Now that the dust has settled somewhat with Microsoft’s Xbox One announcement, a few lingering issues remain a huge talking point for those interested in picking one up at launch. The first is the unsolved mystery over always-on connectivity, and the other is Microsoft’s confirmation that the Xbox One system will have no way whatsoever to play Xbox 360 discs, or games already purchased through Xbox Live Arcade.

Microsoft has said that the main reason for the lack of Xbox One backwards compatibility, is that the new console is incompatible with Xbox 360 discs, due to being based on the x86 architecture. You may be already aware that this is a similar setup to the way the Sony PS4 has been built, but Sony has already confirmed that they will be offering a workaround PS3 backwards compatibility with the PS4.

Sony has said that Gaikai will play a part in this, with users able to stream PS3 games and possibly even PS2 and PS1 games in the future. Microsoft on the other hand has already confirmed that no such plans are in place to offer a similar service. With the vast library of Xbox 360 games now redundant on the Xbox One – some consumers may be wondering if Microsoft’s system is really the right choice for them.

To make matters worse, Don Mattrick, Head of Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft has been quoted as saying to the Wall Street Journal that “If you’re backwards compatible, you’re really backwards.” – if you can believe that. The exec which you saw introduce the console to the world a few days ago added that only “5 percent of customers play games from previous generations” on new consoles, which is a statistic that may come back to haunt him in the months to come.

Then again, some of you may be thinking he is spot on. Keep your Xbox 360 console to play Xbox 360 games and use the Xbox One for the latest in next-generation gaming that Microsoft has to offer – it’s simple right? Not so simple for consumers who would like to have the functionality included in a new console to play some of the old titles that they have spent fortunes of hard earned cash on.

At the very least, make those Xbox Live Arcade purchases transferrable over to the new system. It isn’t happening though and if Sony can make their Gaikai streaming service value for money – they may be greeted with some new consumers who have become disillusioned with Microsoft’s new business motives.

What are your honest opinions on the death of Xbox 360 games on the Xbox One? Do you think this is a big deal or not?

Many consumers were hoping for a happy ending to their week, with an official announcement of a Verizon HTC One at CTIA 2013. The Android device remains a hugely popular phone among consumers who have it, but unfortunately it looks like the wait may go on for Verizon and HTC to make things official.

Verizon had been teasing an upcoming event during CTIA 2013, but you may already be aware that this turned out to be something completely unexpected – a new mobile network called Viva Movil that the carrier is planning to roll out across Latin America, in partnership with none other than Jenny from the block – Jennifer Lopez.

It wasn’t the Verizon HTC One that many had expected and Verizon are still remaining completely silent on the possibility of this happening before the end of 2013. We’ve read some amusing messages on Twitter, from consumers who actually think they have been ‘rickrolled’ by Verizon, for announcing Viva Movil instead of a Verizon HTC One.

Surely Verizon knows that consumers want to see the HTC One on their network and are presumably keeping with their infamous silent tactics to build up hype even further. Meanwhile, HTC are not saying much either at the moment, with a recent statement from HTC to Tech Radar below, the closest thing to an update as it gets.

“It’s always a great thing to have our phones on as many operators as possible, but we’ve got nothing to announce in terms of Verizon.”

Are you a consumer who wants the HTC One over the Samsung Galaxy S4 on Verizon? If so, let us know your reaction to the device no-show during Verizon’s recent business venture with Jennifer Lopez. Surely the time has come for Verizon to pass the torch from the Droid DNA to another flagship handset?

We knew that the Samsung Galaxy S4 would end up being one of the most popular smartphones of 2013, but Samsung has this week given us an indication just how well Galaxy S4 sales are going. In less than a month after first going on sale, the Korean electronics giant has announced that a record has been broken, with the Galaxy S4 now becoming the fastest selling Galaxy S device ever.

