Microsoft vice president Phil Harrison spoke to Kotaku after the presentation and responded to their questions about the subject:

"There are many devices in your life that require the Internet to function," he said. "Xbox One is no different in that it requires, at some point in the beginning and at various times through its on state, to connect to our cloud and to our Internet. That is to deliver Xbox Live functionality, that is to deliver download content to you, that is to deliver some of the innovations around TV and entertainment that we showed today. But it doesn’t require it to be online all the time."

"For single-player games that don’t require connectivity to Xbox Live, you should be able to play those without interruption should your Internet connection go down. Blu-ray movies and other downloaded entertainment should be accessible when your Internet connection may be interrupted. But the device is fundamentally designed to be expanded and extended by the Internet as many devices are today."

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - [UPDATE] Xbox One Needs Internet Connection In Various Scenarios - News

Forza 5, the latest entry in Turn 10 Studio's hit racing franchise was one of the two, and looks sets to be a launch title for the console.

The other was a brand new IP, called Quantum Break, which is being developed by Remedy (the team behind Alan Wake, for those who can't be bothered to Google).

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Forza 5 and Quantum Break Announced - News

One announcement that leads me to believe that Microsoft's E3 press conference could be one of the best is the announcement from Phil Spencer today that Microsoft Games Studios is hard at work on 15 exclusives which will be released for the newly announced Xbox One within its first year on the market.  Today's conference only showed two of those exclusives so we still have 13 games that Microsoft has to give more details on come E3.  Sure, these won't all be blockbusters, but it's a promising sign that the upcoming conference will be more games and less TV than today's.  

For reference, here's a link to all the studios in Microsoft Game Studios that these 15 exclusives will be coming from.  

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Xbox One to have 15 exclusives from Microsoft Game Studios - News

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Live Action Halo TV Series with Spielberg Announced - News

Microsoft confirmed to Wired that all games will have a "pre-owned fee". The games themselves will be installed into the first Xbox One they are inserted into. The game will then be connected to the player's Xbox Live gamertag. When another player tries to put the disc into a different Xbox One, they will be required to pay the pre-owned fee in order to install the game onto their Xbox One. The fee amount has not been disclosed. Effectively, this means sharing games with your friends is now impossible to do without ponying up some extra cash.

Also briefly mentioned in the Wired article is that the Xbox One will not be backwards compatible with Xbox 360 games, though purchased licenses for other content (such as movies and music) will transfer to Xbox One.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - [UPDATE] Xbox One Has "Pre-Owned Fee" For Used Games, No BC - News

Well, clearly he realised that you're never too old to pull off an Instant Kill, because the series is making a return with Guilty Gear Xrd SIGN.

There's no word on what consoles it will be available on yet but, given how Arc System Works' other fighting series seems to favour the PlayStation 3, it's a good bet that it will appear on Sony's consoles.

There's similarly not much information about the roster. The trailer reveals that series protagonist Sol Badguy and his eternal rival, Ky Kiske, are present and correct, while Millia Rage makes a cameo later on, with her arch-enemy Eddie reflected in her eye at the very end.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Guilty Gear returns with Xrd SIGN - News

Sony have had their big day, today was Microsoft's. With just 3 weeks to go until E3, Microsoft have officially announced their next generation console, the Xbox One.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Xbox One Announcement Summary - Article

However, this appears to not be the case. Today, Warner Bros. revealed that Roger Craig Smith (best known for his performances as Ezio Auditore in Assassin's Creed  and Chris Redfield in Resident Evil) would be taking on the iconic role. Perhaps even more interesting, it was also announced that Troy Baker (Booker DeWitt in BioShock Infinite, Jake Muller in Resident Evil 6) will be portraying the Joker.

This announcement seems contradictory to Conroy's statements yesterday at Dallas Comic-Con that he was working on the "next Arkham game." So, which is it? Many speculate that Conroy will be portraying an older Batman (Arkham Origins is a prequel to the first two games in the series). It's also worth noting that Conroy never explicitly stated that he was working on Origins, just the "next Arkham game." Is it possible that Conroy just inadvertently revealed the existence of a future Batman: Arkham title?

