Today, Bethesda announced that later this month, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will be getting patched to add Kinect support, this patch will add over 200 different phrases for you to yell into your Kinect. If you are a Skyrim gamer I’m sure all along you’ve secretly wanted to yell “Fus Ro DAH!” at your screen and launch enemies off a cliff. I can imagine this feature will be something that I will try a couple of times to see if it actually works, but simple commands such as doing a dragon shout or switching weapons could also be done in pressing two buttons or less. As with most Kinect enabled games, the Kinect features are more of a novelty than something you could see yourself using every time you play the game.

Examples of the phrases that you can use your voice for are Dragon Shouts, Hotkey Equipping (fast switching between items and weapons), follower commands (ordering your follower to attack/stop), and the ability to make your way around most menus, such as the loot screen (“loot all”,”loot lockpick”) and the map, magic, barter, container, favourites and skill screens.

Keep your eye out for the patch to hit just the Xbox 360 version of Skyrim (unlucky PC gamers) later this month. Dust off your Kinect and check out the below trailer.

When you said “portable gaming” to someone a 5 years ago, they had a pretty clear picture of what you meant; a Lynx, PSP, Game Gear or GameBoy of some variety.  Maybe even an old Game & Watch or other LCD and LED games. A few years ago, this concept of portable gaming expanded to cover mobile devices, such as iPod Touch, or various phones.  Now we have a much more diluted picture when it comes to portable gaming, what with tablets, phones and actual gaming systems all vying for your eyes while riding on a train, plane, or automobile (hopefully not while driving).  The need for mobile games to be more pick-up-and-go lends itself well to casual games, which gives tablets and phones a leg-up, but even more engrossing games such as RPGs or 3D platformers are starting to become quite robust on non-traditional devices.  Throw in services like OnLive being able to be played on tablets, and you have full fledged games being played on things other than traditional hand held gaming systems.  As systems like the PlayStation Vita scramble to integrate social media aspects into their gaming, and link the at-home gaming experience to your on the go gaming, other mobile platforms, such as Windows Phone 7, are doing the same.  It seems like every device is trying to be your social media, gaming, internet browsing, phone call making buddy all in one.  I’m convinced that where you find the best games, you’ll find the gamers, so it brings us to this week’s question:

What mobile device are you giving most of your portable gaming time to?

(You may need to refresh the page to see the poll)

Important caveat: I’m not asking what mobile device you PREFER, but rather, what’s eating all of your portable gaming minutes right now?  If I was saying what I prefer, it’s be a traditional gaming handheld (a DS at the moment, but I’m eyeballing a Vita), but my Windows Phone is what’s getting my portable gaming minutes right now.  If I had a tablet, that would probably win out as well.  Unfortunately, I see the dedicated gaming handhelds as a dying breed, especially as I see phones being able to do the “play the game at home, save it, then pick up your phone and continue” thing.  This integration between home gaming system and portable gaming system will be key to the next generation of devices, and is something that OnLive can do right now.  I’m not saying dedicated portable gaming devices are dead, but they’re going to need to become defining gaming experiences to differentiate themselves from more dynamic and multi-faceted devices.

What do you think?  Use something other than what’s listed above as your primary portable gaming go-to?  What is most important to you, good games, or ease of use? Vote above, and let us know below!

View previous ASQ: Rock Band Blitz - View next ASQ: Fall 2012 Gaming Releases Showdown – Round 1

A Simple Question (ASQ) is a weekly segment for Platform Nation.  Give a response and let the world know what you think; there is no right or wrong answer here. If you have a suggestion for a question, hit me up on twitter @vttym.

We have some new battle screenshots for the upcoming Legends of Pegasus for your viewing pleasure, but first more a little more about some of the features of Legends of Pegasus:

Features of Legends of Pegasus include:

A complete 4X science fiction gaming experience-eXlore, eXpand, eXploit and eXterminate your way to galactic conquest
Tactical space combat –featuring a unique mix of turn-based and real-time strategy gameplay
A realistic, immersive universe– three races and 12 playable factions exist in a living-breathing universe populated by a huge variety of non-player civilizations
Play alone or dominate with friends –an extensive single-player campaign coupled with a strong multiplayer component ensure an engaging experience
Massive customization options– design, build and deploy ships created from research into hundreds of technologies based on a customizable tech tree
Make it yours– modding options will be available, allowing players to customize missions, maps and more

So what did you think of those immersive screenshots? Pretty impressive in my book!

