M3: My Morning Musings - PS4 & Xbox 720 Confirmed for 2013? & More

The Wall Street Journal reports that the next PlayStation will be revealed on February 20, 2013 and be launched this holiday season. They also state that Microsoft will reveal their next console this Spring--months after the PlayStation announcement, and will be launched this holiday season as well.  Looks like we will have two new consoles going toe to toe this year. 

More thoughts on Microsoft and Nintendo's responses to the new PlayStation coming soon.

CD Projekt RED is hard at work on their upcoming Cyberpunk 2077. Word today is that it will be running on a brand new engine called REDengine 3. This is a successor to the REDengine 2 that ran The Witcher 2 on both PC and Xbox 360.

CD Projekt head Adam Badowski had this to say:
"If we look at RPGs nowadays we find two approaches, one which emphasizes the story but limits the game world and one that builds a vast open-world but hampers and simplifies the story. With the REDengine 3 we combine the positive aspects of both approaches for the first time, creating an open environment with a complex, multi-thread story. Together with believable characters, a captivating tale and a world where players can roam freely without loading times, we will be able to move gaming to a new level with a realistic feel and full player immersion."

Excited about all of the new gaming devices on Kickstarter? GameStick is arguably one of the coolest and closed their funding at $648,000! Anthony Johnson, CMO of PlayJam, had this to say:
"We are overwhelmed, excited, grateful, thrilled and everything in between. The campaign has been an incredible success with support from thousands of backers worldwide but this is just the beginning. The feedback from the Kickstarter community has been invaluable in shaping the final product and we will continue to seek input from those that supported us to ensure continued innovation ahead of a global retail launch."

GameStick will launch in April and will be available to buy from GameStick.tv.

Like many of you, I have loved Paradox's Magicka. Since its release, we have seen a TON of added DLC and bug fixes. In fact, if you haven't played it since early on in release, you will experience a much better experience with the latest patches.

The game is currently in development for iPad and Android Tablets, in sidescrolling 2D, with a new artstyle. As with the original, up to four will be able to play and level up their respected wizard with all the crazy magic spells you loved from the original. Stay tuned for more on this upcoming Tablet adaption of our favorite Wizard game!

Finally, Guild Wars 2 is making the news this morning. Due to some concern about security, all players will be required to update their Guild Wars 2 passwords to be compatible with new security standards at AreaNet. You will not be allowed to use the same password when making the change.

Also, Guild Wars 2 will be unveiling new content in February called The Living Story. This will add new characters and stories to the world. Narrative Designer Angel McCoy said this:
"The Living Story is simultaneously transitory and permanent. As the story arcs play out, the tale evolves. Each portion of the Living Story narrative will only be available for a certain period of time, yet it will have repercussions in the world and upon the people living in it. The occurrences in the Living Story leave their mark-both scars and flowerbeds-and these wounds and blessings are permanent.

The story arcs introduced through The Living Story will play out over time and will be woven into the game's plot so that it isn't jarring or obvious. Unlike Holiday events, they will be part of an evolving storyline. New characters will also be introduced who are deeply connected to characters you've already come to know and love (or hate)."

The Living Story will be playable over the next few months.