In a press release this week, Samsung has revealed that the Galaxy S4 has now passed 10 million units sold, in under a month since the device first went on sale commercially on April 27. To put this into context, the Galaxy S3 previously managed to shift 10 million units in 50 days and that was considered a massive success in its own right.

Samsung has added that Galaxy S4 units are currently selling at a rate of 4 units per second – staggering when you think about it. The question that is on our minds, is how are other Android manufacturers going to compete with this with their respective releases?

Also take into account that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is expected this year as well, which could even come close to matching this record given the high demand for the device already. To coincide with the sales record, Samsung has also announced that four new Galaxy S4 colors will arrive in time for Summer.

We’re pleased to say that one of them will be the Blue Arctic model, which was initially exclusive to the Japanese market. The other three colors will be Galaxy S4 in Red Aurora, Purple Mirage and Brown Autumn – hopefully Samsung will be showing off these new colors soon, especially the Red model which sounds the most desirable out of the four for us.

Going back to 10 million units sold though – are Samsung now becoming kings of the mobile industry? Four Galaxy S4 units sold every second, give us your thoughts on that statistic below.

Earlier on we spoke about FIFA 14 and the fact that certain Ultimate Team features are now going to be made exclusive on the Xbox One version of the game, as part of EA’s newly announced deal with Microsoft. Now, we have an update on the PC version to share with you, although it is definitely not the update that you’ll want to hear about.

If you tuned in to Microsoft’s Xbox One event, you would have seen EA take to the stage to unveil their brand new Ignite Engine, a new enhanced engine that will power games such as FIFA 14, Madden, NBA Live and UFC now that they have taken over the franchise from THQ.

EA has said that Ignite will offer ‘human-like intelligence’ to their upcoming sports games, whilst also offering “ten times greater animation fidelity” and more accurate environments. The company has also said that using this new engine will allow AI athletes to compute calculations four times the speed that was previously possible on their old engine and current-gen consoles.

While this sounds amazing for FIFA 14 fans, the big disappointment is that EA has said that Ingite engine isn’t coming to PC – only PS4 and Xbox One. Perhaps even worse, is that EA hasn’t offered a specific reason why they are not bringing their new engine over to PC either.

This has already caused mass anger from PC gamers who believe that they make up a big portion of EA’s community and following, aside from console. Combine this with the fact that next-gen consoles are now featuring PC-like architecture, so it is a somewhat strange decision for EA to completely alienate PC gamers in this way.

Who will now pick up FIFA 14 on PC, knowing that it won’t be built using a next-gen engine like PS4 and Xbox One? Let’s hope we get some clarity from EA regarding this issue soon. As a PC gamer reading this, are you surprised by this latest snub from EA?

We have heard whispers of a possible return for the infamous and much loved Killer Instinct franchise towards the end of last year, but now we are again hearing rumors that Killer Instinct could be set for a return. This week, a Microsoft exec has hinted that one of Rare’s IPs is going to be making a return at Microsoft’s E3 2013 press conference.

It has to be Killer Instinct 3 surely? That’s what fans will be hoping for hands down, especially after seeing Killer Instinct developers Rare go down a painful path of making Kinect games, under the direction of Microsoft. Why Killer Instinct 3 you ask and not any other Rare IPs such as Banjo Kazooie?

Well, it was already confirmed by Microsoft themselves in September 2012 that they had officially renewed the license of Killer Instinct. Putting two and two together, with Microsoft exec Phil Spencer stating the following teaser below, tells us something special may be coming in a few weeks time:

“Fans of Rare and Rare IP I think will be pleased with what we’re going to show at E3.”

Rare is still considered one of the best old school developers of all time and if they are unable to bring out a new Donkey Kong or Goldeneye game, then the next best thing is easily a brand new Killer Instinct game. Thinking of the original game on SNES brings back happy memories every time, including that amazing Killer Cuts CD that came as a bonus gift – remember that?

Nowadays you would have to pay x amount for freebies like that, but it was normal practice for Rare back in the day. Microsoft has an amazing opportunity to secure a massive exclusive title on the Xbox One with Killer Instinct 3. Let’s hope they announce this live on stage next month and make a lot of gamers happy.