Legend of Pegasus is heading our way in North America Q2 2012 for Windows PC, so be sure to mark your calenders and stay tuned to Platform Nation for more details as we receive them.

Quite a lot of scratch for a single-player game with absolutely no online or multiplayer components. If you recall, Battlefield 3 shipped 10 million and sold 5 million (the trend seems to be ship twice as many as you sell) and that is a game and genre generally lauded for its replayability. Is this a sign that gamers are willing to pay for and play a singular gaming experience if it is topnotch? Does it turn out that online passes and multiplayer modes aren’t the end-all, be-all of successful video game franchises?

I don’t really know. In fact, I’ll be honest; I’m kind of distracted playing Skyrim.

Also, this Skyrim rap is too good for its own good.

via Joystiq

Activision has just announced that the Men in Black the video game will be releasing in Spring of 2012 to coincide with the theatrical release of Men In Black III. Now we do not have what systems it will be released on but we do know that it will be heading to handhelds as well as consoles.

“The Men In Black franchise is an unbeatable starting point to deliver a genre-bending gaming experience with a level of production value on par with Hollywood,” said David Oxford, Executive Vice President of Activision Publishing, Inc. Mark Caplan, Vice President of Licensing at Sony Pictures Entertainment, stated, “With Activision bringing the Men In Black universe to life on next gen consoles for the first time, the Men In Black video game will be both familiar to fans, an exciting beginning for the uninitiated, and revolutionary for the franchise.”

Here is a little more about the game:

The films’ unique blend of action, humor, and eye-popping special effects will fuel the Men in Black’s gameplay experience. Utilizing the rich mythology of the Men In Black universe, the game’s original story will build on the history of the series to bring back familiar faces, while also introducing new foes. More details on gameplay features and characters will be revealed soon!

So what do you think Men in Black fans? I for one have always loved the movies and I will admit the game has me intrigued.

Stay tuned right here for more information about the upcoming Men in Black video game.

Ubisoft has recently announced a new program called the ‘Uplay Passport’ which will give gamers access to bonus content, exclusive offers, and online multiplayer whenever they buy a Ubisoft game. Within each new copy of a Uplay Passport-enhanced game there will be an insert card with a code that will give you access Uplay Passport content and features. Even if you typically buy games used, you will still be able to purchase a Uplay Passport online for $9.99 (which somewhat defeats the purpose of buying a used game in the first place; but not always.) Details on what content this feature will unlock are still a little vague, but Uplay Passport is said to give gamers an extra value to their Ubisoft games.

We will see Ubisoft starting this program with the release of Driver San Francisco on August 30^th. This sounds like good news, but even after reading the Q&A on the official site, I am still unclear on how Uplay Passport will directly affect my gaming experience. I suppose we will find out soon enough. I just want to play Assassins Creed Revelations already!

What are your thoughts?

Let’s hand it over to the extract from the press release confirming this news. Do you see this as a good thing or has the recent hacking of PSN made you concerned with cloud storage?

Cloud Storage for Game Saves and LIVE Profile. Here at Xbox LIVE we listen to your feedback. We are making it easier for you to sign into your Xbox LIVE account from any console at any time to access your game saves and full profile, including items such as Microsoft Points to make purchases, Achievements and friends. Cloud storage will allow you to enjoy the same great Xbox LIVE gaming experience even when you’re not in your own living room by giving you the option to store your “game saves” securely in the Xbox LIVE cloud instead of on a portable memory unit or your console’s hard drive. Gone are the days of “gamertag recovery.” Now all you need to do is sign in, no matter where you are!

