Morning DLC: Video Games News And Rumors 8/3/13
By Nick Tylwalk
"We can all breathe a sign of relief. Microsoft’s Xbox One is very unlikely to encounter the same overheating problems that led to the “red rings of death” problem with the last generation Xbox 360 video game console.The machine isn’t shipping until November or so, but Microsoft’s Xbox chief product officer Marc Whitten disclosed additional details that should give consumers more confidence that Microsoft will ship its new game console in sufficient quantities this fall and at a much higher quality level than in the past. The company predicts the Xbox One is less likely to have overheating problems, nicknamed the “red rings of death” in the last generation because it prompted three flashing lights on the console. And that also means Microsoft is less likely to have a major recall and less likely to repeat the mistakes that led to a $1.15 billlion write-off in 2008."
"Cliff Bleszinski, the design brains behind “Gears of War,” has shocked everyone by tweeting out of the blue that he has been working on a project…Much has been made about what Cliff planned to do after leaving Epic and I’ve been following his tweets for a while, but there has been no sign that he has been working on anything other than his alcohol tolerance and wife. The tweet was quickly followed up by Shaddy Safadi stating that it is surprising how quickly Cliff can get the media to jump. Shaddy owns a concept art business with his last project being the incredible “The Last of Us.”"
"The representation of racially diverse and authentic playable characters in video games will result in more powerful experiences for players, according to game designers Mattie Brice and Toiya Kristen Finley.Speaking at the IGDA Summit in San Francisco, the two developers explained that the current trend of representing racial minorities as stereotypes is not only problematic from a social justice standpoint, it also limits the kinds of experiences players can have through games.Listing examples like the “magical minorities” who give the protagonist wisdom from their culture, the brown terrorist and the gangster, Finley said that while these representations are usually well-intentioned, they present minorities as two-dimensional characters with no clearly-defined motives or agency. They exist to service the protagonist in some way, not to share their own stories. The designers argued that rather than represent minorities as stereotypes, developers — and in turn players — can benefit from a more realistic depiction."