returns to New York only to discover that the city has been encased in a Nanodome created by the corrupt Cell Corporation. This dangerous new world demands advanced weapons and tactics, including the Nanosuit. Equipped with superhuman powers including cloaking, armor and enhanced visor abilities, the Nanosuit is the ultimate tool that allows players to assess, adapt and attack whatever the 7 Wonders throws at them. In addition to the Nanosuit, players will wield the powerful Predator bow and devastating alien weaponry to become the deadliest hunter on the planet.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Fans who pre-order Crysis 3 before launch will receive an automatic upgrade to the Crysis 3 Hunter Edition, as well as a free digital download to the game that started it all, Crysis** for Xbox 360, PS3 or PC. The Crysis 3 Hunter Edition gives players tools to become the ultimate hunter in multiplayer with instant access to the new signature Predator bow and its attachments plus the Hunter Nanosuit module, which adds additional power and functionality to the super-suit. Owners of the Crysis 3 Hunter Edition will also have a head start when playing online with a bonus XP boost up to level 5, a unique Predator bow skin and three exclusive dog tags to hunt in style. The Crysis 3 Hunter Edition is available on Origin.com and other participating retailers for $59.99.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Crysis 3 will be available in North America on February 19, 2013 and in Europe on February 21 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation3 computer and PC. For more information on Crysis 3, please visit <a href="http://www.crysis.com" rel="external nofollow">http://www.crysis.com</a>, and for the latest news visit <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crysis" rel="external nofollow">http://www.facebook.com/crysis</a> or follow us on Twitter at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/crysis" rel="external nofollow">http://www.twitter.com/crysis</a>. Press assets for Crysis 3 are available at <a href="http://www.info.ea.com" rel="external nofollow">http://www.info.ea.com</a>.</p>
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<p>* Conditions and restrictions apply. See <a href="http://www.crysis.com/us/crysis-3/beta" rel="external nofollow">http://www.crysis.com/us/crysis-3/beta</a> for details.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>**Conditions and restrictions apply. See <a href="http://www.crysis.com/us/crysis-3/pre-order-offers" rel="external nofollow">http://www.crysis.co...re-order-offers</a> for details.</p>
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]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">565</guid><pubDate>Sun, 27 Jan 2013 17:37:28 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Another Specs reports of the next gen Xbox (diagram)</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/another-specs-reports-of-the-next-gen-xbox-diagram-r562/</link><description><![CDATA[
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#00ff00;"><strong>Quite a few specs report have surfaced over the past month or so and each one has been fairly similar but each have a few minor differences from others. So for those who have been keep themselves up to date with next gen news then you probably have a good idea of what to expect from the next Xbox. So here we have another specs reports but this time its is a detailed diagram of the hardware of the next Xbox.</strong></span></p></div>
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<p><strong><span style="color:#ffff00;">This diagram and report is from </span></strong></p>
<a href="http://www.vgleaks.com/" rel="external nofollow"><strong><span style="color:#00ffff;">vgleaks.</span></strong></a>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="durango_arq1.jpg" src="https://www.343industries.org/forum/uploads/imageproxy/durango_arq1.jpg.3b40a098e22f5dca528952d7e1e4a30c.jpg"></div>
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<p><span style="color:#00ff00;"><strong>CPU:</strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- x64 Architecture</span></p>
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<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- 8 CPU cores running at 1.6 gigahertz (GHz)</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- each CPU thread has its own 32 KB L1 instruction cache and 32 KB L1 data cache</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- each module of four CPU cores has a 2 MB L2 cache resulting in a total of 4 MB of L2 cache</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- each core has one fully independent hardware thread with no shared execution resources</span></p>
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<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- each hardware thread can issue two instructions per clock</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#00ff00;"><strong>GPU:</strong></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- custom D3D11.1 class 800-MHz graphics processor</span></p>
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<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- 12 shader cores providing a total of 768 threads</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- each thread can perform one scalar multiplication and addition operation (MADD) per clock cycle</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- at peak performance, the GPU can effectively issue 1.2 trillion floating-point operations per second</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">High-fidelity Natural User Interface (NUI) sensor is always present</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#00ff00;"><strong>Storage and Memory:</strong></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- 8 gigabyte (GB) of RAM DDR3 (68 GB/s)</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- 32 MB of fast embedded SRAM (ESRAM) (102 GB/s)</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- from the GPU’s perspective the bandwidths of system memory and ESRAM are parallel providing combined peak bandwidth of 170 GB/sec.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- Hard drive is always present</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- 50 GB 6x Blu-ray Disc drive</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#00ff00;"><strong>Networking:</strong></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- Gigabit Ethernet</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">Hardware Accelerators:</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- Move engines</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- Image, video, and audio codecs</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- Kinect multichannel echo cancellation (MEC) hardware</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">- Cryptography engines for encryption and decryption, and hashing</span></p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">562</guid><pubDate>Tue, 22 Jan 2013 02:25:22 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Ps4 And Xbox compared to Pc Ports</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/ps4-and-xbox-compared-to-pc-ports-r559/</link><description><![CDATA[
<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="1358643399_4308_9.jpg" src="http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/30/e6/1358643399_4308_9.jpg"></div>
<p></p>
