Apple's New iPhone & iPods, Are They Worth It?

The biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone was shown off last week: the new iPhone 5. As an incremental upgrade to the current iPhone 4S the design of this new phone was almost completely leaked before release and there are very little surprises. It finally has LTE wireless, is slightly faster, and of course has the rumored 4'' screen. The iPhone 5 will be on sale September 21st for the same suggested price of $199 on contract. The 4S will now be sold for $99 and the iPhone 4 for Free on contract.

On a more exciting note, Apple announced hardware updates to two lines of their iPods: the iPod Touch and the Nano. I was very excited for the new iPod Touch until I heard the price, but I will get to that later. The new iPod Touch is beautiful, and in my opinion much more so than the iPhone with its 6 different colors. As the first update to the iPod Touch in two years it now has the same display as the iPhone 5 yet uses the previous A5 processor instead of the iPhone 5's new A6. The new iPod Touch has a bit of a less terrible camera and therefore is now being marketed as a point-and-shoot. The killer new feature for the iPod Touch is the included wrist strap (Loop) that matches the color of the device - well at least you didn't have to buy it separately.

The new iPod Touch is said to be available in October and starts at the too-high price of $299 for the 32GB model and $349 for the 64GB model. If we put this into perspective, Apple will continue to sell the same outdated model of the 4th Generaton iPod Touch at $199 for 16GB or $249 for 32GB. There is no 8GB option to be found for the iPod Touch 4G and has been replaced with 16GB for the same price. The iPod Touch 5G has no 8 or 16GB model and therefore starts at $300. Many are saying that this conflicts with the price an iPad Mini should be offered at later this year. Someone who is not too much of an Apple-Lover may notice that it is $100 more than the 7-inch Nexus Tablet. Yea, it's pretty, but it's not the best deal in town.

Also in October a new iPod Nano is coming too. The tiniest iPod ever, the iPod Nano is just 5.4mm thin. The new iPod Nano looks like a mini ripoff of an iPod Touch with a 2.5 multi-touch display. It also uses a strange iOS-like operating system with rounded icons. The Nano also comes with built in Bluetooth 4.0 and an FM radio. At $149 for 16GB and the all new design, the new Nano really impresses as a device for listening to music, podcasts, running, or whatever you may do with a small screen.

What else do you have to be excited about? Well, all the new iPhones and iPods from now on will be using the smaller 8-pin connector. Also, Apple has released a new line of headphones called EarPods that are said to rival high-end third-party headphones. I have always liked the Apple headphones, but other people's ear blisters may confirm they are not the best. The iPod shuffle will soon be available in all the colors of the Nano while a new version of iTunes is also coming in October, iTunes 11 - and Windows users are hoping that this may be the update to make it more usable on our platform. We'll see about that when it happens.

Did this Apple event leave you excited, or were you wanting more? Are you an Apple lover or hater? Let us know in the comments below!

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Nintendo Direct Wrap Up: September 13th

On Thursday, Nintendo had their latest Nintendo Direct that was headlined by new Wii U information. If you missed it here is the video so you can watch it for yourself. From games to prices this Nintendo Direct delivered so much. Here is a recap that will not only save you an hour of your life, but may even give you a better understanding of everything that was shown.

Starting the presentation Nintendo told the fans that they would release two versions of the Wii U on November 18th, 2012. The two versions are supposed to make picking a console much easier for both your budget and how you will use your Wii U. The basic Wii U package comes with the console itself, 8GB of internal storage, a GamePad, HDMI and AC adapter cables, and a Wii U sensor bar. The deluxe package comes out with everything that you get in the basic version, a black finish, 32GB worth of memory, a copy of Nintendo Land, stands and charger for the GamePad as well as their premium Nintendo Network where you get 10% off digital purchases. The basic version will sell for $299.99 and the deluxe will come in at $349.99.

Something new that was shown off by Nintendo was Nintendo TVii. It is a service that they offer in the form of an application on the console that syncs up with your Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon, DVR, and even your TV provider to have all your shows and movies in one place. It has a nice clean UI that make it easy to use. When watching a show or film the game pad shows interesting screenshots and other information so you can share the highlights while watching. They also said that it would cost you nothing to have this feature or any other feature on the Nintendo Network, as they strive to provide consumers with the whole package.