Are you still praying for the return of Killer Instinct?

We have some great news for PC owners now, as it looks like patience has finally reaped some rewards in relation to a PC version of Mortal Kombat. Warner has just announced that the Komplete Edition is heading to PC and will come with all of the DLC that originally released for the console versions of the game.

That means, Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition will be coming with all of the various retro character skins, including classic outfits for Scorpion, Sub Zero and Ermac. Perhaps more importantly, it also comes with the four main post-release DLC characters – those being Kenshi, Scarlet, Rain and the legend himself – Freddy Krueger.

While PC owners will be breathing a collective sigh of relief, the big question now is whether the game will support custom features via the Steam Workshop so that fans of the series can start creating extra content that would make their version the best hands down.

For example, a Mortal Kombat with Steamworks support would enable some developers to add extra character skins to the game that NetherRealm Studios never got round to adding in the console versions – a MK1 skin for Kano etc, the ability to play as Shao Khan, Motaro and so on.

The possibilities could be endless and we just hope that this is one of the factors that developers High Voltare Software, who are handling the PC Komplete Edition, have thought about. Some of the more adventurous modders may even be able to add other features into the core gameplay, such as Brutalities – how awesome would that be?

If you are interested in the PC release of Mortal Kombat, the digital version will be out on July 3rd, while a boxed retail version will be available slightly later on August 2. Let us know what kind of Mortal Kombat 9 mod ideas you would like to see for the PC version, should it become possible.

The Xbox One console is barely a few days old, but we have some fresh GTA V news that may shock you, especially those that are patiently waiting for a Grand Theft Auto 5 update on the missing PC version of the game. GTA V for the Xbox One has already been spotted online from one retailer, suggesting that Rockstar may have plans to bring next-gen versions of the game to consumers after all.

It is almost inevitable that we will eventually see a PC version of GTA V released, but Rockstar are keeping fans sweating by remaining completely silent on when a release may take place. If history repeats itself, we could be looking at a PC release around six months after the PS3 and Xbox 360 version launches – which means we could be looking at a rough March / April PC release for GTA V.

However, does Rockstar actually have plans to release PS4 and Xbox One versions at the same time as the PC version? Considering that the PS4 and Xbox hardware have been designed to be more PC-friendly, it would appear to be a smart and logical move for Rockstar to go with this plan.

Console versions to release on September 17, next-gen and PC versions to follow in March or April next year – it sounds perfect doesn’t it? As noted by AttackoftheFanboy, a Danish retailer by the name of Coolshop has wasted no time in making public an Xbox One listing for GTA V.

The listing is still live as we speak, so have they perhaps been a little bit naughty in revealing information that Rockstar were intending to announce themselves during E3 week? Considering that many other publishers are bringing out current gen and next-gen versions of their latest games (Battlefield 4, Watch Dogs), we wouldn’t be surprised if Rockstar have secretly been working on PC, Xbox One and PS4 versions behind the scenes.

Could it also have been part of the reason why the game was delayed until September from a Spring 2013 release? It will be interesting to see how long this listing stays live. Give us your thoughts on an Xbox One listing for GTA V appearing and potentially – releasing before a PC version.

We have some good news for those of you who unfortunately missed Microsoft’s live stream of their new Xbox One console unveiling. The company has already provided the full stream replay, enabling everyone to re-tune in to see the moment when the console was revealed to the world as the Xbox One for the very first time.

Tuesday’s event was all about unveiling the hardware, with Microsoft promising that their E3 2013 press conference this year will be dedicated to revealing new software for the upcoming console, as well as plans that are still in place to keep the Xbox 360 relevant to consumers.

The video is just over one hour in length and shows the console up close and personal, as well as an initial introduction to the live TV features that the console will possess, as well as exclusivity deals that have been reached with EA Sports and Activision for Call of Duty Ghosts.