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<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/ps4-and-xbox-720-multiplatform-games-compared-pc-porting-process-detailed" rel="external nofollow">Source-Examiner</a></div>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p>A comparison has been revealed in regards to multiplatform games on the PS4 and Xbox 720. According to a report by Now Gamer on Jan. 17, an insider claimed that the Xbox 720 (which they referred to as the Xbox Next) will have better looking versions of “every multiplatform or third party game” when compared to the PS4. You can check out some concept images of both consoles in the slideshow at the top of this article and the comments from the insider below (courtesy of Now Gamer):</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Every multiplatform or third party game will look better on Xbox Next.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The insider also talked about porting PC games to the Xbox 720. He suggested that it will be easier than converting PC titles to the Xbox 360:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Porting is not a problem. Porting pc games would be a lot easier this time. Any part of the engine code can be sent to any CPU core or GPU DSP [digital signal processor], it's very open due to the blitter.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The PS4 and Xbox 720 are projected to be released in North America by the end of this year. Sony and Microsoft are expected to officially unveil their next-generation systems sometime in the near future. More information will then be shared at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">559</guid><pubDate>Sun, 20 Jan 2013 16:45:44 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Next Gen: Huge Specs Report</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/next-gen-huge-specs-report-r558/</link><description><![CDATA[
<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong><span style="color:#FFFF00;">This article is from</span></strong><strong><span style="color:#00FFFF;"> Now Gamer.</span></strong></p></div>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#FFA500;"><strong>All credit to Sykowolf for finding this.</strong></span></p></div>
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<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="352005.jpg" src="http://www.nowgamer.com/siteimage/scale/0/0/352005.jpg"></div>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;">
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">Rumours surrounding the Xbox 720 and the PS4 are coming thick and fast these days - all part of the exciting build up to next-gen, naturally - but the latest tech specs revealed by an insider could be the most detailed yet.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">An industry insider - it's not clear if they are a developer or someone else - has revealed a number of specific details about both the PS4 and the Xbox 720.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">Though these things should always be taken with a pinch of salt until something official is announced, the technicality and sheer wealth of the information certainly makes them sound convincing - especially when they collaborate so many previous rumours.</span><span style="color:#FFA07A;">We'll include a technical glossary at the bottom of the page should you need to understand all acronyms.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">Sony's PS4 won't be capable of native 4K resolution</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">According to the insider, the PS4 (or Omni) won't be capable of the proposed 4K resolution that new TVs are being developed for. "The thing about omni is it will upscale to 4K" claims the insider, adding that the image quality is "very low in regards to Durango [Xbox 720]".</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">PS4 is having problems with overheating</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">Though the insider does not seem to have seen the issues himself, he does mention that he had heard others claim that the "Starsha [dev] kits have very bad heating problems" because the GPU and the SOC aren't specialised enough - as is the case wit the Xbox 720.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">He then adds that he believes it is because Sony doesn't have enough money to devote to research and development, as it had done with the PS3's Cell processor.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">The PS4 will be called "Omni" and is in production soon</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">Throughout the reveal the insider refers to Sony's PS4 with two names: Starsha and Omni. Starsha has been revealed as the name of the APU system inside the PS4.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">However, Omni is now believed to be the final name of the PS4. This was a rumour back in November 2012, and was said to represent Sony's approach to the console - namely, that it is capable of doing everything.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">The insider claimed that the final SDK for Sony's PS4 - or Omni - has been available since December 2012, adding that Sony is trying to launch its next-gen console ahead of Microsoft.</span><span style="color:#FFA07A;">The Starsha chipset is in fabrication process now, and is expected to enter mass production on the 23rd of January.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">As a point of interest, the insider claimed that Microsoft has only just got the Kryptos (Xbox 720) out to developers at the start of this month.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">If true, the rumours suggesting that Sony's next-gen console will launch as early as September 2013 could well be true. Along these lines, the insider claimed that Sony could reveal the PS4 on 5 Feb 2013.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">Xbox 720's "Oban" is a game changer for Microsoft</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">The name Oban was revealed a couple of months back, and was believed to be the name of the chips onboard the Xbox 720.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">According to this insider, however, Oban is actually the name of the blitter inside the next-gen machine.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">A blitter is a system built into hardware designed to improve the speed at which data is transferred within the hardware's memory. It is a separate system from the CPU and can run parallel to it, moving large amounts of data relatively quickly.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">The Xbox 720 will be a 356-bit system - compared to the PS4's 256-bit system - and is capable of 550GB of data per second.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">The insider claims it is designed for raytracing, and with the Oban and the higher bus speed of the GPU this will put it on top in terms of technical prowess.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">Xbox 720 is designed for ray tracing technology</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">Ray tracing is a high-end lighting technology that isn't widely used in games today. Unlike the current dynamic lighting system - which recreates the effects of lighting - ray tracing emulates the science of light.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">In other words, more realistic reflections and refractions can be created to create more realistic looking lighting.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">The problem is it's a very intensive technology that takes a very long time to render and is primarily used in Pixar films. If the Xbox 720 is as powerful as this suggests, then ray tracing will be more possible with the hardware.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">The insider claims that Microsoft has designed the Xbox 720 with ray tracing in mind, however admits that "the hardest part will be for studios to work with ray traced graphics enabled engines."</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">For those interested, here's a video of last year's GTC conference where NVidia highlighted some of its ray tracing technology:</span></p>
</div>
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<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFFF00;"><strong>PS4 Tech Specs</strong></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">An APU with a fast GPU.</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">4GB of DDR3 RAM.</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">4GB of GDDR5 RAM.</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">CPU is an x86 system with 256-bit bus.</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">A more off the shelf design than the modded Xbox 720. "We all feel Omni is more of a pc in it design."</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">Capable of 3.2TFlops of data.</span><br>
</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p><span style="color:#FFFF00;"><strong>Xbox 720 Tech Specs</strong></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">Three SOCs in one console. Two "Venus" models, and one "Mars".</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">8GB RAM, with 1GB devoted to operating system.</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">Audio DSP</span><br>