Source: Major Nelson

The first on the list comes straight from Batman: Arkham City. The Batarang controllers are not only cool from an aesthetic standpoint with their seven different LED options, but seem to be designed with playability in mind – at least for the Xbox 360. Admittedly, I’m a tad sketchy as to the design of the PS3 controller; the main difference seems to be the slant of the bumpers. With joysticks that are not symmetrical, I’m wondering how that will affect those who are used to the traditional PlayStation controllers.

Next up is the Air Flo controller. I was a huge fan of this controller back during the original Xbox days. Many a Halo were played with fans keeping my hands cool. The main issue I had with the Air Flo controllers back in the day has been fixed. It is no longer the bulking monstrosity that it once was, and now features a slimmer designed and is created with gameplay in mind. Once again, I’m concerned with how POWER A is designing its PS3 controllers, though I’m sure there will be a market for gamers looking for that type of design.

The return of my favorite style of controller, the Pro Mini controllers are designed for minimal distance between buttons and joysticks. For those of us who prefer a smaller controller, this is the way to go. Plus, with optional LED, how can you go wrong?

The Pro Pack Mini Plus for Wii seems to be an improvement on the original mini controllers for the Wii. POWER A has added motion technology and customizable button glow to the mix. These controllers are 20% smaller than your traditional Wii Remote.

Grey Area, the mobile game developer changing the way people interact with their friends and surroundings, is proud to announce the Shadow Cities App for iPhone and iPod touch is now available on the App Store. Shadow Cities uses location-based technology to create an augmented reality and global arena for its players to participate in real-time large-scale combat with friends and other gamers.

Grey Area the company making the games CEO Ville Vesterinen talked about the game and his words I believe best describe the overall aspect of what to expect.

“We could not be more excited to deliver our first app, Shadow Cities, to the massively connected generation of iPhone and iPod touch users in North America and literally, turn their cities into a game.”

“Character leveling, customization, missions and stylized augmented reality to weekly live events, we have worked very hard to create a truly immersive gaming experience. In Shadow Cities, you are the mage and it is your neighborhood you must defend!”

Reading all this have you excited for Shadow Cities? Wait no longer the App is available for free from the App Store for iPhone and iPod touch http://itunes.apple.com/app/id387962119. Don’t yet feel the power? No worries money seems to be the ultimate spell as you can buy more in App powers making you the ultimate witch or wizard.

Eidos have announced that their upcoming game, Deus Ex: Human Revolution will be available on Steam as well as full retail copies. Their is also a discount available to those who pre-order the game on Steam. For those who are looking forward to this game as much as we are at Platformnation Towers (yes, we have towers) you can also find some Deus Ex: Human Revolution avatars on Steam.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is beginning to sound like a must buy, especially for owners of gaming PC’s. Eidos have partnered up with AMD to give their game full AMD Eyefinity support which means that if you’re fortunate enough to own a multi-display set up, Deus Ex: HR will utilize each screen separately to create the ultimate gaming experience. Players will be able to use three or five screens to surround themselves in the game world and see enemies coming through peripheral vision which will give complete immersion. It’s definitely making me want to go buy more monitors and a gaming PC as the console on one screen sounds almost lame in comparison.

If that wasn’t enough, there will also be 3DHD support so that players can experience the Human Revolution in 3D. In fact, Deus EX: HR will be the first game that has been optimized to natively utilize AMD HD3D capable hardware!

All this and DirectX11 surely means that the PC version is most definitely the definitive version. Finally, a PC game that will truly be a PC game.

Here is some Q&A with

Julien Bouvrais (JB)- Director of Technology, Eidos-Montreal

Jean-Francois Dugas (JFD)- Game Director, Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Jurjen Katsman (JK)- Founder and President, Nixxes

-          What was your biggest challenge about developing Deus Ex: Human Revolution for the PC?

JB: Certainly the biggest challenge in developing Deus Ex: Human Revolution for PC has been ensuring that the franchise lives up to the expectations of the gamers who have been following the franchise since it started in 2000. The PC version of the game needed to be a game in itself and not just of port of the console version.