In any case, it remains to be seen what Conroy's involvement will be in Arkham Origins. Conroy, who most recently portrayed Batman in last month's Injustice: Gods Among Us, is considered by most to be THE definitive Batman, so I'm sure he'll return to this series in some capacity.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Kevin Conroy Will NOT Return to Voice Batman in Arkham Origins - News

Jacob Jones is a young boy who lives with his parents while they're trekking into the wilderness to discover new species. Unfortunately that kind of lifestyle doesn't allow for much of a social life so his parents send him to summer camp in hopes that he'll get some friends his own age. Like most kids in this situation Jacob is wary at first but soon resigns himself to his fate and does his best to get used to his new surroundings. The premise is somewhat reminiscent of Double Fine's Costume Quest, with its small children as central characters and relatively family friendly content. Even though my comedy tastes are decidedly not family friendly, there were nonetheless still a couple laughs to be had over the course of Episode 1. My favorite moment is when the kids at camp stumble upon an old record and are totally clueless as to what it's for.

 There's nothing really riveting about the narrative but it is cute and enjoyable nonetheless, and a major reason for this is the presentation. Visually, the world of Jacob Jones is charming with a kind of hand-made appeal that comes through well. The characters that inhabit the world have some oddities to them, like walking animations which seem to move much faster than the character's actual leg movements should allow, and a vertical seam that gives the impression they were all cast from plastic, but the design is still great for the most part. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the technical aspects of the presentation; I noticed numerous framerate hitches, even to the extent that the visuals randomly pause for a split second. The soundtrack is unmemorable, but the voice acting is surprisingly robust and well done for a budget title like this. Walking around and talking to the campers and the counselors reminded me quite a bit of Psychonauts' charm (yes, another Double Fine game).

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Jacob Jones and the Bigfoot Mystery: Episode 1 (PSV) - Review

Gooooal, dood!

F.C. Gifu finished 21st in J. League Division 2 this season, second to last, and currently sits in last place this season. The last place team at the end of the season will be relegated to Division 3. J. League Division 2 is the second of three divisions in the Japanese professional soccer system.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Nippon Ichi Sponsors Local Soccer Team - News

Well, sort of. It's safe to assume it will look nicer than a blurry black box. Oh, look at all those really quick shots of various parts of the console!

The PlayStation 4 will release this holiday season. Exact release dates and prices are not yet known.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - PlayStation 4 Teaser Video (Sort of) Shows Off the Console - News

Naturally, it's not much to go on at this stage, and VG 24/7, who are reporting on the supposed leak, are urging caution; after all, it's not that difficult for anyone to design a semi-decent promotional poster. Still, it wouldn't come as a great shock for Capcom to announce it at E3.

The last mainline numbered entry in the series, Resident Evil 6, released last October on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 to a somewhat mixed reception.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Rumour: Resident Evil 7 Set for E3 Reveal - News

That's memorial day weekend, one of the biggest movie blockbuster dates of the summer, so clearly the filmmakers have a lot of confidence behind the project. The Assassin's Creed film is not only being made in direct conjunction with game developer Ubisoft, but is being produced by Michael Fassbender, who is also set to star. 

This will put Assassin's Creed in box-office competition with Marvel's The Avengers 2, set to release just a couple weeks earlier, as well as, potentially, Star Wars Episode VII. 

That's some staggering competition to go up against. It's still quite ways away, but how do you guys think Assassin's Creed will fair? I actually really dug 2010's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, another Ubisoft adaptation, so I have high hopes for this one. 

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Assassin's Creed Film Release Date Set - News

"We have no games in development for the Wii U currently," EA spokesperson Jeff Brown told Kotaku. There was no mention of whether EA would ever resume Wii U development.