</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p><span style="color:#FFFF00;"><strong>2 of Venus SOC - Application SOC</strong></span></p>
<p></p>
<ul>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">GPU AMD 8900 spec GPU clocked at 800mhz with 10000HD series future tech</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">4 core CPU is clocked @ 2.5GHz</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">1.5 Gb of GDDR5 ram on each SOC (total 3GB) clocked @ 1.2Ghz</span><br>
</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p><span style="color:#FFFF00;"><strong>Common factors</strong></span></p>
<p></p>
<ul>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">4GB of DDR4 RAM with 384 bit bus</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">Ray tracing chip</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">High speed blitter with 510 GB/s bandwidth between SOCs</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">EDRAM</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">Power brick is 300 watts, but SDKs are looking at 230 watts used.</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">Capable of 4.2TFlops of data</span><br>
</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p><span style="color:#FFFF00;"><strong>Next-Gen PS4 &amp; Xbox 720 Tech Glossary</strong></span></p>
<p></p>
<ul>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">APU = Accelerated Processing Unit. A hardware system that includes an additional method of processing. In this case, a CPU with a GPU built in.</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">CPU = Central Processing Unit. The primary processing function of a machine.</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">GPU = Graphics Processing Unit. The system used to process and generate the visuals of a game.</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">SOC = System On Chip. A method of combining all the processing functions (CPU, GPU, etc) onto a single chip. Largely used for mobiles and tablets, but increasingly popular for consoles.</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">Omni = One of the proposed final names for the PS4.</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">Starsha = The rumoured name of the chips on board the PS4.</span><br>
</li>
<li>
<span style="color:#40E0D0;">Thebes = The internal codename for the PS4.</span><br>
</li>
<li><br></li>
</ul>
<p></p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">558</guid><pubDate>Sat, 19 Jan 2013 15:55:41 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Gta 5 Latest Rumors</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/gta-5-latest-rumors-r556/</link><description><![CDATA[
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<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="4885-gta-5-release-date-2013-rumors-spoilers-new-grand-theft-auto.jpg" src="http://www.idigitaltimes.com/data/images/full/2013/01/17/4885-gta-5-release-date-2013-rumors-spoilers-new-grand-theft-auto.jpg"></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.idigitaltimes.com/" rel="external nofollow">Source-Digital Times</a></div>
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<div style="margin-left:1px;"><em><strong>Gta 5 no doubt is gonna be more advanced and much better than gta 4, but do you think rockstar@ is adding too much?</strong></em></div>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The GTA 5 release date is quickly approaching and the rumors keep leaking. The latest "Grand Theft Auto" news we've heard is that the upcoming game could feature underwater exploration, new vehicles and terrain and more surprises. Read on for more GTA 5 release date news and rumors.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rockstar first announced that a new "Grand Theft Auto" game was on the way back in November 2011, and since then fans of the franchise have waited for a GTA 5 release date and game specifics.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Well the GTA 5 release date may still be a mystery, but a new article from What Culture lays out some new theories on what to expect from the next "Grand Theft Auto" game set in Los Santos.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Topping their list is the news that the GTA 5 release date will bring underwater exploration to the "Grand Theft Auto" series:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But the one titbit of information that got my giddier than a granny at a Christmas party who has had one too many sherry's was the reveal of underwater exploration.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With underwater exploration, the GTA 5 release date could bring a number of other new features to the "Grand Theft Auto" franchise. Last year we saw the first screenshots of what looked a lot like a submarine. The question is whether GTA 5 will only feature underwater missions, or allow players to explore under the water in free play.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If the second one proves true then the GTA 5 release date could really revolutionize the series, opening up a whole new world of exploration.We haven't seen anything like this since Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, which only allowed characters to dive under water. That may just be wishful thinking, but considering that Los Santos is expected to be bigger than the last few GTA maps combined we don't think underwater exploration is out of the question.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Another thing to think about is whether the Los Santos police will also have their own submarines when the GTA 5 release date arrives. If the cops don't have underwater capabilities as well you could easily escape into the water when you hit a four star wanted level.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So what exactly will we find underwater once the GTA 5 release date arrives. The possibilities are endless considering Rockstar's love for "Easter Egg" suprises. Here's a few interesting predictions from What Culture:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We already know that we will have access to underwater exploration in some capacity, but the question remains - what's under there? Shipwrecks? Caves and Caverns? Buried Treasure? Or something more sinister, like the body of a gangster with concrete shoes?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Of course, the real question of what type of enemies we'll find underwater once the GTA 5 release date finally arrives. Scuba-diving mobsters? Pirate ghosts? Or sharks?! Based on a few leaked "Grand Theft Auto" screenshots we pretty much know you'll be going head to head to head with at least a few sharks. Remember what they say: if you run into a shark punch him on the nose!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em><span style="font-size:18px;">GTA 5 release date news:</span></em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>So what about that pesky GTA 5 release date? Well the truth is that the good people at Rockstar Games are stilling keeping the exact day a secret, though they've hinted that the game will come in the Spring of 2013.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When exactly the GTA 5 release date has arrived remains a mystery, but we've heard two rumors so far both pegging he launch for March 2013 (either March 15 or 27).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Then again, word on the streets of Los Santos is that the GTA 5 release date will hit in Rockstar's first fiscal quarter of 2013, which begins in April, and then there are those who think the GTA 5 release date won't arrive until May.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When do you think the GTA 5 release date will arrive? And will you buy the "Grand Thef Auto" game when it hits stores? Share your thoughts in the comments.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Want more GTA 5 release date spoilers? Well look no further:</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">556</guid><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jan 2013 23:49:52 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>How Bungie are gearing up for Destiny.</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/how-bungie-are-gearing-up-for-destiny-r555/</link><description><![CDATA[