They also showed off some cool games during the presentation. They announced that Bayonetta 2 will now be a Wii U exclusive, right now it is controversial since they never had it before and 360/PS3 users now do not get to enjoy the sequel on their existing console. Monster Hunter 3 will be coming for Wii U and 3DS in march. Activision is now showing strong support for the console just like Ubisoft did at E3 with titles like Skylanders Giants, 007 Legends, and the CoD Black Ops 2. They showed some gameplay of Nintendo Land, and the Metroid multiplayer Co-op + free for all modes look great, almost as if they could be full games. New Super Mario Bros U, now a confirmed launch title was shown off with Boost Rush where as you collect coins the screen scroll speeds up. Nintendo said that in their launch window (November to March) will have at least 50 games.

Are you going to adopt this console early at launch or wait for a price drop? Are you even going to purchase it or do you think that the console will crash and burn? Tell us all in the comments!

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Guild Wars 2 Pre-Order Headstart Begins Tonight: Who will you be?

It is finally here. Many Guild Wars players have been waiting for years to see this day. If you are one of the hundreds of thousands who have pre-purchased Guild Wars 2 you will soon have access to the full game 3 days earlier than the retail release. Officially said to begin at 3AM Eastern time, it has been said on Twitter that the servers could be up and running up to 3 hours earlier. If you are just learning this now you are likely too late. You must wait until August 28th if you want to join in on the adventure.

While you wait, check out some of AnythingGeek's first ever video footage on YouTube as I show you the first part of the game as a Human Warrior. You may also want to check out our early review of Guild Wars 2 to get an idea of how the game works - it is surely very different from other MMOs.

Many were concerned that reviewing the game while in beta was innapropriate due to the amount of changes that have been continuously released as more and more beta weekends and stress tests go by - but it is clear to say that the game has only gotten better over time.

Gotta love the mushroom hat! (hair?)

By now players will hopefully have an idea of what race and class they will be playing for their first character in the full game. If you are unsure I really recommend trying out the new race to the series, the Sylvari. Upon playing a Sylvari Ranger for a little bit of time on a previous BWE I knew then that this was going to be the character I play for my first playthrough. The story seemed to be the most interesting and the starting area was beautiful. However, this should not stop you from playing as all races!

Will you be playing Guild Wars 2 tonight? Are you playing it right now? And who are you playing as your starting character? Let us know in the comments below!

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Train Simulator 2013 Announced

At the Cologne Gamescom the creators of Railworks, RailSimulator.com (RSC), have announced the next game in the series. Train Simulator 2013 brings with it numerous advances as well as included routes for those just joining the the series. RSC as provided arguably the best simulator for all from of rail transportation over the years and has been at the forefront of innovation.

What does this new addition bring to the series? Well numerous graphical, mechanical and brand new features are now included in an already comprehensive simulator.  Below are some of the highlights that can be taken away from the presentation. Firstly the inclusion of Steam Workshop in the series will be available at launch, making new or modded routes, scenarios, and rolling stock now available easily. The series will now boast multiplayer in the form of the new Relay Play mode, there is little detail however but we will know more in the coming weeks. There will be the addition of Quick Drive mode so people that are either new or just want a casual session can quickly pick up and play without all in-depth mechanics behinds it so the learning curve is diminished.

Lastly there is also the inclusion of Xbox 360 controller support, but for a program like this a controller will just not do. What you get in the box is three routes with a number of engines, rolling stock, and scenarios, below is the contents as described during their conference.

Sherman Hill route with new ES44AC, SD70M and SW10

Munich-Augsburg route with ICE 3M Class 406

London to Brighton route with Class 377 Electrostar

Now what about if you already own Train Simulator 2012, do you have to purchase this to get access to the new additions, no. If you already own Train Simulator 2012 there will be a free update to on the same day it is released giving you access to the new features. What you do miss out on however is the new routes and engines as described above. Existing players can treat the new simulator as a DLC pack essentially, so if you do not like the routes or trains, don't buy into them. They will be eventually separate DLC if you want to cherry pick but purchasing 2013 will give you a significant discount over that.

Train Simulator 2013 will launch on September 20th, 2012 on the Steam store. In store versions will be available worldwide in early October.

