Sony has confirmed the new system software update for thePlayStation 4 will be available on September 30.

Firmware 3.00, previously revealed to be codenamed Kenshin, will introduce "entirely new features" and user-interface enhancements. According to Sony, this update is designed to create "new ways to connect with friends and players around the world, expanding the social capabilities of the system even further."

Among the new features are the ability to share videos directly to Twitter, tweaks to the interface for streaming on YouTube, and an increase in online storage capacity from 1 GB to 10 GB for PS Plus Members.

The full list of new feature can be found below.

• Sharing video clips to Twitter: Now it's easy to share video clips to Twitter directly from your PS4. You'll see a new icon on the Upload Video Clip menu, nestled between Facebook and YouTube. Maximum video length is 10 seconds, though you’ll have the ability to trim longer clips. Don't forget — you can double tap the Share button to start recording a video, and press it again to stop.
• PlayStation Plus: We've made a dedicated section for PlayStation Plus, which you can access by clicking the big Plus icon on the top right corner of your PS4 home screen. Once there you can easily manage your membership, see the monthly free games to download, deals for PS Plus members, and all of the games you’ve redeemed through PS Plus on PS4.
• YouTube live: You'll see a new icon for YouTube on the Broadcast Gameplay Screen, accessible after hitting the Share button. Now you can live stream directly from your PS4 to YouTube. Livestreams will be viewable across YouTube.
• Improvements to Messages and Favorite Groups: We've improved Messages by making it easier to access groups of people you chat and play games with frequently. Once you’re added to or create a group, you'll see the online status for friends, what games they are playing, and the option to message or chat in party all in one spot. When you add or create a new favorite group, they'll appear in your Friends app under Favorite Groups for quick access. For example, you can see we have favorite groups for Call of Duty, Rocket League, and Destiny.
• Communities: PS4 users will have the ability to create communities based around shared interests, like games, genres, and more. Communities include a message board with general discussion, screenshots shared by players, and the ability to join parties/games.
• Stickers: From the PS4 system's Messages app, you’ll see a new option for Stickers. The 3.00 update will contain stickers themed around Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Knack, LittleBigPlanet 3, Resogun, and more. Instead of typing out a message, just send a sticker — like Drake looking at a watch, asking you to wait a minute.”

At TGS 2015 Sony showed off new PlayStation 4 faceplates and controllers. Check them out below and click any image or thumbnail to see the full-size version.

Continue reading

In the market for a new Xbox One and have some old systems you're willing to part with? If so, Best Buy has a new deal you may want to consider. Now through October 3, Best Buy will pay you as much as $150 in credit towards the purchase of a new Xbox One, meaning you can get the system for as little as $200.

Here's how it works. Trade in any working Xbox 360 orPlayStation 3 and you'll receive a $75 coupon. If that system is a Xbox 360 250 GB E Series model or the PS3 250 GB slim system, you get an additional $75, for a net of $150. Apply that to the starting cost of a new Xbox One ($350) and you can get a system for $200.

To be considered in working condition, consoles must be able to power on and can't be damaged or have their warranty seal broken. In addition, you'll need to include the console's AC adapter/power cord. Best Buy also warns that this offer is not available everywhere and some stores may have additional limitations. As always, it's a good move to call ahead before heading out. This trade-in promo is available in stores only.

More details about Best Buy's trade-in program are available here.

Looking for more gaming deals? Check back later today to see GameSpot's complete roundup of the day's best offers.

Continue reading

UPDATE: And after that brief period downtime, Microsoft reports that all services are once again "up and running." We'll be monitoring the service (as well as PSN and Steam) for any other related service interruptions.

The original story appears below.

Xbox Live is struggling. Microsoft on Tuesday afternoon issued aservice alert to let users know that the online network is facing problems that are preventing some people from signing into Xbox Live.

"Our best engineers are working to fix the issue as quickly as possible. Thanks for being patient while we get everything back to normal," Microsoft wrote at 4:19 PM EDT. Affected platforms include Xbox One, Xbox 360, Windows 10 PC, and other devices. In short, all major platforms are impacted.

Purchase and Content Usage, as well as Social and Gaming services, are working normally. So if you're already logged in, you may not experience any issues.

We'll update this post as the sign-in problems are addressed.

Continue reading

CD Projekt Red is working on a new Witcher 3: Wild Hunt patch that will, among other things, address performance onPlayStation 4 and implement a range of bug fixes. Writing on the game's forums, community manager Marcin Momot said the upcoming patch, 1.09, will include a "massive" number of changes, though the full changelog has not yet been published.

"The patch is on the way," he explained. "Was just looking at the changelog and it looks really impressive-- the list of changes is massive. The update will bring a lot of fixes and improvements including PS4 performance (as well as other platforms) plus many more. We ask for a bit more patience."

A release date for the 1.09 patch was not announced. Releasing it in October alongside The Witcher 3's first expansion, Hearts of Stone, would seem likely, but this is not confirmed.

Hearts of Stone launches on October 13. GameSpot recently played a chunk of the expansion, which is expected to add around 10 hours of gameplay and you can read an excerpt from our preview below.

"Hearts of Stone is full of varied quests to follow, and striking characters to meet," editor Mike Mahardy wrote. "It's also well paced, a facet that's hard to come by in an open-world RPG, wherein players have every chance to venture off the beaten path."

Continue reading

Activision posted a series of tweets on Tuesday suggesting it was live reporting a terrorist attack.

The series of messages, which were fictional but not marked as such, sets up the framework of events to feature in upcoming shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops III. Shared via the official Call of Duty Twitter account, the posts began with reports of an explosion in Marina Bay, Singapore.

The source of the explosion is reported to be at Coalescence Corporation, a fictional company that was featured in the Call of Duty: Black Ops III "Ember" teaser. The tweets went on to state that Singapore Authorities had announced an official state of emergency, and declared martial law. The final post in the series of tweets read, "This was a glimpse into the future fiction of #BlackOps3."

The tweets confirmed a character named James Chung will be tied to the game in some way as commander of the Singapore Armed Forces. A second Twitter account titled "TheUnMarkedMan" posted conspiracy-theory style speculation in response to the tweets, further teasing story elements in the upcoming shooter.

The social media campaign has been met with some criticism, as the posts could have incited unwarranted panic. Others have criticised the campaign to be in poor taste. 

When approached by GameSpot, Activision declined to comment.

At the time of posting the series of fictional reports of the attack in Singapore, the Call of Duty Twitter account had changed its profile picture, name, and profile description to resemble that of a real world news outlet, as seen in the screenshot on the right.

Do you think this social media campaign for Blacks Ops 3 went too far? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Continue reading