How To Install GTA V On Xbox 360 Without Hurting Performance

Today, Rockstar support advised Xbox 360 players not to install Grand Theft Auto V's second "play disc" to their hard drives. Doing so, they suggested, would affect performance.P

The 360 version of GTA V comes on two DVDs. One is an 8GB "install disc" that you must install, and a second one is a "play disc" that you use to play the game. (The PS3 version comes on a single Blu-Ray.) As you can see in this video up top from Digital Foundry, the 360 version with the play disc installed to the hard drive is noticeably laggy compared to the off-disc version. It's not a huge deal, but the lag is present.P

Fortunately, the same folks at Digital Foundry have already found a solution: If you want to play GTA V on Xbox 360 without the noise of a spinning DVD, install the first disc on your 360 hard drive like you normally would, then install the play disc to a USB thumb drive. They're sure to point out that your your mileage may vary depending on your thumb drive, but say that the approach made their lag problems go away.P

See a demonstration here:P

LDiscuss

DON’T PANIC, THERE ARE STILL PLACES TO PRE-ORDER THE XBOX ONE AND PS4 [UPDATED]

If you are hoping to pre-order a PlayStation 4 or an Xbox One, you might want to hurry. All around the country, major retailers are listing the consoles as “sold-out,” leading up to what is looking more and more like a shortage on launch day. That may be good for Sony and Microsoft (and their stock prices), but it’s bad for a consumer hoping to get their hands on what are shaping up to be two of the hottest items this holiday season.

… you may have to go a little deeper down the rabbit hole of online shopping…

With stores like GameStop and Best Buy both listing Sony and Microsoft’s consoles as sold out, you may have to go a little deeper down the rabbit hole of online shopping leading up to the as yet unannounced launch dates. The PS4 is listed with a generic release date of December 31 (in other words, sometime this year), while the Xbox One is listed by several retailers as November 27. Whatever the exact dates, expect them both to release before the yearly shopping Super Bowl that is Black Friday, which this year lands on November 29.

Sony and Microsoft are still hoping to meet all launch day demands, although that probably isn’t going to be possible. At the moment, several stores are still accepting pre-orders but you should expect stock to disappear quickly. We’ll try to keep this list updated throughout the coming months, but don’t be surprised if the stores below sell out, and soon.

(If you find that a store on this list has changed its status to “sold out,” please let us know and we’ll update it accordingly. We’ll also add more stores in the weeks to come.)

[UPDATE:] 

• Despite stories to the contrary, there are still PS4s (and Xbox Ones) available for pre-order in the U.S. (as of 8/15/13). Sony has, however, stopped accepting pre-orders in the UK.
• The PlayStation 4 is no longer accepting pre-orders in most stores.  

Both Systems

There are very few PlayStation 4s still available, at least online. Stores like Fry’s and some Best Buys have stock based on the individual store that is separate from the online inventory. You may want to call and check your local store.   

PlayStation 4 Only

Sony Store: Sony’s own store is offering the PS4, of course, along with free shipping and no apparent limit on the number of units you can pick up. It is currently not accepting pre-orders, but it will notify customers when they sign up. If anyone is going to have more to seel prior to launch, it will be Sony’s own site. 

Xbox One Only

Fry’s Electronics: The national electronic giant is not offering in-store pickups, but it will ship to you. You will need to pay shipping, so factor that into your budget. The website is no longer offering PS4s for sale, but it does still have the Xbox One listed for sale, under the generic December 30 date used to signify an unknown release date this year.  

Kmart: The Xbox One is available for pre-order, but the site is no longer accepting pre-orders for the PS4, even though it does have a notification option. 

Microsoft Store: You can purchase an Xbox One from Microsoft’s own store, and that also extends to the Xbox 360′s dashboard. If you are an Xbox 360 user, just connect online and look for the Xbox One icon, and you can pre-order directly from there. Free shipping, and a limit of one per household. 

Sears: Although not generally thought of as an electronic store, Sears offered both the PS4 andthe Xbox One for pre-order, and international shipping is available. The PS4 pre-sale option has been removed, but the Xbox One is available still.