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New Dragon Ball Z Movie Teaser & Release Date Announced

As of yesterday, there is now a teaser trailer for the upcoming 2013 self-titled Dragon Ball Z film. Although the teaser doesn't reveal much, it's good to know that this project is moving along, and we were even given the exact date of the Japanese release, March 30th, 2013. Check out the trailer below:

Akira Toriyama

The film is being directed by Mashiro Hosoda, who was an episode director for the original series, as well as for other popular anime series such as Yu-Gi-Oh! and Sailor Moon. If all this isn't enough for you, head over to the official site for the latest announcements and even a message from the original author Akira Toriyama.

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Wii U Box Design Leaked

Since the Wii U was announced officially at E3 there has been a lot of speculation on all of the details. Price, release date, games at launch versus launch window, and a number of other details to decide whether people want to lay down their money or not. Recently we have gotten a number of sources such as Amazon, Target and other retailers putting up images for the games that are launching with the console. Below are the pictures of the game cases of these various titles as well as an alternative view of the case.

From what we can see, Nintendo appears to have adopted a blue case that will pop out to consumers on the shelf. I think this is good since earlier designs pointed to have the same case as the Wii but just adding in the "U". No word on dimensions but I think we could expect something similar to Wii cases, maybe slimmer judging by the pictures. Until Nintendo shows the game cases themselves I would take each new rumor with a grain of salt, but since these images were from multiple different retailers it gives this rumor good standing.

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Source 2 Engine Hinted in Source Filmmaker

From our long summer hiatus we have returned! To get things started off in a timely fashion here is the latest story in regards to gaming. The gaming company Valve is synonymous with many great things out there, including their dated Source engine. Over the course of a decade they have constantly updated it so it can stay inline with modern engine technology.

Recently some fine people at Valve Time have dug out some lines of code and files from the Source Filmmaker that seems to point to a whole new project from Valve. Below is some highlights of what they have found out.

Line 1387:
'''Return an str with the current engine version.
If key doesn't doesn't exist, assume 'Source', otherwise invalid -- assume next-gen 'Source 2'.'''

Source 2 tool Icons (above)

• appicon

• terrain_tool_toggle_control_cage

• terrain_tool_select_verts

• terrain_tool_edge_smooth

• paint_tool_icon

• scale_tool_icon

From what is being seen here it seems Valve wants to slowly integrate Source 2 so it will not be such a huge leap but a smooth transition with all the added features. This story is currently developing so we will bring you important updates as they happen.

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Total War: Rome II Coming 2013

Hey there folks, Atzunew here for some strategy game news.  The creators of the Total War series, Creative Assembly have confirmed yesterday that they plan on releasing the next installment of their series next year.  Rome II will return to one of the most intriguing eras of history.  Below are some comments from the developers themselves on the game as well as the series.

"Our games have always encompassed a grand vision.  But we’re now pushing that vision at both ends of the spectrum. From the immense reach of the sandbox campaign right down to the human-level drama of a single warrior on the battlefield, we're aiming for an unprecedented level of detail and scale".

Now we all wait holding our breath for what this game will entail.  Will it have a grand scale such as it's predecessor or will this game focus on the Apennine Peninsula. Also we raise questions such as what time during the empire are we taking part in.  All these questions will be answered and more once details come through, and follow AnythingGeek.net for those developments as they come.

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Darksiders 2 Wii U Box art Leaked

Hello there folks, Atzunew here with some small news.  Recently Amazon Germany put up the following image up for pre order of Darksider 2.  It looks nice but the news comes from the fact that this is the first look at Wii U box art.  Overall the design looks very similar to the Wii's, something that I wish they changed up just like how they changed the box art style with the DS and 3DS boxes.

This could just be a very nice mock-up but it would be quite a bit to do given the quality of it, as well as the official "Licenced by Nintendo" symbol, something they can't legally put on mock-ups.

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Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut Coming June 26th

Now that most of us have played through Mass Effect 3 and have either been busy with multiplayer, sobbing over the ending, or completely raging over how Bioware and EA screwed up - both companies are now completing their promise of an extended cut that players will be able to enjoy on June 26th on Xbox Live, PSN, and Origin for free.

Here are some of the important points that Bioware has discussed regarding this DLC:

How large is the Extended Cut?
The Extended Cut requires roughly 1.9 gigabytes of storage.

How do I get the Extended Cut?
The Extended Cut can be downloaded from Xbox LIVE, Origin on PC, and PlayStation Network at no additional cost.

