‘Rocket League’ on Switch comes with exclusive Nintendo battle cars

by Stone Marshall | Sep 6, 2017 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized | 0 comments

First released in 2015, Rocket League took the gaming community by storm on PlayStation 4 and Windows PC, and it wasn’t too long until it made its way to Xbox One. Once again, the game is making the jump to a new console. With the release of Rocket League on the Nintendo Switch, developer Psyonix is bringing exclusive Nintendo-themed battle cars.

When Rocket League releases on Nintendo Switch this holiday season, these three Nintendo-themed cars will be available as free special unlocks. Technically speaking, the Mario NSR and Luigi NSR are the same vehicle. Whether or not a player is Mario or Luigi is dependent on the team color they select before a match. Orange players display the Mario skin while Blue players show up as Luigi. For the Metroid-themed Battle Car, Samus’ Gunship, the team color variations are modeled after different Varia Suits from the series.

Along with the different body designs, both cars feature specialized boosts. The Mario and Luigi NSR feature a “Super Star” trail while Samus’ Gunship uses a “Wave Beam.” Other Nintendo items include Mario and Luigi hats.

Rocket League on Nintendo Switch was officially announced during Nintendo’s Treehouse presentation at E3 2017. Anticipation for the reveal came much sooner though as Psyonix began teasing the possibility of a Switch port

Right out of the gate, the Switch version includes all previous game modes and features found in other versions of the game. This includes later additions such as Hockey, Dropshot, and additional rotating modes. It also supports cross-network play, but the systems have yet to be announced.

Other unique features come from the design of the Nintendo Switch. The biggest draw is the ability to play Rocket League on the go. Users can get the same console experience, without being tethered to their living room. Additionally, local wireless multiplayer allows Switch owners to circle around each other to play without using dedicated Wi-Fi.

Rocket League rolls out onto Nintendo Switch consoles during the 2017 holiday season. This means that players will have plenty of time to battle their friends during the holiday break. Expect a solid release date in the coming months.

‘Rocket League’ on Switch comes with exclusive Nintendo battle cars

The Xbox One S is here, so is it time to ditch your original Xbox One?

by Stone Marshall | Sep 6, 2017 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized | 0 comments

The Xbox One S offers a sleek, compact, and 4K Blu-ray-capable alternative to the original Xbox One, which has now been discontinued, and with multiple bundles sporting a variety of storage capacities and packed-in games, the Xbox One S is great option for anyone looking to pick up an Xbox system for the first time. At just $280 for the standard 500GB version with a game, it’s also one of the most affordable consoles on the market today.

Should you go all out and purchase the 2TB version of the console, or stick with your tried-and-true Xbox One? With the native 4K-capable, ultra-powerful Xbox One X console launching at the end of 2017, the answer to that question really depends on your eagerness to adopt the latest-and-greatest tech. Below, we take a look at how the newest console from Microsoft competes with its predecessor, the original Xbox One, in terms of specs. After all, a side-by-side juxtaposition could be enough to sway you one way or another

	Xbox One	Xbox One S
Base price	$250 (500GB), with games	$280 (500GB), with games
Drive	Up to 1TB	Up to 2TB
Resolution	Up to 1080p	Up to 4K for video
Dimensions	13.1 x 10.8 x 3.1 inches	11.6 x 8.9 x 2.5 inches
HDR support	No	Yes
Blu-ray equipped	Yes, up to 1080p	Yes, up to 4K
Cortana equipped	Yes	Yes
Operating system	Windows 10-based Xbox One OS	Windows 10-based Xbox One OS
Compatible with Kinect	Yes	Yes (with an adapter)
Bluetooth controller	No	Yes
Built-in power brick	No	Yes
USB 3.0 ports	3	3
Dedicated Kinect port	Yes	No
Available from	Amazon	Amazon
DT review	4 out of 5 stars	3.5 out of 5 stars

Blu-Ray, HDR, and new streaming features

The Xbox One S supports 4K video playback from streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon, and several others. The console also features a built-in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. At less than $300, the Xbox One S is a relative steal when compared to the price tag of some of dedicated UHD players currently on the market, which makes it a solid purchase for individuals who currently own a 4K TV. The last-gen Xbox One accepts Blu-ray discs, sure, but it can’t handle UHD Blu-ray.

The Xbox One S also supports HDR, or High Dynamic Range, which greatly broadens the range of displayed colors and contrast. Deeper colors and richer contrast means more vibrant and realistic imagery. All of this creates more stunning, lifelike graphics. The HDR upgrade makes for a vivid in-game experience, but you must have an HDR-capable TV. Even then, only a small selection of games, such as Gears of War 4 and Forza Horizon 3 support the feature.