Unlike Sony’s February PS4 event, we also get to see what the actual console looks like, although we’ve already been hearing plenty of mixed feedback from some of you who are a little disappointed in the somewhat large size of the machine. Although not revealed at the event, is that the live-TV aspect of the console is only going to be available in the US at launch and that a separate device is needed for it to function – needing an additional cost.

There’s also the unveiling of a brand new 1080p supported Kinect camera, as well as a look at the impressive new voice commands that users will be able to utilize, when wanting to quickly switch between TV mode and Xbox One gaming. Watch how Microsoft demonstrate commands such as ‘go to TV’, ‘go to music’, with the response time very pleasing indeed.

You can view it all again here if you have an hour spare, but alternatively we have also added Microsoft’s official Xbox One highlights package above – if you are short on time. Watch the footage back again and let us know if you think Microsoft had a good next-gen console reveal or not. Was it everything that you expected?

If you are looking to pick up FIFA 14 on the Sony PS4, you may have been worried by the events that unfolded earlier this week during Microsoft’s Xbox One event. EA has signed a new exclusivity agreement with Microsoft over the EA Sports brand, with initial reports suggesting that FIFA 14 Ultimate Team would become an Xbox One exclusive.

FIFA 14, Madden, NBA Live and now UFC are all on the way to the Xbox One, with EA announcing that they will run on a brand new engine called EA Sports Ignite. As part of this unveil, EA seemingly confirmed that FIFA 14 Ultimate Team would now become an Xbox One exclusive.

However, EA has now clarified the situation for angry Sony fans, by reiterating that Ultimate Team is still going to be available on the PS4 version of FIFA 14. It now means that a likely situation will come, where the Xbox One will instead feature exclusive elements of Ultimate Team, that will only be available on that platform.

Considering that FIFA hasn’t been part of the exclusivity shenanigans down the years though, the fact that EA Sports is now setting up base on Xbox is still unlikely to go down well. The big question now, unsurprisingly, is just what exclusive Ultimate Team content EA plans to give Xbox One owners, ahead of PS3, PS3 and PC FIFA fans.

Microsoft had promised that tons of exclusives were on the way, so this could only be a taster of what is to come during Microsoft’s main E3 2013 press conference, where the company has already confirmed will primarily be all about the games. Are you still willing to pick up a PS4 copy of FIFA 14, knowing that exclusive content is headed to the Xbox One version instead?

At least Ultimate Team will still be there on PS4, in some capacity. Do you think we will ever see an end to console exclusivity deals?

For those that didn’t catch this during Microsoft’s Xbox One event, Call of Duty Ghosts is on the way to next-gen consoles, as well as Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. This week, Infinity Ward has attempted to give you a clear idea just how significant Call of Duty Ghosts will be when running on a new engine compared to Modern Warfare 3.

The developer has released a very useful technical demonstration, showing the graphical changes between Call of Duty Ghosts and Modern Warfare 3, thanks to the new technology available to them on the new engine. In particular, Infinity Ward tout the facial differences on several character models on the two games – letting you see the level of quality that they have managed to improve.

The difference is quite astounding you have to say, although PC users may be arguing that this new level of quality found by Infinity Ward was already available on the likes of Crysis years ago. Having said that, Call of Duty had previously only been about the gameplay, so it is definitely refreshing to see improvements being made in the graphical department.

The comparison on the forest areas from MW3 and Ghosts look the most impressive to us, take a look and you’ll see what we mean. The question that we want to know, is whether this tech demo was running on the PC, or whether it shows off the graphics running on the Xbox One hardware.

It was only a matter of time before we saw a new Call of Duty game on a new engine, so hopefully the improvements in graphics will now happen at a steady process with each annual release. Take a look at Infinity Ward’s demonstration above and let us know what you think of the graphical changes, thanks to the new engine.

Are you starting to believe Activision, when they said Ghosts will end up being the best Call of Duty game that they have made?