What is included in the Extended Cut?
The Extended Cut expands on the endings of Mass Effect 3 through additional scenes and epilogue sequences. It provides more of the answers and closure that players have been asking for. It gives a sense of what the future holds as a result of the decisions made throughout the series. And it shows greater detail in the successes or failures based on how players achieved their endings.

Does the Extended Cut change the endings?
The Extended Cut is an expansion of the original endings to Mass Effect 3. It does not fundamentally change the endings, but rather it expands on the meaning of the original endings, and reveals greater detail on the impact of player decisions.

What save game should I load to play the Extended Cut?
[SPOILERS] To experience the Extended Cut, load a save game from before the attack on the Cerberus Base and play through to the end of the game. The Extended Cut endings will differ depending on choices made throughout the Mass Effect series, so multiple playthroughs with a variety of different decisions will be required to experience the variety of possibilities offered by the new content.

What do you think of this new content so far?  I'll probably just catch it on Youtube as I don't want to replay through Kai Leng and Banshee hell again. Stay tuned for more information regarding this DLC pack.

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Nintendo 3DS XL and More Shown off on Nintendo Direct

Last night was surely a late one for many Nintendo fans, with a new Nintendo Direct streaming live at midnight eastern time. It was full of great information and videos. And while much of it has been seen before there were some 'surprises' including of course, the Nintendo 3DS XL:

Nintendo 3DS XL

90% larger screen than original 3DS
Updated form factor (rounded)
Better battery life
Will launch in red and blue colors
Bundled with a 4GB SD card
MSRP of $199.99, releasing August 19th

The 4GB SD card (compared to the 3DS' 2GB will allow Nintendo to push downloading full games from the eShop even more, starting with New Super Mario Bros. 2 on the eShop August 19th, the same day as the 3DS XL's launch.

Pics

Nintendo also showed off a long line-up of games coming to the 3DS before the year is over, including:

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Skylander Giants
Adventure Time
Lego The lord of the Rings
Scribblenauts Unlimited
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

Kingdom Hearts has a demo available right now in the eShop, so be sure to check it out!

Some other games were given new details including release dates:

Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask (3DS)

Will be coming to North America November 1st
Downloadable puzzles available every day for a year (FREE)

Super Smash Bros. 3D

Will be a partnered effort between Nintendo and Namco Bandai, including Sakurai
Started development after the completion of Kid Icarus: Uprising

Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition (Wii)

6 classic Kirby games
Includes soundtrack and collectible book

New Super Mario Bros 2

Releasing August 19th
Coin rush mode: 1 life, compete with friends over StreetPass
Full local co-op though enitre game
Many new items to get you more coins!

Fire Emblem

Coming in 2013

Nintendo will also begin to move into more DLC, including paid add-on content. Coin rush stages will be available for purchase for NSMB2 and Fire Emblem will also have paid DLC available.

Also announced were what 3DS users are to expect as to specific features while playing the DS games Pokemon Black 2/White 2. Players who have bought the upcoming eShop game Pokemon Dream Radar will be able to transfer their caught Pokemon to Black/White 2. Also to look forward to are many new and reduced price Virtual Console games coming to the eShop, starting today with Super Mario Land for $2.99.

Finally, in Japan the Nintedo Direct also seems to have shown off the latest Animal crossing game coming to the 3DS. You can check out that footage here, and the entire North Amierca Nintendo Direct below:

What was your favorite announcement? What did I miss? Let us know in the comments below!

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Nintendo Direct June 21st Live Blog

AnythingGeek's very first live blog is below. We will follow the Nintendo Direct event as it is streamed live at 12AM EST, while taking your comments! Expect more info on the future of the Wii, DS, and 3DS.

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Nintendo Direct Tonight: Wii U Release Date, New Zelda Remake?

Today we got word of a new Nintendo Direct conference coming soon to our monitors. This conference will start at 12:00 AM EST, quite late considering past Nintendo Directs. If you want to know when it will be on for you, use the following time zone converter to find out.

No word on what the conference will pertain to but I hope it is either the Wii U's Price and release date or information on the rumored Zelda remakes of Majora's Mask or Link to the Past. We will have a round-up of the announcement right after it concludes so be sure to check out our coverage. To watch live head over to the Nintendo Direct website tonight.