<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#00ff00;"><strong>After being in the dark for quite some time bungie shed's some light on how they are preparing for their next game Destiny and how they as a company are holding up. Nothing exclusive about destiny has been revealed yet but we are expecting something in late March. </strong></span></p></div>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;">
<p><strong><span style="color:#ffff00;">This article is from</span></strong><strong> </strong></p>
<a href="http://www.edge-online.com" rel="external nofollow"><strong><span style="color:#00ffff;">Edge</span></strong></a>
</div>
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<p> </p>
<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="Bungie-Studio-Profile610.jpg" src="http://media.edge-online.com/wp-content/uploads/edgeonline/2013/01/Bungie-Studio-Profile610.jpg"></div>
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<p> </p>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">Issue 250 of Edge, on sale today, features an exclusive profile of Bungie, the studio which cemented its place in videogame legend with the 50 million-selling Halo series and which is now working on its first project for Activision, codenamed Destiny.</span></p></div>
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<p> </p>
<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">The game has been shrouded in secrecy ever since Bungie signed a ten-year deal with Activision in 2010 – until last November, that is. Art assets which had been handed to an advertising agency ended up in the hands of gaming websites; Bungie, to its credit, took ownership of the leak, giving fans a first official look at some of the game’s concept art in a post on its website. Speaking to us as part of an in-depth studio profile, writer and design director Joseph Staten recalls the day of the leak.</span></p></div>
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<p> </p>
<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">“I was in a conference room,” he tells us. “And Pete [Parsons, COO] walked in with his laptop. Pete has this look on him when he’s a little nervous and his eyes get really wide; his entire body was quivering</span>.</p></div>
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<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">“I think our response was typical Bungie. We just took it in our stride and, instead of making it a negative, we turned it into a positive. We initiated a conversation with our fans, which we hadn’t done in a really long time. And I think having done that, the great reaction that we got from it really made us all very excited internally. It motivated us.”</span></p></div>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">The feature charts the history of Bungie, which began life as a Chicago-based developer of Mac games before Halo caught Microsoft’s eye, the studio upping sticks and taking up residence on the Xbox maker’s Redmond campus. Time magazine once described that office as “a low-rent nerd farm in the middle of a pumpkin patch”; now the company occupies a sprawling converted multiplex cinema in Bellevue, the Seattle suburb that Valve also calls home.</span></p></div>
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<p> </p>
<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">And the similarities with Gabe Newell’s company don’t end there. All Bungie’s desks are on wheels – and have been since 2005, Parsons assures us, lest we think it was a change made last year after Valve’s workplace culture was exposed in a leaked staff handbook – and even the most junior staff are given creative input.</span></p></div>
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<p> </p>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="Destiny-organic-tank-610x343.jpg" src="http://media.edge-online.com/wp-content/uploads/edgeonline/2012/11/Destiny-organic-tank-610x343.jpg"></div>
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<p> </p>
<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">It’s a remarkably stable company, too, avoiding falling into the hire-ship-fire loop to which so many big studios succumb. Success helps, of course, but stability is an important part of the Bungie philosophy, as music director Marty O’Donnell explains.</span></p></div>
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<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">“There was a very conscious decision when we went independent from Microsoft,” O’Donnell, the man behind Halo’s classic soundscapes, tells us. “We wanted to make a game company that didn’t get into the habit of swelling its ranks in order to finish a project, and then letting a bunch of people go. We wanted to figure out a way to make a place where people could come and work and stay.”</span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">And so it’s proved. Half of the team that worked on the original Halo is still at the studio. Staff are shareholders, so everyone stands to benefit from the studio’s success – which could hit new heights this year, given that Bungie, not Activision, owns the Destiny IP. For the full story of how Bungie is preparing for what looks to be a very interesting year indeed, you’ll need the latest issue of Edge.</span></p></div>
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<p> </p>
<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">E250 is on sale now, and it’s a packed issue, with the inaugural Edge Developer Awards – our pick of the 50 best studios on the planet. There’s a 12-page feature on the number one studio, Valve, and reviews of the likes of DmC: Devil May Cry and Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch. Edge is available in print, on Android through Google Play or Zinio, and in award-winning, interactive form for iPad on Apple Newsstand.</span></p></div>
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<p></p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">555</guid><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:00:46 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Microsoft replacing Xbox Live Chat With Skype</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/microsoft-replacing-xbox-live-chat-with-skype-r553/</link><description><![CDATA[
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<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="microsoft-plans-to-replace-xbox-live-chat-with-skype-report.jpg" src="http://www.inquisitr.com/wp-content/2013/01/microsoft-plans-to-replace-xbox-live-chat-with-skype-report.jpg"></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.inquisitr.com/" rel="external nofollow"><em>Source-The Inquisitr</em></a></div>
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<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><em><span style="font-size:14px;">"Many reports have been saying Microsoft and  Skype </span></em></strong><strong><em>agreed</em></strong><strong><em><span style="font-size:14px;"> to use all chat sessions as </span></em></strong><strong><em>Skype</em></strong><strong><em><span style="font-size:14px;"> " But is this really worth it, what do you think?</span></em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em>________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</em></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p>After Microsoft purchased Skype in 2011 to the tune of $8.5 billion, it abandoned MSN Messenger in favor of integrating Skype with many of its platforms, and Microsoft reportedly plans to do the same thing with the next Xbox.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The report comes from CVG, who cite an alleged source from inside Microsoft. According to the report, Microsoft intends to make Skype the main form of communication for the company’s next-generation Xbox, which is expected to be announced in the next several months.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The source tells CVG:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You might jump to the conclusion that we’ll see asynchronous voice and video messages in next-gen Xbox Live”.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This is only a rumor, but it’s the most believable one so far. Microsoft’s plan to integrate Skype into its product can already be seen in other areas, and it only makes sense that they would do the same for the next Xbox, especially considering Microsoft has already hinted at it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Microsoft recently posted a job listing for its UK-based Skype offices that calls for a user interface designer, and the company’s next console is specifically named.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The listing reads:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“The team you’ll join is responsible for Skype in the living room (broadly the home), across various devices but with a focus on the large screen and the next generation of Xbox.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Fortunately, it appears that it won’t be too much longer before all of the speculation can finally be put to rest; industry chatter suggests that Microsoft will announce the next Xbox either at E3 this year or possibly earlier.</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">553</guid><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jan 2013 02:01:48 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Bungie will be discussing Destiny in late March</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/bungie-will-be-discussing-destiny-in-late-march-r550/</link><description><![CDATA[
