Games and gear

A brief YouTube video showing off an unannounced PlayStation 4 augmented-reality game called The Playroom just might make you giggle.

The video, released by Sony's Japanese PlayStation division Tuesday, shows how the upcoming PlayStation Eye camera can track the DualShock 4's "light bar" to provide a PlayStation Move-esque motion gaming experience. Judging by the video, The Playroom features a series of interactive augmented-reality minigames ranging from a souped-up Pong to a close encounter with a floating orb that may -- or may not -- virtually light your hair on fire.… Read more

We are finally reveling in an influx of details on the fresh rival gaming systems of Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One. While the two consoles share a physical resemblance, they diverge in a lot of ways. One major difference involves the handling of used games.

Sony has said there will be no restriction on the PS4 used-game market, while Microsoft is placing restrictions on selling and sharing games.

Microsoft's new policies have given Sony an opening to promote the PS4 as a friendlier alternative to the Xbox One. That has resulted in a tongue-in-cheek video released on the official PlayStation YouTube channel, titled "Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video."… Read more

We've still got about five months before the new Xbox One and PlayStation 4 launch in North America, and already blood has been spilled.

From Microsoft gathering an arguably more impressive stable of exclusive games, to Sony revealing the lack of restrictions on PS4 games and a $100 lower price -- effectively, not only kicking the Microsoft brand when its down, but also knocking out a few teeth.

This next console launch may be one of the most exciting and brutal yet, and I can't wait to comfortably watch from the sidelines, praising Thor I'm not in either of their shoes.… Read more

Sony's next-generation console not only had its hardware shown off on Monday, but its price too.

At the tail end of its E3 press conference, Sony said it would charge $399 for the PS4 in the U.S., which it plans to launch in time for holiday shopping in the U.S. and Europe. The price is 349 pounds in the U.K. and 399 euros in other parts of Europe.

The price comes in $100 less than what Microsoft plans to charge for its Xbox One -- news that was delivered earlier Monday.

Alongside the price reveal came … Read more

To the delight of many gamers at E3 on Monday, EA DICE showed off Star Wars Battlefront -- a next-generation "Star Wars" video game that uses the Frostbite 3 graphics engine. DICE uses the same graphics engine in Battlefield 4.

As the 30-second trailer kicks off, you can clearly see a snowy tundra on the ice planet Hoth, presumably set during the battle seen in "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back," or perhaps a different time in the canon. … Read more

There are heaps of RPG miniatures available. It's easy to find muscled warrior dudes, cloaked wizard guys, armor-clad knights, and masculine beasts. It's less easy to find the ladies, especially ones wielding mighty weapons.

The RPG miniature options for women players (or anyone playing with a woman character) are about to explode with the overwhelming funding response to the Raging Heroes: The Toughest Girls of the Galaxy Kickstarter project. The miniatures come from an experienced French company and are geared for science fiction war game scenarios.… Read more

LOS ANGELES -- So, the Xbox One does play games after all.

After enduring criticism from the gaming community that the Xbox One launch last month was light on the gaming news, Microsoft responded on Monday at a pre-E3 press conference with a torrent of game announcements, including a handful of key exclusive titles, such as Dead Rising 3, and a tease of the next game in the Halo franchise, which will land next year.

In running through a marathon of announcements, Microsoft's message to the gamers was simple: We haven't abandoned you. The company also said the Xbox One would launch in November and sell for $499. … Read more

It's official: the Xbox One is coming this November for $499.

Microsoft announced the official pricing for the Xbox One at its E3 press conference this afternoon, with the new console also selling for $499 in the US, 499 Euros in Europe and £429 in the UK.

Microsoft also confirmed that Xbox Live Gold Memberships would carry over to the Xbox One, as well as a new program starting July 1 where Xbox Live Gold members will get two free game downloads. The first two games announced for the program are Assassin's Creed 2 and Halo 3.… Read more

Hopefully, Sony will have a lot more to show off at its E3 press conference on Monday evening.

In February, Sony managed to hold a launch event for its next-generation Playstation 4 without actually showing off the console. The presentation, which touted the gadget's online capabilities, a new controller, and a lot more processing and graphical muscle, raised a lot of questions.

Maybe Sony will reveal more during its E3 event, which kicks off at 6 p.m. PT. Our live blog will begin 30 minutes earlier to field reader questions. We will also embed the E3 presentation into the live blog itself, so you won't have to go anywhere for your total Sony video game fix. … Read more