The confirmation of EA's abstinence is the latest chapter in a bizarre story that began with EA vowing to have an "unprecented partnership" with Nintendo and the Wii U back at E3 2011. The company launched Mass Effect 3, Need for Speed Underground, Madden NFL 13 and FIFA 13 at or near the console's launch, but there have been no EA games released since then. (Brown also told Kotaku that these games were EA delivering on the aforementioned partnership.) Various rumors and reports have found their way around the internet, ranging from a response to low Wii U sales to EA not being allowed to run Origin on the Wii U. Whatever the reason, EA has given Nintendo the cold shoulder, meaning the Wii U is now without one of the biggest third-party developers in the industry. Time will tell what affect that has on Nintendo's fledgling console.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - EA: "No Games in Development for the Wii U" - News

“Sonic the Hedgehog has proven incredibly successful on Nintendo platforms and we are pleased to continue our long-standing relationship with Nintendo,” said Preisdent & COO of Sega of America, John Cheng. “As we initiate this new exclusive partnership with the next three titles we believe that Wii U™ and Nintendo 3DS™ are ideal platforms to showcase the evolution of the Sonic brand.”

Not much is known about Sonic: Lost World, other than the one still shot of Sonic flying to a strange hexagonal world from the Nintendo Direct presentation. As for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, that likely will be what everyone expects.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Nintendo and Sega's Sonic Partnership is a Three Game Deal - News

*Release dates are for North America, unless otherwise noted.

Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games 2014
Release Date: N/A
Platform: Wii U

The olympic union of Mario and Sonic is back for another olympics. This time it's the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. New events have been added, including figure skating pairs and snowboarding slopestyle. Events will use a combination of Wii Remote Plus and GamePad controls.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Nintendo Direct Roundup - Sonic, Pikmin 3, Wonderful 101 and More! - Article

Not much is known about how the game is played but based on the picture below it looks a bit like the Triple Triad card mini-game from Final Fantasy 8, where the numbers on the edge of each card dictate how they behave.  We do, however, know that Star Trek Rivals will feature over 100 cards.  So for those of you who just can't get enough of the new Star Trek movies or anyone that just wants to try a free card battle game regardless of the subject, you can find out more here.  

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - App Inspired by Star Trek Into Darkness Announced - News

“Yes, we’re discontinuing Online Pass,” EA's senior director of corporate communications, John Reseburg told GamesBeat. “None of our new EA titles will include that feature. Initially launched as an effort to package a full menu of online content and services, many players didn’t respond to the format. We’ve listened to the feedback and decided to do away with it moving forward."

The Online Pass program prevented players who bought an EA game used from using online features, requiring a $10 activation fee. New copies of the game shipped with an online access code in the box. EA was not the only company using the Online Pass idea; Ubisoft and Sony are among the other publishers that have used it before.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - EA Ends Online Pass Program - News

Thanks to the introduction of a purchasable interactive compendium, crowd-funding has been introduced to e-Sports in a big way. Each compendium costs $10 and $2.50 from each one purchased goes towards increasing the total prize pool for the tournament.

The compendium launched just over a week ago and in that time has managed to raise $400,000 for the tournament. Additional stretch goals were added on Tuesday, further increasing potential sales, so who knows what the total prize pool will end up being - well over $2.5 million would be my guess given that The International III is still almost 3 months away.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Dota 2 Tournament Set to Have Biggest Prize Pool in eSports History - News

Gran Turismo 6 will include the cars and tracks from Gran Turismo 5 as well as adding more of each. The total will be about 1,200 cars and 33 tracks with 71 different layouts available.

“It is amazing to think that it is 15 years since we first released Gran Turismo,” said Polyphony Digital CEO Kazunori Yamauchi. “Things have changed a lot since then and now Gran Turismo 6 is a further evolution of my dream. We’re pleased to deliver GT 6 to PlayStation 3 as we have a very loyal community on that platform. However, we have refactored the game to make it very flexible and expandable, with a view to making many future developments."

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Gran Turismo 6 Announced for Fall 2013, Demo in July - News