Target: As with most stores, Target is not offering in-store pickup, but it is offering free shipping. Target is also offering a 2-year warrant for $49.99, which covers all repairs, including damage from accidents like dropping it. The plan will also cover up to five games purchased (from Target) during that time frame. The Xbox One[/affiliate-link] currently ships with a one-year limited warranty, so this might be worth your consideration. Limit one per household. The option to purchase a PS4 has been removed.

Major retailers that are sold out of both systems

Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Toys R Us, and Walmart

God of War: Ascension, Good but not Great

Kratos prepares for battle in a scene from 'God of War: Ascension.' / Sony Computer Entertainment

Wait, you thought slaying every Greek god in existence meant an end to the tales of God of War hero Kratos?

Not so fast. The muscular and merciless warrior of Sony's epic God of War action franchise returns in prequel God of War: Ascension for the PlayStation 3. Although the "hack-and-slash" title is filled with the same grandeur of the original trilogy, it lacks those titanic moments that helped make the franchise so spectacular.

For those new to God of War, Kratos is a Spartan soldier who vows to serve Ares, the god of war, if he grants him the power to slay his enemies. Kratos' tale turns tragic when he is tricked into killing his wife and daughter, setting him off on a quest to kill Ares.

Ascension takes place six months after his family's murder, as Kratos breaks his pact with Ares and seeks revenge. Instead, Kratos is trapped in a prison dominated by the Furies, a group of female deities attempting to drive Kratos mad.

The prequel features all the trademarks fans ofGod of War have come to expect. Armed with the Blades of Chaos attached to his wrists by chains, Kratos slashes through a variety of enemies such as giant cyclops, three-headed dogs (Cerebus) and a new "elephantaur," a hybrid elephant/minotaur. The combat delivers the same physicality and brutal finishes that have made the series popular.

Magic is handled a bit differently in Ascension, connected more closely to Kratos' blades. Players can link their swords to powers tied to four gods: Ares (fire), Poseidon (ice), Zeus (lightning) and Hades (souls). Each come with their own set of special attacks and specific magic strikes to slow down enemies. For example, tapping the R2 button while equipping Hades' abilities unleashes a flurry of souls, while the Poseidon ability starts an icy tornado freezing enemies. When opponents glow red, players can perform a "brutal kill" for an especially gory finish.

Players will find green and blue chests scattered across the landscape to replenish health and magic. Red chests give players points to upgrade their powers and blades, while white chests carry Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers to enlarge health and magic meters. Players can also pick up other weapons such as larger swords, hammers or shields for bonus melee strikes.

Ascension beefs up navigation and puzzle elements of the series through an amulet Kratos picks up that can manipulate structures and stop time. When an object glows green, players can use the amulet to rebuild or decay a structure. Some puzzles require players to partially rebuild a bridge or other structure to advance. Plus, players can use it as a quick way to suspend enemies in mid-air and hack away.

For the most part, Ascension is as enjoyable as every other God of War game. The presentation remains impressive, effectively using dramatic camera angles to make the world and his enemies feel massive. It's a game worth of its mythological subject matter. The combat is equally thrilling. Transitioning between attacks and rolls or other moves feels effortless, as players perform a variety of combination attacks to tear through opponents.

However, Ascension seems to carry one tragic flaw. Why should I care about this quest, exactly? The God of War trilogy earned its rise in popularity in part because of the incredible cast of characters Kratos battles. By comparison, Ascension's cast of villains seems rather tame, which results in fewer memorable moments. That's the price it pays for following up a trilogy that had players slaying a Hydra, several Greek gods and a fantastic sequence in God of War 3 where players battle the titan Cronos.

Ascension also introduces multiplayer to the God of War series for the first time. The third-person action genre doesn't dive into the multiplayer pool often, but it works surprisingly well in God of War. Players start with brief training followed by picking an allegiance to either Zeus, Hades, Ares and Poseidon. Each god carries his own advantages. Ares gives players more physical power, while Zeus is more focused on elemental abilities.

After choosing a god to follow, players explore a variety of matches such as Favor of the Gods, where two teams fight to capture altars and gain favor points, and the cooperative Trial of the Gods where players must survive increasingly tougher waves of enemies. Players earn experience toward adding armor, weapons and magic abilities.

It seems Ascension hasn't been blessed by the video game gods, if such entities did exist. It's a really strong title, with the same vicious combat and a clever multiplayer component. It just suffered the unfortunate luck of following up three very powerful console predecessors.

