The end to the longest life cycle in the industry’s history comes to a close this November with the release of the juggernauts: Playstation 4 and Xbox One. With new features that not only better utilize today’s technology but also plug directly into today’s technology culture, this new round of consoles is poised to change how gamers play and interact. And standing in the wings, Valve’s potential console, the Steam Box, could be the wild card that disrupts the ecosystem of the major console makers and the gaming world. Whatever happens, in a few days, nothing will be the same, and here’s what the press and gaming community are saying about it.

Gametrailers: Next Gen Showdown video

http://www.gametrailers.com/next-gen-showdown

Gameindustry.biz: PS4 Pre-Orders Higher than Past Consoles

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-10-31-ps4-pre-orders-much-much-much-higher-than-past-consoles

Washington Post: Valve’s Steam Machine is the Anti-Console

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/11/04/valves-steam-machine-is-the-anti-console-heres-what-its-like-to-play/?tid=pm_business_pop

Polygon: Xbox One At a Glance

http://www.polygon.com/2013/11/6/5073062/xbox-one-at-a-glance-hands-on-with-the-launch-window-lineup

Gamespot: Hands on and Q&A with the PS4

http://www.gamespot.com/videos/playstation-4-hands-on-and-q-a/2300-6416086/

Arcade Fire: Wilderness Downtown

Indie rock group, Arcade Fire, brings another inventive interactive music video that uses the viewer’s home address to create a personalized experience. Working with Google street and Google Earth source material, “Wilderness Downtown,” does a virtual tour of the viewer’s old neighborhood set to Arcade Fire’s song, “We Used to Wait.”

http://thewildernessdowntown.com/

OK Go: All is Not Lost

The grandmasters of the internet music video have made yet another visual marvel with their music video to “All is Not Lost.” Working off Google Chrome’s architecture (you will have to use the Chrome browser to view this), the HTML 5 video opens and rearranges windows in order to create an internet kaleidoscope. It all ends with a personal message that you create and then can share with friends.

http://www.allisnotlo.st/index_en.html

Honda: Impossible Made Possible

Perspective is everything, and nothing illustrates this better than Honda’s optical illusion-laden commercial for their new diesel-powered SUV. It’s a visual feast of creative images that just might change the way people view this Honda SUV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UelJZG_bF98

Gaming More Pervasive in China than US

An online report by Magid shows that 84% of those surveyed in China state that they play video games or identify as gamers compared to 69% in the US. The report also states that the proliferation of tablets and smartphones in China have significantly contributed to this number.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-10-10-gaming-more-pervasive-in-china-than-us-report

Call of Duty: Ghosts Passes $1 Billion in Day 1 Sales…to Retailers

After GTA V made $1 billion in 3 days setting a new sales record, Activision vowed that they would earn their title back with CoD: Ghosts. As of today, it looks like they have…maybe. Activision has confirmed that over $1 billion in sales has been made to retail outlets, but not to consumers. However, the pervasiveness of the publisher’s flagship franchise cannot be denied, and it might just sit back atop the throne once those numbers become available.

http://gamerant.com/call-of-duty-ghosts-billion-sales/

78% of Twitter’s Users Are Outside the US

According to Statista, Since 2010 Twitter’s international user base has grown 745% — from 20 million to 169 million users. Its user base in the United States has only grown 390%, from 10 million to 49 million users.

http://mashable.com/2013/10/07/twitter-us-international-growth/

Winner of Eyestorm Raffle
A big thank you to all of those who took the time to check out our new website, reel, and survey. Your comments have been greatly appreciated and we’re extremely lucky to receive such wonderful feedback. As a thank you for your input, we’ve been holding this gem of an iPad Mini to be raffled away. On Tuesday afternoon, we did our official drawing and a big congrats goes out to Steve Brooks from EA’s Sports Label in Vancouver. Steve, you may be freezing your arse off up there in the Northern lights, so we hope this iPad Mini will keep you warm throughout the holiday season :). Many thanks you guys!