Winner: Xbox One S

Aesthetics and design

The Xbox One S is an aesthetic marvel when compared to the aging look of the Xbox One. Opposed to the uninspiring, cinder-block design of the Xbox One, the Xbox One S features a matte-white block on a raised black base. The Xbox One S is also capable of being positioned upright, though the upright stand comes exclusively with the 2TB model, or as a standalone accessory for $20. Its predecessor, on the other hand, can only be positioned horizontally. The Xbox One S is smaller than the Xbox One, yet still manages to house the power brick that was once an outside component of the Xbox One.

As anyone who has ever owned an Xbox One knows, the touch-sensitive power button was oftentimes problematic. Similarly, the controller sync button was inconveniently located. The Xbox One S addresses many of these design flaws. The front of the Xbox One S features a physical power button, controller sync button, a disc eject button, and a single USB 3.0 port. The backside of the Xbox One S has two HDMI ports (one in, one out), two more USB 3.0 ports, S/PDIF, and Ethernet. Both models offer an IR blaster, as well.

Winner: Xbox One S

Bye, bye Kinect. Hello, Cortana

The Xbox One S dropped the dedicated port for the Kinect. Only a handful of games utilized Kinect to begin with, making the move fairly irrelevant from a gaming standpoint. However, it is still possible to use the motion-sensing device with the Xbox One S via an adapter. Moreover, Microsoft is currently giving them away for free through its support site. However, since Kinect users will have to use one of the USB ports for the adapter, they will now be down to only two USB ports, and the additional adapter requires its own power supply, unlike the original Xbox One.

The Kinect port has been also replaced with an integrated infrared blaster on the Xbox One S, allowing users to configure their Xbox One S to control devices such as their TV and A/V receiver. After several postponements, the Xbox One S finally features Microsoft’s digital assistant, Cortana.

The assistant — first introduced on desktop machines with Windows 10 — is aimed at carrying out an array of standard tasks, and thus allows you to look up the weather, search the internet, open apps, and perform a host of other actions. At the moment, Cortana is wildly insufficient for more than the most basic functions, though the feature will likely get better as time goes on. As with any platform, trial and error is key to a harmonious relationship. Both the Xbox One and Xbox One S can use Cortana and Kinect.

Winner: Xbox One

Controller

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

The folks at Microsoft continue to further distance themselves from the Kinect, and as such, the latest Xbox controller comes with a jack that allows you to communicate with your digital assistant via a headset. From a tactile, gaming perspective, the controller still very much feels like the controller we’ve all grown accustomed to, albeit with a new textured grip and an assortment of covers. The controller also comes equipped with Bluetooth, which extends its range and makes wireless gaming with Xbox Anywhere titles far easier.

Winner: Xbox One S

Compatibility

The Xbox One S supports all the games you loved on Xbox One, and vice versa. It’s also possible for the Xbox One S to upscale older games to 4K (not that it doesn’t render at that resolution — it only upscales). Regardless, unless Xbox One owners are really chomping at the bit for increased support and video quality, there’s no dire need to upgrade at the moment.

Winner: Tie

Conclusion

To upgrade or not to upgrade? The Xbox One S is without a doubt one of the best Ultra HD Blu-Ray players on the market for the price. Coupled with the general gaming upgrades, the Xbox One S is a great option for individuals looking for a worthy Ultra HD Blu-ray player, as well as individuals purchasing their first Xbox. Though our initial review for the original Xbox One actually gave it a higher score than the Xbox One S due to the platform’s potential, the Xbox One S is the superior machine.

For current Xbox owners, there’s little incentive to make the leap with the much more promising release of the Xbox One X — with 4K gaming — coming this November. If you’re looking for an upgrade right now, though, the Xbox One S is hard to beat for anyone content to play games at 1080p resolution.

Winner: Xbox One S

Updated on 8-28-2017 by Gabe Gurwin: Updated to reflect the discontinuation of the original Xbox One and final name of Xbox One X.

The Xbox One S is here, so is it time to ditch your original Xbox One?

PlayStation VR gets a price cut, now comes with PlayStation Camera

by Stone Marshall | Sep 5, 2017 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized | 0 comments

PlayStation VR may be the least expensive way to enter the world of virtual reality, but it still isn’t cheap. Previously, the headset sold for $400 in addition to the mandatory PlayStation Camera for an additional $60, but that changes this week with the newest PlayStation VR bundle.

Starting on September 1, the PlayStation VR’s standard bundle will come with a PlayStation Camera for $400, effectively giving customers a $60 discount. Sony says that this will be the “core” PlayStation VR bundle moving forward, so if you already own the camera but haven’t picked up the headset yet, you might want to act quickly.