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Sony Santa Monica

Platform(s): PlayStation 3

Price: $59.99

Rating: M for Mature

Release Date: March 12

Everything We Know About The PlayStation 4

We gather all the confirmed details on Sony’s newly announced console into one place.
Sony had lots of information to share about the new console, and we had lots of stories that covered all the topics. Click into the stories below to learn more about the next generation console.
PlayStation 4 Announced With Release Window
"Sony's press conference is happening right now, and the first big piece of news is that it will in fact be called the PlayStation 4. The PlayStation 4 is coming this holiday season."
Controller Revealed
"Early rumors suggested the new DualShock would feature a "share" button that gives players quick access to their social networks. Sony not only confirmed the share button, but revealed that it taps into much deeper social features than we initially thought."
Support For Free-To-Play And Episodic Gaming
"Perhaps with native support and a larger hard drive, the PlayStation 4 will see free-to-play grow exponentially in the same way it has on PC. Sony has yet to address the possibility of encouraging the wealth of alternative price points that has helped indie games of all stripes flourish on PC digital download services, but that's another possible upside to Sony's move beyond the $60 boxed products that currently dominate the console landscape."
Introducing The Stereo Camera and Built-In Move Camera
"The PlayStation 4's stereo camera peripheral works with the PlayStation controller, which features a sensor on the back which can be sensed by the camera array."
Hardware Details
"Lead system architect Mark Cerny says the PS4 features a supercharged PC architecture with a x86 architecture CPU, an enhanced PC GPU, and 8GB of GDDR5 system memory as well as a local hard drive."
Sharing and Download Plans
"Sony's goal is to use its prediction software to study your gaming habits and seed your console with downloads it thinks you might like for a truly instant play experience. In addition, the company should be able to use its predictive data to serve players personalized news and content."
Instant Game Starts And Remote Play
"Gaikai CEO David Perry revealed how the enhanced PlayStation Network will change the way you play games. The benefits include instantly playing demos of games without downloading anything, spectating any friends’ game, and remotely taking over control for them."
No Backwards Compatibility, But Old Games Available In The Cloud
"While Perry said PS3 games are 'not natively supported,' that doesn't mean the extensive history of PlayStation games won't be available to users. He did not mention specifics, but Perry claims the system's cloud service will allow users access to a wide array of past PlayStation titles at a later date."
Interview With Sony President Shuhei Yoshida
Shuhei Yoshida discusses the new controller, the ambitious self publishing service for developers, and the expansion of cross-play functionality.
PlayStation 4 Has A Blu-Ray Drive
Sony has confirmed that the console will accept discs.
PS3 Data Won't Transfer To PS4
Neither PSN nor PS3 game saves will be able to make the jump to the new console.
PlayStation 4 Addresses Used Games
"'We are just now announcing the basic vision and strategy of PS4 and will have more information to share regarding used games later this year,' says a Sony spokesperson. 'But PlayStation has a long history of keeping its gamers happy and we won't make decisions that damage our relationship with them.'"
PlayStation 4 Outputs 4K Video
Sony exec Shuhei Yoshida confirmed that the upcoming PlayStation 4 console plays 4K resolution pre-recorded video - with four times the pixels of a 1080p display - but does not support the higher resolution for games.
Bundled With Headset, And More Controller Details
Perhaps today's most important revelation is the confirmation that the PS4 will come with a headset, which can plug into a dedicated headset jack on the bottom of the controller. Not shipping a headset with the PS3 was a major mistake for Sony, and has resulted in quieter chat lobbies than the Xbox 360 offers players.
Dual Shock 3 Controllers Won't Work With PS4
"According to Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony Worldwide Studios, the next-gen PlayStation won't support the PS3's Dual Shock controller. However, the original Move motion controller will be a part of Sony's next-gen plan."
Hardware Specs Detailed
"During the press conference, Sony stressed that including 8GB of GDDR5 memory was the number-one request from developers; 8GB provides over 15 times the amount of memory the PS3 has."
PS4 Playable Offline
"Yoshida confirmed that the PlayStation 4 is usable offline. 'Oh yes, yes, you can go offline totally. Social is big for us, but we understand there are some people who are anti-social! So if you don't want to connect to anyone else, you can do that.'"

What do you think of Sony's big announcement? Share your thoughts in the comments below.