JFD: The original Deus Ex was a PC game at its core and we wanted to make sure Deus Ex: Human Revolution felt that way as well, even though it’s a cross-platform game. Therefore, we took the time to go back to the original game, look at the interface, the inventory mechanic, etc. Though Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a different game, we wanted to recapture some of the look and feel of the original in regards to these aspects. Our challenge was to make sure that we would get the time and the resources needed to develop these distinctive features adapted for the PC version, which we ultimately did.

-          How close has the partnership been between the Eidos-Montreal development team and Nixxes in developing the PC version?

JB: While it is true that Nixxes is not working geographically in the same location as the rest of the team, they are truly a part of the Eidos-Montreal development team. They are working in the same development branch as we are and we talk to each other on a daily basis. Nixxes works hand-in-hand with the same design team that takes care of the other versions. Eidos Interactive and Nixxes had a long history of collaboration even before the Eidos-Montreal studio existed. We needed an expert in the PC field to partner with and we knew Nixxes was that developer.

JFD: We’ve been developing Deus Ex: Human Revolution on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 simultaneously since the beginning, with the same level of importance. Nixxes stepped in pretty far along in the project to give us a hand on the PC version because by its very nature it’s the version that requires the most platform specific work and we simply didn’t have the resources to assign dev team members to work on one platform. Nixxes really has been a terrific partner and I feel very lucky to have been able to enlist their talent and expertise.

-          What do you want fans to know about the PC version?

JK: We really want them to know that Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a true PC game. Yes, you will have a lot of options, no “press start” screen, full mouse support– everything we feel a PC game should have. Further, with the graphics, there are multiple options for anti-aliasing, shadow quality levels, and the ability to enable or disable various post processing effects. All controls can be fully remapped as expected from a PC game as well.

JFD: I want the fans to know that when they play the PC version that it won’t feel like a console game with a keyboard and mouse… they’ll be playing a true PC game in terms of the feel of the controls and gameplay.

-          What is your favourite feature of the PC version?

JK: It is difficult to pick a favourite feature. There is a lot of cool stuff in the game. But one thing specific to the PC version that we think is quite cool are some features we have been working on with AMD. I can’t talk about these right now, but a video and details will be released on Thursday. Let’s just say that they fully immerse players in the Deus Ex: Human Revolution experience visually.

-          Is there anything exclusive to the PC version? If so, please explain.

JK: Well, the main game is the same on all platforms– the same story, the same endings. But, we do have additional graphics features and a different weapon selection bar to tailor to the keyboard and mouse. There is a simple drag and drop interface to bind things in your inventory to specific keys on your keyboard, making them quickly accessible, and you can then also cycle through these with your mouse scroll wheel while in-game. For graphics, there are some unique features, like smoother shadows, more realistic ambient occlusion effects, stereoscopic 3D– various things that the extra hardware allows us to do. Our focus has been making sure that the game is built for the PC platform as well as possible.

-          Can you explain a bit about the control scheme of the PC version?

JB: The game can be played either with a controller or with a mouse and keyboard. The control scheme can be customized to the player’s liking. A lot of rework has been done for the mouse and keyboard control. Every piece of the game UI has been adapted for this. When you are playing a game on PC, you expect the pieces of UI (button, controls, etc) to react with the mouse as opposed to tapping up and down on a controller and then selecting your choice with the accept button. This was a real challenge in the case of Deus Ex: Human Revolution because we use a lot of in-game UI. The hacking interface is a prime example of this. The team basically had to re-think the control scheme of the hacking mini-game, so that it made sense on PC.

JFD: We support controllers, of course, but we tried to stay as close as possible to the control scheme of the original Deus Ex in terms of the mouse and keyboard. Of course, it can’t be totally the same since we have features like the cover system that require their own scheme. So, the numeral keys are allocated to the items/weapons and the F keys are allocated to the active augmentations, for example. One very cool thing in regards to the control scheme that fans will enjoy is that they can use the keypad on the keyboard to enter numbers like in the original Deus Ex.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is due to be released in August this year.