In addition to the $400 option, those looking to also pick up a game with PlayStation VR can check out the $450 PlayStation VR Worlds bundle — previously called the “launch bundle” at most retailers. The package contains everything from the standard bundle and adds two PlayStation Move controllers and the PlayStation VR Worlds game. Coming with several different mini-games, including The London Heist, Danger Ball, and the enthralling Ocean Descent, it’s a great way to get introduced to VR technology, though not all of the games are created equal. VR Luge is a pretty mediocre racing game, and Scavengers Odyssey is all but guaranteed to make you queasy.

PlayStation VR has been on the market for almost a year, and its library of games has grown steadily. While short, Farpoint is the first shooter for the system to feel like more than a technical demonstration, and Superhot VR offers a nice twist on the unique first-person shooter. We’re particularly excited for Megaton Rainfall, which releases on September 26. The superhero game tasks you with defending Earth against alien invaders, all while you avoid destroying the skyscrapers that litter the planet’s cities. It’s also playable on a standard PlayStation 4 system, though its first-person perspective seems built for VR.

If you already have a PlayStation VR headset, you’ll be seeing some improvements in the near future. The next PlayStation 4 software update adds new surround-sound options in “Cinematic Mode,” as well as additional broadcasting options so you can stay connected with your viewers without removing the headset.

PlayStation VR gets a price cut, now comes with PlayStation Camera

Xbox One S vs. Xbox One X — is the upgrade worth it?

by Stone Marshall | Sep 5, 2017 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized | 0 comments

One of the biggest reasons to upgrade to a new console generation is power. Better graphics, better processing capabilities — all of it leads to bigger and better-looking games. With its upcoming new version of the Xbox One, now known officially as the Xbox One X, Microsoft wants to convince you that adding more technical firepower should not be reserved for whole new generations of consoles.

While the One X is a still an Xbox One, it is heftier, faster and more powerful under the hood and now with the original Xbox One no longer available to purchase, Microsoft is pushing Xbox fans young and old towards its new system.

The One X is the younger sibling of both the original One and One S, with years worth of extra development and planning behind it. It should, in theory, offer substantial performance and feature improvements over its predecessor. But is it worth buying over its more affordable One S sibling?

A lot of One X pre-order buyers certainly think so, but while we won’t be able to judge Xbox One X fully and fairly until we get out hands on the hardware itself and take it for a spin, we now have enough details to start having the conversation of whether you should upgrade from an Xbox One or Xbox One S to the Xbox One X.

Specs

Hardware design

Since the Xbox One X is part of the Xbox One family, the biggest differences between it and the current Xbox One models are mostly internal. Microsoft has made distinct architectural changes to its design, instead of simply throwing more modern hardware at the problem of the Xbox One’s occasional power disparity with the PS4.

Xbox One X’s graphics chip packs 40 compute units into a slightly slimmer footprint than the Xbox One S, where there are only 12. Those cores are also optimized for DirectX 12 and will be clocked at 1,172MHz – much higher than the Xbox One and Xbox One S. The CPU offers a roughly 30 percent increase in clock speed, so it should be a lot more powerful in its own right. All in all, Xbox One X’s graphical performance is said to be around the six teraflop mark, which would mean it has a little less raw power than an Nvidia GTX 1070 desktop graphics card, or a little more than an AMD RX 480. That means the Xbox One X has more than 4.5 times the graphical performance of the original Xbox One.

In terms of physical design, the Xbox One S cut down the size of the original Xbox One to a more svelte package, but Microsoft vastly overstated the size difference. Still, the white shell and perforated edges gave the Xbox One S a premium look that we appreciated over the bulky black Xbox One. The Xbox One X, in our brief experience, rolls back that premium feel a bit, reverting to the black box look that has defined the console line thus far. Microsoft is right that it’s the smallest Xbox yet, but it’s not dramatically smaller than the Xbox One S.

The Xbox One X will come with a full 12GB of GDDR5 memory as well, which will give developers a lot more leeway and really help the system handle 4K content. In comparison, the original Xbox One only has eight gigabytes. Although we do not have detailed specifications for it, the 1TB internal hard drive should be as much as 50 percent faster too, which should lead to faster boot times and a reduction in loading screens over previous generations of the console.

Winner: Xbox One X

Resolution and framerate

ForzaTech demo running at 4K at 60FPS

All of that power is designed to drive what is considered by many to be the next big benchmark for mainstream gaming: 4K resolution. At four times the detail level of now-standard 1080P, 4K offers crisper detail and more true-to-life visuals. Considering the original Xbox One struggled at times to deliver 1080P at anything over 30 frames per second, a big part of the Xbox One X’s design is to enable ultra-HD resolution gaming at higher frame rates.

