Xbox One gets ID’ed, Sony sets a date, and the Rapture is nigh

Gesture controls like those promised by Xbox One’s new Kinect sensor will change more than the way we play games. Not sure if I’d want a virtual surgeon cutting into my kidneys, though…

Speaking of promises: Next-gen news is flowing out of Europe like a fine cherry soda. Microsoft pounced first with news of launch day titles and a self-publishing program for indies called ID@Xbox.

Sony came out of the gate next with a price-drop for PS Vita, the free-to-play Little Big Planet Hub, a slew of indie titles (like Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, Chinese Room’s follow-up to Dear Esther), and a PS4 release date: 11/15 (NA), 11/29 (Europe).

And then of course there’s The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth.

Ubisoft is feeding the slow burn hunger for 16-bit styled RPGs with Child of Light. The best part: It uses the same graphics engine as Rayman Legends. Gobsmackingly beautiful grinding ahead!

Digital may be sexy, but analog is practical. Why CEOs should play more board games.

Notch and his team at Mojang hit one out of the park with Minecraft (no longer a Microsoft console exclusive, whaaaat?). His follow-up, 0x10c, is now a pop-up fouled off to the catcher. (The space computer sim is cancelled.) But wait! Fans aim to keep it alive.

What might not be alive but is cute all the same? Even if it has a mouth on its forehead? The incredible Burton-meets-Argento Murasaki Baby.

Come back soon!