<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong><span style="color:#00ff00;">In late march bungie will finally be discussing about their next game destiny, the discussion will be held at GDC (game developers conference) at the Moscone Centre in San Francisco. </span></strong></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong><span style="color:#ffa500;">Further details below.</span></strong></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;">
<p><strong><span style="color:#ffff00;">This article is from</span></strong><strong> </strong></p>
<a href="http://uk.gamespot.com" rel="external nofollow"><strong><span style="color:#00ffff;">Gamespot.</span></strong></a>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="6c83a01d.jpg" src="https://www.343industries.org/forum/uploads/imageproxy/6c83a01d.jpg.ed912d60fda7911e08a002bf8e6ae5ab.jpg"></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">Bungie will discuss its all-new and still-unannounced franchise--believed to be titled Destiny--in late March during a 2013 Game Developers Conference talk at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California.</span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">Presumably, a more formal announcement for Destiny is planned for sometime prior to the talk. Neither Bungie nor Activision had returned requests for comment at press time.</span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">Bungie writer and design director Joe Staten and art director Christopher Barrett will lead the discussion, titled "Brave New World: New Bungie IP." The talk will focus on Bungie's design process and world-building techniques, running from concept to production.</span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">Those in attendance will get a glimpse inside Bungie's new world, though it's not clear what state the game will be in during the briefing. Additionally, the event description suggests the next ten years of games from Bungie will be based in the Destiny universe.</span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">To date, Bungie has released just one piece of artwork for Destiny, but speculation has run rampant. A leaked marketing document in November described Destiny as a "fun and accessible" game with a "deep, tangible, and relatable" universe compared to Star Wars. The game is also described as "social at its core."</span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">According to the document, Destiny's plot revolves around an alien ship bent on destroying Earth and the "knights" tasked with defending what's left of humanity. The document also shows images bearing the Destiny logo along with Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 icons.</span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">Destiny is Bungie's first project as part of a 10-year publishing deal with Call of Duty company Activision. Legal documents from May suggested that the game will be released for the Xbox 360 in 2013, with a 2014 release slated for the PlayStation 3.</span></p></div>
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]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">550</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Jan 2013 21:47:00 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>A Game Just Like Slender Coming To Xbox Live</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/a-game-just-like-slender-coming-to-xbox-live-r548/</link><description><![CDATA[
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<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="screenshot_32662_thumb_wide620.jpg" src="http://cdn.medialib.oxm.co.uk/screens/screenshot_32662_thumb_wide620.jpg"></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;">
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<a href="http://www.oxm.co.uk/" rel="external nofollow"><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><em>Source-Xbox 360 The Magazine</em></span></a>
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<p><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><em>Obvisouly if  you ever played a game of Slender, it is very creepy,but a game is coming to Xbox LIve In The </em></span></p>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indie_game" rel="external nofollow"><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><em>Indie Game</em></span></a><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><em> Section Called White Noise.</em></span>
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<p>With recent PC success stories like Amnesia and Slender: The Eight Pages taking up slack from Silent Hill and Resident Evil, survival horror is experiencing something of an indie-powered renaissance. Riding the waves of that revival is White Noise: A Tale of Horror, a cheap console clone of Slender that's among the scarier cash-ins we've encountered.</p>
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<p> </p>
<p>Set in the countryside of Northern France, White Noise provides you with exactly two tools - <strong>a flashlight and the ability to run</strong>, something you'll be doing a lot if you want to survive. Having travelled to the area to write an article for a supernatural magazine, your partner has gone missing, and it's up to you to discover their fate by recovering audio logs that are scattered around the countryside. There's no map, so the only way to pin down your location as you explore is by listening for ambient cues.</p>
<p>The tapes themselves can't actually be listened to, however, which feels like a missed opportunity. They may as well have been replaced with pineapples, for all the contribution they make. It's a shame, because some suitably creepy audio diaries could have really elevated the atmosphere to terrifying new heights.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's not until the first recording has been located that things start to go awry. An evil creature (looking somewhat like the bloodied lovechild of Nemesis from Resident Evil and Tali from Mass Effect) begins to track your movements. It's a familiar horror gambit, but a terrifying one nonetheless.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The dread of being relentlessly pursued by this creature is amplified by the scenery, which is only ever partially revealed by the beam of your flashlight. Gothic statues and humanoid trees litter the landscape, and the fact that you start in a different place each time creates an overwhelming sense of disorientation. The game advises you to play with the lights off and the volume turned up, but we were too cowardly to function in such conditions.</p>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="screenshot_32660_thumb_wide620.jpg" src="http://cdn.medialib.oxm.co.uk/screens/screenshot_32660_thumb_wide620.jpg"></div>