Although we don’t know for sure how capable the Xbox One X is just yet, Microsoft showed off a number of games at E3 2017 that would support full 60 FPS playback at 4K. One of the big standouts was Forza Motorsport 7, but it’s far from the only one. You can find a constantly updated list of those games here.

Once we spent some time with the Xbox One X at E3, we were very enthused by its performance when hooked up to a 4K TV with HDR support. The visuals were sharp, and the HDR brought intense light and murky shadows to life in a way no other console can replicate. That said, a lot of the appeal faded when hooked up to a 1080p TV without the contrast and brightness needed for HDR. That is what most people are still using for their gaming, and the Xbox One X is more likely to draw in users with a high-end setup, or who are willing to buy one. Users with older TVs may only see a framerate bump.

All of that will, of course, depend on the ability for developers to optimize for the hardware, but with Microsoft using a more typical unified RAM system, the Xbox One X is more PC-like than ever, which should make porting games easier too.

Winner: Xbox One X

Home theater support

While the Xbox One X will be able to take advantage of 4K streaming on Netflix or YouTube, until ultra high-speed internet becomes more commonplace, a 4K UHD Blu-Ray player will be a necessity for those who want to take full advantage of their 4K TV. While that means buying a player, if you can have that bundled with a console upgrade that also lets you take advantage of 4K gaming, all the better.

There is no question here, the Xbox One cannot compete when it comes to 4K media support. The Xbox One S can, however, so it remains a viable option for anyone only looking to upgrade for that functionality.

Like the Xbox One and Xbox One S, Xbox One X will support Microsoft’s own in-house developed, HRTF, as well as bitrate passthrough for audio and features Dolby Atmos support for those of us lucky to have such a setup. Since both the 4K Blu-Ray player and high-end audio solutions are available in both the Xbox One S and Xbox One X, it seems that either console will be an excellent addition to your home theater setup.

Winner: Xbox One X / Xbox One S

HDR

Although it’s less marketable without a number, High Dynamic Range (HDR) is the other major display technology that hardware manufacturers are using as a reason for consumers to upgrade and the Xbox One X comes with full support. This allows the system to work with displays that support HDR to display a wider range of bright and dark lights, usually with the help of OLED or local dimming. Explosions look like real fire, and shadows have greater detail, in a way that is hard to explain without seeing it.

That is something that the Xbox One simply cannot do, so it falls behind there. The Xbox One S supports HDR 10 only, but with compatible games and displays, it offers a noticeable visual improvement. While Xbox One X should deliver a comparable experience and likely a better one, until we hear more, it is hard to say if it will be that much better at HDR support than the One S.

Winner: Xbox One X / Xbox One S

Game support and Backwards Compatibility

Much like the PlayStation 4 Pro, it will be up to developers to take advantage of the Xbox One X’s extra power with better framerates and native 4K support. Microsoft has been steadily announcing titles that support 4K and/or HDR, and we are keeping updated on those titles in another post.

In addition, Microsoft announced at E3 that original Xbox games would be coming to the Xbox One line, starting with the classic and oft-requested Crimson Skies. 

As far as game support goes, there will be parity among all versions of the Xbox One. That includes access to the backwards-compatible Xbox 360 library available on the Xbox One and Xbox One S. It is not clear if the added performance of Xbox One X will really make much of a difference for Xbox 360 games, but it is good to see that people buying the new system won’t have to keep an original Xbox One lying around just to play their older games.

Winner: Xbox One X

Price and Availability

As expected, the Xbox One X will retail for $500 at launch. At the same time as Microsoft made that announcement, the price of the Xbox One S was also slashed to $250, putting a good amount of distance between the two products. Which one is the right choice will depend on your budget and whether you are already sporting a 4K HDR TV, or are willing to buy one. We found that you do not get nearly as much out of the Xbox One X without a higher-end set.

There may not be a clear winner in the price discussion, but there is a clear loser. With stock for the original One X disappearing and Microsoft not shifting any more itself, it is impossible to recommend at this point. While viable for second-hand buyers looking to join this console generation for the first time, if you’re buying new, your options are restricted to the One S and One X.

Winner: Xbox One S

Conclusion

If nothing else, the introduction of the Xbox One X, the Xbox One S’s subsequent price drop and the original Xbox One’s lack of availability, it becomes clear that this three horse race is now down to two. The standard Xbox One is no longer a competitive console, which is good news for Microsoft, which it seems is planning to continue rotating through Xbox One consoles, rather than resetting the platform completely.

