Xbox One doesn't require always-on connection, but mandatory installs tied to accounts

Update: Microsoft's Xbox Support has disputed the report that used games would require a fee to activate, and says in a system Q&A that it will allow users to resell and trade games. Apparently, Microsoft will have more information on how that will work at a later time.

Original story: In an interview directly following Microsoft's presentation today, Don Mattrick confirmed that the newly announced Xbox One console won't require an always-on Internet connection. However, mandatory game installations tied to Xbox Live accounts are said to serve as the system's DRM.

Read more: Mandatory game installations »

Activision deliberately crossed everyone up when it announced the next Call of Duty as Ghosts instead of Modern Warfare 4 on May 1. It was a calculated attempt to reboot the franchise with a new generation of consoles on the horizon. But no matter what it was called, the company was confident the next game would be popular no matter what.

"I plugged in Modern Warfare 4 into Google on my phone and saw there were 122 million search results for the name," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. "Just for fun, I plugged in Dark Knight Rises, which does exist, and there were 116 million results."

Read more: Dynamic maps in multiplayer »

More details have finally been revealed for Call of Duty: Ghosts, courtesy of the Xbox One reveal event on the Microsoft campus. All DLC for the game will launch exclusively first on Xbox One.

Watch: Behind the scenes on Call of Duty: Ghosts »

Microsoft has announced a live-action Halo TV series in conjunction with film great Steven Spielberg that will air exclusively on Xbox Live. Spielberg will work with developer 343 Industries on the series.

Read more: 'An amazing opportunity' »

A new generation of consoles means a new generation of engines, and EA has shown off its new 'Ignite' engine which is the foundation of new EA Sports titles. Technically it's only confirmed it for Xbox One, announced during Microsoft's big reveal event, but we all know what's going on. It appears to be quite pretty, and will make you cry or something.

Watch: FIFA 14, Madden 25, NBA Live 14, and UFC »

Today at Microsoft's Xbox One presentation, Phil Spencer presented the next game from Remedy. Titled Quantum Break, Spencer said it centers around the choices you make impacting the game world. A short trailer showed a live-action scene of a little girl talking to an adult woman. The little girl touched the woman to show what makes her "special," and the scene shifted to in-game footage of a tanker crashing through a bridge. After some brief clips, the slogan was: "time is the fire in which we burn."

Read more: 15 exclusive games in first year »

Microsoft has announced Forza Motorsport 5 for the Xbox One. The game, developed by Turn 10 Studios, will be available exclusively on the new Xbox One, and will be available when the console launches later this year.

Watch: The reveal trailer for Forza 5 »

Today at Microsoft's presentation, the company announced the Xbox One. Don Mattrick called it an "all in one system," and a sizzle reel accented its cloud capabilities, a new Kinect, and a revised "precision" controller. It will be launching later this year.

Read more: Kinect functions and TV applications »

Planetside is taking a note from its sequel, Planetside 2. The MMO is going free-to-play sometime in the future according to Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley, though he didn't give an exact time frame for when it would make the switch.

Read more: 'We aren't raising your taxes, we are making a game free' »

Retro RPG wonder Zeboyd Games, of Cthulhu Saves the World and Breath of Death VII fame, has pinned down a release date for its next game. Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4 will launch on June 7, the developer announced yesterday, on PC and Xbox Live Indie Games at $5.

Watch: The PAOTRSPOD4 teaser trailer »

Yesterday, veteran Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy said he would be playing a role in the next Arkham game. Since we already knew that Roger Craig Smith would be voicing the Dark Knight in Arkham Origins, we naturally figured that Conroy would be playing another character, or perhaps an older version of Batman. As it turns out, the situation is a bit more complex.

Read more: 'I am in new Arkham game coming soon' »

The world has more free-to-play MMORPGs than you can shake a stick at and most aren't interesting for long, but why not treat them like a tourist would? See the sights, join in local customs, then head off somewhere new. Add riding dragons in Dragon's Prophet to your itinerary, as Sony Online Entertainment today announced it'll enter open beta testing on May 30.

Watch: Capture, train and ride dragons »

A currency exploit in the Neverwinter beta forced Perfect World Entertainment to go back in (virtual) time, erasing seven hours of player data. The exploit had allowed some unscrupulous folks to gain billions in Astral Diamonds.

Read more: Gifts planned as a thank you »

After several months of running its own custom crowdfunding campaign without a great amount of success, Heavy Gear Assault developer MekTek Studios has launched a bona fide Kickstarter© to get things rolling. To drum up a little more enthusiasm for the free-to-play mecha shooter, it's released a short in-game snippet showing off its destructible environments in Unreal Engine 4.

Watch: 'splosions »

Strike Suit Zero developer Born Ready Games today released the mod tools for its mecha space shooter, one of the promised stretch goals from its crowdfunding campaign. The XedMod tools are free to any who owns the game, and use the Steam Workshop for sharing. If you don't own Strike Suit Zero, hey, now's your chance, as it's on sale for $10 until Sunday. Also out today, new DLC!

Watch: Mods the devs whipped up in a game jam »