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<p>The imitation of Slender is almost overbearing in places, right down to the number of clues that need to be gathered (eight), and the static effect on the edges of the screen when the monster gets a little too close. The developers are open about their borrowing, however, and the absence of direct competition on Live Arcade makes White Noise hard to pass up - for fans of horror at least.</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">548</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Jan 2013 01:51:14 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Minecraft Developer Celebrates 15m Downloads At The End of 2012</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/minecraft-developer-celebrates-15m-downloads-at-the-end-of-2012-r547/</link><description><![CDATA[
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<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="micecraft-15-million-2012-640x391.jpg" src="http://cdn2.ubergizmo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/micecraft-15-million-2012-640x391.jpg"></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-family:'comic sans ms', cursive;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Source-UberGizmo</span></span></span></p></div>
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<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;"><span style="font-family:'comic sans ms', cursive;">As big of a year as Rovio had with its Angry Bird games in 2012, Mojang, developer of Minecraft , had a great year in their own right as they announced today their game received 15 million downloads last year, one-third of which occurred in December alone.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;"><span style="font-family:'comic sans ms', cursive;"> </span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;"><span style="font-family:'comic sans ms', cursive;">In a blog post published today, Mojang highlighted download figures across all platforms Minecraft is available on, which as of now is PC, Mac, Xbox 360, iOS and Android. In 2012, the platform where Minecraft was downloaded the most wasn’t the PC, where it originally debuted, but instead, on iOS and Android with nearly six million downloads, nearly 284k copies were purchased on Christmas Day. The Xbox 360 version came in second place for most downloads with a little over 5 million, and PC &amp; Mac came in last with over 4 million downloads.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;"><span style="font-family:'comic sans ms', cursive;"> </span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;"><span style="font-family:'comic sans ms', cursive;">In the same blog post, Mojang teased the upcoming released of Minecraft: Pi Edition which will be focused on the development crowd as it’ll support several programming languages and carry a revised feature set.</span></span></p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">547</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Jan 2013 01:25:57 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Next Gen Xbox and Playstation could be around the $400 price range</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/next-gen-xbox-and-playstation-could-be-around-the-036400-price-range-r544/</link><description><![CDATA[
<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#00ff00;"><strong>The next generation systems from both PlayStation and Microsoft will retail at the $350-$400 range, a games analyst has claimed.</strong></span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="ps4+vs+xbox720.jpg" src="https://www.343industries.org/forum/uploads/imageproxy/1031064468_ps4vsxbox720.jpg.6d7c96005a99d4db212b21bf3124b591.jpg"></div>
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<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong><span style="color:#FFFF00;">This article is from</span></strong></span><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong> </strong></span></p>
<a href="http://computerandvideogames.com" rel="external nofollow"><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong><span style="color:#00FFFF;">CVG</span></strong></span></a>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#FFA07A;"><span style="font-size:14px;">Basing his numbers partially on off-the-record meetings with "a number of companies" at CES 2013, analyst Colin Sebastian of Baird Equity Research said the new consoles will likely sit around the $400 range.</span></span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">In 2005, Microsoft retailed its Xbox 360 premium bundle at $400, while one year later Sony was at the centre of controversy for offering the premium PS3 system at $599. The rumoured next-gen price points, if accurate, would imply that both Sony and Microsoft are willing to sell their systems at higher losses to appear to an increasingly diversified market.</span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">"Given the fragile state of the console game market, we expect the E3 trade show in June will take on added significance, most likely providing the industry with the first public opportunity to examine next-generation hardware," Sebastian wrote in his notes.</span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">"Our checks suggest that next-generation console hardware will be largely built from 'off the shelf' high-end PC components, along with hybrid physical/digital distribution models, enhanced voice controls and motion sensing (Kinect integration with every Xbox), and broad multi-media capabilities," he added.</span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">"Moreover, a PC-based architecture (Intel chips in the case of Xbox) should have a number of advantages over custom-developed silicon: for one, the learning curve for software developers will be shorter than completely new technology.</span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">"Second, the cost of production and retail price points should be lower than prior console launches.</span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#FFA07A;">"Third, it will be easier to build online services around PC chip architecture, including flexible business models (free-to-play, subscriptions) and multi-media (over the top) content offerings. For Microsoft, thi</span><span style="color:#ffa07a;">s design will also allow for more</span><span style="color:#FFA07A;"><span style="font-size:14px;">integration with Windows 8 and Windows Mobile devices."</span></span></p></div>
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]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">544</guid><pubDate>Mon, 14 Jan 2013 23:57:52 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Frank O'Conner addresses the community</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/frank-o39conner-addresses-the-community-r542/</link><description><![CDATA[
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<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="Halo3-4610.jpg" src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/microsoft/343industries/halo4/Halo3-4610.jpg"></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#AFEEEE;"><span style="font-size:18px;">This was taken off halo Waypoint from the bulletin posted today. I want to hear you guys's opinions on this.</span></span></p></div>
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<img alt="f-300x170.png" src="http://halo.stratics.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/f-300x170.png"><p> </p>
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<p><span style="color:#FFD700;"><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>From the face of Frank</strong></span></span></p>