Unfortunately, the Xbox One X still has limited appeal. Only those with 4K HDR TVs are going to see a big benefit from the $500 cost associated with the higher-powered console. For most, the Xbox One S is still the best option, and it is now available at a better price.

Update 08/28/2017 – Added news that original Xbox One production has ended.

Xbox One S vs. Xbox One X — is the upgrade worth it?

Xbox One X sets pre-order record for the Xbox console family

by Stone Marshall | Sep 4, 2017 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized | 0 comments

Microsoft Xbox executive Phil Spencer has said in the past that the company does not expect its upcoming Xbox One X to be a massive seller — that is what the less expensive Xbox One S is for — but early pre-order numbers are looking impressive for the 4K-capable console.

The Xbox One X “Project Scorpio Edition” was made available for pre-order just after the Microsoft Gamescom presentation on Sunday and it is becoming increasingly hard to find. The special edition, which sells for the same $500 price as the standard Xbox One X, comes bundled with a vertical stand and limited edition controller. It also includes a unique gradient on the console itself as well as a free trial to the Xbox Game Pass service.

“Within just a few days, we saw record-setting sell-out times and are currently sold out in many countries around the world,” Xbox Corporate Vice President of Marketing Mike Nichols said in a statement. “You, our biggest fans, have pre-ordered more Xbox One X Project Scorpio Edition consoles in the first five days than any Xbox ever.”

Pre-order numbers have been steadily increasing over the last few generations. The Xbox One outpaced the Xbox 360 when Microsoft opened up pre-orders in 2013, though the console has consistently sold fewer units than the PlayStation 4. Third-party developers have largely sided with Sony’s system this generation, with only a handful of Microsoft-exclusive games releasing in 2017. So far this year, console-exclusives for PlayStation 4 include Nioh, Nier: Automata, Horizon Zero Dawn, Matterfall, Nex Machina, and Persona 5, with Knack II and Gran Turismo Sport scheduled to arrive within the next few months.

One Microsoft-exclusive game was supposed to be Crackdown 3, an open-world action-adventure that makes full use of the Xbox One X’s increased processing power. However, it has been delayed into 2018, leaving Forza Motorsport 7 and Cuphead as the two big-name exclusives for Xbox One and Windows 10 this holiday season. A number of other games will receive enhancements for the X, however, including Middle-earth: Shadow of War and Assassin’s Creed Origins. Older Xbox One titles like Halo 5: Guardians and Rise of the Tomb Raider will also receive updates, allowing the Xbox One X to play them in 4K resolution for the first time.

The Xbox One X launches on November 7.

Xbox One X sets pre-order record for the Xbox console family

‘Injustice 2’: News, rumors, and everything we know

by Stone Marshall | Sep 4, 2017 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized | 0 comments

Injustice 2, sequel to Mortal Kombat developer NetherRealm’s DC Comics-themed fighter, Injustice: Gods Among Us, is, after much hype, now out in the wild and it’s one of the best fighting games we’ve played in some time. In addition to bringing back all the superhero brawling and villainous scheming we’ve come to expect, Injustice 2 has a fantastic single player campaign and features a new loot-driven customization system.

But just because the game is playable now doesn’t mean there isn’t more to get excited about. While we might have had hours of fists-on time with the superhero brawler, there is still plenty of content coming our way in the future and we’re here to tell you all about it.

Story

Injustice 2 takes place shortly after the events of Injustice: Gods Among Us, and sees the villain formerly known as “dictator” Superman shackled and powerless following his defeat by Batman. Though this evil incarnation of Clark Kent is no longer causing terror, the world is far from peaceful. Villains like Harley Quinn are still wreaking havoc, and Batman seems all but helpless to stop them from killing innocent civilians, while heroes like Supergirl and Wonder Woman are too busy duking it out with each other to fight off the world’s super-criminals.

But like any good “hero versus hero” story, a new threat has emerged that threatens to destroy both sides, and could require a temporary alliance between even the most bitter of enemies. Enter Superman villain Brainiac, who has arrived on Earth to “finish his accumulation of Krypton” after acquiring through conquest what remained elsewhere in the universe. Even with everyone working to stop him, he still believes he can win.

Characters

Mixing together a roster of returning characters as well as several newcomers, Injustice 2 includes a diverse cast that should satisfy fans of both DC and fighting games. In addition to their “standard” forms, fighters can also use alternate configurations, changing the Flash to Reverse-Flash, for example, or Supergirl to Power Girl.

Familiar faces

Newcomers

‘Injustice 2’: News, rumors, and everything we know