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Pokémon Black 2 White 2: Early Copies Give New Info

Hey there folks, Atzunew back on the track of BW2 news. Recently some lucky ducks got their copies of Black/White 2 early. These users from the Japanese forum 2ch have been busily posting new information. Obviously there are spoilers so don't look if you're saving your surprise for the release. However, here are some of the highlights that we thought were interesting.

• The rival’s default name is Hugh/Hue/Hyuu (ヒュウ), the female player is named Mei (メイ) by default, the male character’s default name is Kyouhei.
• Video below shows off the player getting their starter Pokémon in a cool CG cut-scene.
• Repel can now be used again without going into the menu. After one runs out, it asks you “Repel’s effect ran out. Use another one? Y/N?”.
• The World Tournament is based in Driftveil City where the Cold Storage used to be.
• Iris is now the champion, no longer a mere gym leader. Drayden is now the Opelucid City gym leader for both versions.
• After clearing the game, you will be given a Key. This key allows for changing the game’s mode between Normal Mode (standard levels), Assist Mode (Trainers’ level will go down), and Challenge Mode (levels will go up). The Key also allows for the changing of Black City to White Forest and vice versa.

This is just a taste of the amount of content within Black & White 2. Continue to follow our coverage of these games to find out more of what to expect when it releases to Japan June 23rd and to us in North America this fall.

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Battlefield 3 Premium E3

In EA's conference they discussed with DICE on the nature of their new premium service, Battlefield Premium. This is essentially BF's answer for CoD Elite.  Like CoD Elite it will feature content that would enrich a fan's experience in a number of ways.

Members will get access to unique camo, dogtags and knifes, mostly vanity items.  What you would really pay the price of $49.99 for is the 2 week early access of DLC packs.  Back to Karkand, Close Quarters, Armoured Kill, Aftermath and End Game will be available in this service and separately.  Below is the trailer that they showed, the same trailer that was leaked recently.

 

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Ubisoft Shows Commitment for Wii U

In their recent press conference Ubisoft has shown some great games as well as ones to come.  While this is great for support for the system it does go against what Nintendo is trying to do, win back the "hardcore" market.  Games and series such as Your Shape, Sports Connection, Just Dance 4 and Rabids Land do offer players a nice variety of genres to pick from.  These are definitely not what "hardcore" gamers would be looking for but Nintendo is trying to reach the largest market possible.

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Watch_Dogs Steals the Conference

One of the few announcements that wowed fans was the new IP, Watch_Dogs.  This game is made by the same people as Assassin's Creed so we can expect a great story with good gameplay.  At first look it seems similar in feel to AC since you seem to hunt down people that are corrupt, like how you hunt Templars.

The choices present in the game are staggering as it seems that you can preform missions in a variety of ways.  Then something unique and exciting was the fact that it looks like multiplayer affects singleplayer.  It is hard to know what Ubisoft has in store for this game so check back in the coming months for more news about this game.

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Assassin's Creed 3 Ubisoft's Offering

In the following trailer and gameplay footage we see that the British are mostly the enemy, something I wish the game was more on the aspect that the natives were neutral in the conflict and didn't support either side more than the other.  Apparently our assassin, Connor is assisted by George Washington, Ben Franklin and other founding fathers.

In the gameplay we saw the soundtrack was great and the tree movement was fluid and natural.  This game focuses on fast combat rather than quick time button mashes like some other games since firearms are more common here.  It is said that the game will not only cover the revolution but a 30 year period around it, going from New England forests to European metropolises.

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ZombiU shows Ubisoft's Commitment

In commitment of Nintendo's new console, the WiiU, they have developed an exclusive for this console, ZombiU.  This game was the same shown during the Nintendo Direct on Sunday as well.  It definitely seems to have a London setting where this game takes place.  Little gameplay has been shown yet but this seems to be on Nintendo road to win back "hardcore" gamers.

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Rayman Legends is Heavy Contender for Wii U

Earlier we saw leaked footage of the game, Rayman Legends.  E3 cemented that this game is coming to the Wii U platform and will really enhance what the system is capable of.  This gameplay was made on a developer kit so they had things like a wired gamepad and other things that will be different when the system is released.  They have a new character named Murphy, who is the green guy on screen.  With up to five players playing it allows players infinite gameplay options.  The soundtrack is superb and they showed off a music mode where Murphy hit notes to gain score for the other players.

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