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<p>"2012 was supposed to be the end of the world. Instead, it was the beginning of ours. Halo 4, despite being the seventh or eighth game in the Halo series (depending on how you count them), was our first game. That is to say, our first-ever fully fledged title, built from the ground up creatively and technologically. So let me save you the trouble of trolling my statement: We have a lot to learn. We made a lot of mistakes. We can do better. And we know this, and we will. But I don’t want to spend the first moments of the year thinking about the negatives, because frankly, I am incredibly proud of both the team and the game that team created.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And for a first effort, it wasn’t half bad.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Stepping into Bungie’s oversized shoes would have been difficult, even for a well-established team. The challenge of wrangling that engine, that universe and that community was dizzying, even withering. Four years ago when our charter began, the challenge of starting the seed of a development team and then creating a sequel to Halo terrified us. A small group of us – names you know, like Kiki Wolfkill, Bonnie Ross, Kenneth Scott Josh Holmes and other characters who have moved on to different projects, different places – was tasked with doing something that was almost impossible.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But the team grew. And we learned. And we’re still learning. And the game arrived and it succeeded. Halo 4 is the best and fastest-selling Halo game in the series. It won critical acclaim. It won awards, from Best Graphics at the VGAs to Game of the Year at the Inside Gaming Awards. We altered the engine. We expanded the universe. We innovated in storytelling, technology, and even marketing. It wasn’t flawless by any stretch of the imagination, but by most objective criteria, it was a resounding success. So we know we have a lot to do. And we know we have a lot to learn. But we also know that we now have the capacity, the teamwork, the technology and the experience to do much better next time."</p>
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<img alt="halo4.jpg" src="http://d1vr6n66ssr06c.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/halo4.jpg"><p> </p>
<p>"But my point is this: If you’d asked me three or four years ago if we thought we’d be where we are now, I would have looked doubtfully at you and said, “That’s a lot to ask.” But the team, through miracles of collaboration and individual contribution – and lakes of blood and tears – waded into the challenge with gusto and worked obscene hours with passion and verve to get it done. And now we’re beginning to really understand what “it” is.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I think that, perhaps perversely, rather than being looked at askance with doubt and cynicism, in some corners we’ve been given extra latitude – the only benefit of low expectations. And then the ability to exceed those expectations.</p>
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<p>There are a ton of things we wish we'd done better: Features that didn’t make it into the final game. Glitches that emerged. Missteps made. DLC fiascos. Communication breakdowns. But there were things that went astonishingly well – the creation of a genuinely competitive AAA studio chief among them. A collection of talent and souls that can do something genuinely amazing on this and next-generation hardware. The overhaul of an amazing game engine – but one that really needed to be overhauled – and an amassed education on systems, people, code and audience that will stand us in great stead for the future."</p>
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<div style="text-align:center;">
<img alt="tumblr_mb0n0w6uXJ1qmxj7bo1_500.jpg" src="https://www.343industries.org/forum/uploads/imageproxy/tumblr_mb0n0w6uXJ1qmxj7bo1_500.jpg.3c402eae3bd9b98c6adcf2c58cd83c7e.jpg"><p> </p>
<p>"Some of the high points of the last few years have been products as well as people – like Halo: Anniversary and Forward Unto Dawn. There have been amazing events – Halo Fest, the E3 debut, ComicCon – all blurring into a sea of faces, excitement, light, and noise.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But the most important aspect of our success, and our efforts now and in the future, has been this community – a demanding, imaginative, engaged, vocal, varied and intelligent swarm of personalities, groups and individuals, each with subtly to radically different interests in this vast and varied universe we’re charged with. That isn’t lip service, nor is it pandering. You guys pay for the privilege of playing our game, and you have every right to have a voice in its development.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It may not have ended up precisely the way you imagined – there are simply too many voices and perspectives to make all of the people happy, all of the time – but we think of the community as a direct and democratic extension of the team and, indeed, of the development process. A litmus test, a pH strip and a sounding board for ideas and innovations, you are the tension between the need for change and evolution, and the necessity of inertia.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Technically, this should be a retrospective, but it’s safe to say I’m more excited about the future than the past. Excited about what this team is already working on. Excited about what this team is capable of. And excited about the future of Halo. A future we want you to be a part of. A future we’re building for you."</p>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="halo-live-action-web-series-news-1.jpg" src="https://www.343industries.org/forum/uploads/imageproxy/halo-live-action-web-series-news-1.jpg.29f004b22c633336e71343f8802562fb.jpg"></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p>As a community we appreciate Frank O'connor stepping forward and telling us what's been going on with Halo 4. Allowing us to hear these genuine comments from Frank himself goes a long way and allowing the community to have insight on 343 Industries thoughts of Halo 4. We hope in the future we will continue to receive information like this from 343 Industries  informing and updating us on a franchise we love so much.</p></div>
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]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">542</guid><pubDate>Fri, 11 Jan 2013 23:13:53 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>CES: Xbox IllumiRoom</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/ces-xbox-illumiroom-r541/</link><description><![CDATA[
<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#00ff00;"><strong>Microsoft has been showing of it's new technology at CES, it is called "Xbox IllumiRoom". What it does is make your entire room part of the TV screen, your walls will show the content that breaches the edges of your TV and acts as an extension to your screen. More details below. </strong></span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;">
<p><strong><span style="color:#ffff00;">Article and videos are from</span></strong><strong> </strong></p>
<a href="http://ign.com" rel="external nofollow"><strong><span style="color:#00ffff;">IGN.</span></strong></a>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHV4nclMdGc" rel="external nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHV4nclMdGc</a></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;">
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">During Samsung’s keynote at CES today, Microsoft unveiled IllumiRoom, a new technology that turns the entire room around your TV into an extension of the screen. As explained on Microsoft’s official site, IllumiRoom uses Kinect and a projector “to blur the lines between on-screen content and the environment we live in allowing us to combine our virtual and physical worlds.”</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">Microsoft explains that IllumiRoom “augments the area surrounding a television screen with projected visualizations to enhance the traditional living room entertainment experience” and “can change the appearance of the room, induce apparent motion, extend the field of view, and enable entirely new game experiences." Kinect captures the geometry of a room and adapts projected visuals “in real-time without any need to custom pre-process the graphics.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoUGRGjG07E" rel="external nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoUGRGjG07E</a></p>
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<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">In a video demo shown off during Samsung’s keynote, Microsoft showed off several different applications of the technology, noting that the footage was “captured live and is not the result of any special effects added in post production.”</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">IllumiRoom appears to be the realization of the immersive display experience Microsoft patented last year, which aimed to make gaming “more realistic” and eliminating “out of context images” that sit next to your TV.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">Whether or not IllumiRoom will tie-in with next Xbox or the next generation of Kinect remains to be seen, but Microsoft says more details will be revealed at the ACM SIGCHI Conference in Paris in April.</span></p>
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]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">541</guid><pubDate>Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:15:58 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>What Next Gen Mass Effect Could Look Like</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/what-next-gen-mass-effect-could-look-like-r540/</link><description><![CDATA[
<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#00ff00;"><strong>Here are some stunning images of what Mass Effect 4 could look like on the next gen Playstation and Xbox. This could be giving us an idea of what the next generation of gaming may very well look like and the power of what the next consoles could be capable of. Read below for more details. </strong></span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;">
<p><strong><span style="color:#ffff00;">Article and images are from</span></strong><strong><span style="color:#00ffff;"> </span></strong></p>
<a href="http://www.examiner.com" rel="external nofollow"><strong><span style="color:#00ffff;">Examiner</span></strong></a>
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<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">Some images have popped up online on Saturday giving us a taste of what the next “Mass Effect” video game, presumably “Mass Effect 4,” could look like on next-generation systems like the PS4 and Xbox 720. As reported by </span></p>
<a href="http://www.dsogaming.com/news/this-is-what-a-next-generation-mass-effect-game-could-look-like/" rel="external nofollow"><span style="color:#00ffff;">DSOGaming</span></a><span style="color:#ffa07a;">, Baolong Zhang was able to put together several character models using the Unreal Engine 3 with DirectX 11. You can check out his “Mass Effect 4” images, as well as some concept images of the PS4 and Xbox 720 from </span><a href="http://www.yankodesign.com/2011/07/15/future-playstation-4/" rel="external nofollow"><span style="color:#00ffff;">Yanko Design.</span></a>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">Late last year, Bioware announced that they are currently working on the next installment for the “Mass Effect” series, which many think will end up being “Mass Effect 4.” The latest title, “Mass Effect 3,” was released for multiple platforms in North America on March 6, 2012.</span></p></div>
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]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">540</guid><pubDate>Wed, 09 Jan 2013 20:42:03 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Next Gen Xbox Specs Surfaced?</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/next-gen-xbox-specs-surfaced-r539/</link><description><![CDATA[
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<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="xbox-wallpaper.jpg" src="http://cdn.xbox720central.com/cdn/farfuture/EOLZn96f1foVHLj4TZbHMi4otbD4ruu_DBodM_1L1Ek/mtime:1342262149/sites/xbox720central.com/files/xbox-wallpaper.jpg"></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#00ff00;"><strong>Recent reports claim to have revealed the next gen xbox specs, it's is said that the CPU, GPU and RAM total but microsoft have not announced these details themselves yet so it should still be considered as rumor. Read below for more details.</strong></span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;">
<p><strong><span style="color:#ffff00;">This article is from</span></strong><strong> </strong></p>
<a href="http://www.examiner.com" rel="external nofollow"><strong><span style="color:#00ffff;">Examiner.com</span></strong></a>
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<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">Although Microsoft remains mum on the topic, rumors concerning Microsoft’s upcoming next-generation home console, dubbed Xbox 720, continue to surface. On Tuesday, a report from</span></p>
<a href="http://club.tgfcer.com/thread-6596213-2-1.html" rel="external nofollow"><span style="color:#00ffff;"> Club.TGCER.com</span></a> arose which, apparently, reveals <span style="color:#ffa07a;">many of the technical specs of the Xbox 720.</span>
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<p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">According to a post from the</span> </p>
<a href="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=507325" rel="external nofollow"><span style="color:#00ffff;">NeoGAF video game forums</span></a>, <span style="color:#ffa07a;">which translated the original source, the Xbox 720 will house an 8-core CPU, a customized AMD 8800 series GPU, and pack 8 GB of RAM – for comparison, the Nintendo Wii U has 2GB of RAM.</span>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">In addition to these technical details, the report also mentions that the Xbox 720 will use Windows 8 as an operating system and come with a 640 GB hard disk drive – the Xbox 360’s largest HDD currently is 320 GB.</span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa07a;">Microsoft has not formally announced the Xbox 720 or a next-generation home console. Despite Microsoft’s reluctance to announce the new hardware, there have been a number of reports that suggest Microsoft will debut the Xbox 720 at E3 2013 later this year with a launch in North America by the end of the year</span></p></div>
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]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">539</guid><pubDate>Tue, 08 Jan 2013 23:31:27 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Details and Specs for Valve "Piston" Revealed</title><link>https://www.343industries.org/forum/news/other-articles/details-and-specs-for-valve-quotpistonquot-revealed-r538/</link><description><![CDATA[
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#00ff00;"><strong>Some details have been revealed about a console Valve is creating codenamed "Piston", not much has been revealed about Valve's latest project just yet but early spec and details have been revealed at CES </strong></span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#00ff00;"><strong>yesterday. Read below for more info.</strong></span></p></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;">
<p><strong><span style="color:#ffff00;">Article and Images from </span></strong></p>
<a href="http://www.polygon.com" rel="external nofollow"><strong><span style="color:#00ffff;">Polygon.</span></strong></a>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#ffa500;">Xi3 brought an early version of Piston to CES, but was tight lipped on details about the hardware currently in development with Valve. Xi3 chief marketing officer David Politis told Polygon that Piston will offer up to 1 TB of interal storage and offer modular component updates, including the option to upgrade the PC's CPU and RAM.</span></p></div>
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<p><span style="color:#FFA500;">Xi3 wouldn't discuss price for Piston, but commented that the Steam Box is based on its "performance level" X7A offering, which is priced at $999. Xi3 declined to comment on what would differentiate Piston hardware-wise from a standard X7A.</span></p>
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<p><span style="color:#FFA500;">Xi3 also offers the entry level X5A, which is priced at $499 with a Linux operating system.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#FFA500;">The demo unit of Piston featured an IO board boasting one ethernet port, 1/8" audio in/out, SPDIF optical audio, four USB 3.0 ports, four USB 2.0 ports (with one dedicated to keyboard input), four eSATAp ports, two Mini Display Port ports and one DisplayPort/HDMI port.</span></p>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="xi3-piston-04.0_cinema_640.0.jpg" src="https://www.343industries.org/forum/uploads/imageproxy/xi3-piston-04.0_cinema_640.0.jpg.c5f2bec0ce98bdde6d7cc537f36f6c70.jpg"></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="img6829_02.jpg" src="https://www.343industries.org/forum/uploads/imageproxy/img6829_02.jpg.5ab6e5b20f354390d372a1cb31d56e27.jpg"></div>
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]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">538</guid><pubDate>Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:10:48 +0000</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
