Killer Xbox 720 accessories, price crash tech galore and the next Call of Duty

Friday rolls around so quickly, doesn’t it? If you’re wondering where the working week’s gone, and didn’t get a chance to read up on all the tech news as it came in, then put your mind at rest: we’ve got all the biggest stories from the last days rounded up for you in one place, right here in your Gadget Digest.

 

Microsoft’s IllumiRoom Xbox tech explored

After months of radio silence, Microsoft finally started talking about its incredible IllumiRoom wall projector tech for gaming again, dropping more than a few hints that it could be headed to the Xbox 720 as a Kinect-style accessory, and publishing a research paper which spills all the beans on how it works. Check out our feature on it for what we know so far.

 

Bargain hunt

It’s been an incredible week for sudden price drops in top gadgets. Barnes & Noble has been serving up random acts of kindness all week, slashing the price of its entry-level e-reader to just £29, and administering similar price cuts to its Android tablets too – as well as giving them access to the Google Play store. Asda meanwhile dropped the price of the Nintendo Wii U by another £50, meaning you can now pick up the next-gen machine for less than £150. Here’s hoping this sort of shock treatment can help the faltering system.

 

What’s next, making calls from your iPad?

The boundaries between phones and tablets – and frankly, phablets and tablets – are rapidly blurring. Hot on the heels of Asus’ Fonepad, Samsung released the Galaxy Tab 3, a regular looking seven-inch Android slate – that makes phone calls like a regular blower. Would you be seen holding one of these to your head?

 

Instagram expands

We’ve got good news all around for fans of the photo sharing social network. The company – now owned by Facebook – just last night pushed out Photos Of You, a new tagging option and profile page section which finally lets you tag your mates in pictures, not just locations. Got an app-lacking Windows Phone and feel like you’re missing out on all the fun? Fret no more: as we told you yesterday, a new unofficial but fully featured Instagram app is heading your way very soon.

 

Games games games

It’s been a hectic week on the games front too. We got a new, in-depth look at Grand Theft Auto V courtesy of three new trailers, and got a first play of racer Grid 2 as well. If that wasn’t enough though, Activision only went and announced the next Call of Duty – and it’s not Modern Warfare 4

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Grand Theft Auto V reveal today: Five things we want to see by

 

Grand Theft Auto V reveal today: Five things we want to see

 

Grand Theft Auto V is coming. That’s right – a fifth Grand Theft Auto game. Later today, at 4pm GMT, Rockstar Games will give the world its very first glimpse of its next car-thefting themed open-world romper. At this moment in time nothing is known about the game, and rumours have been flying as to where it will be set. Perhaps getting ahead of ourselves, here are five things we’d love to see in Grand Theft Auto V.

An unexpected location
A new location may sound like a given, but word on the street is that Rockstar just might be thinking about a return to San Andreas. After all, Grand Theft Auto: San Andrea remains one of the most popular Grand Theft Auto (GTA) games of all time. As much as we love the vast sprawls of San Andreas, there’s always something fresh about exploring somewhere for the first time. London currently tops our wish-list, but after Rockstar revealed the game’s logo, featuring what looks like the font of a dollar bill, it looks like Grand Theft Auto is remaining stateside for now. 



An evolving gameplay experience

The ability to level up and earn XP to improve your character has been creeping into games for some time now. And it’s something we’re hoping to see more of in a big way come the arrival of Grand Theft Auto V. In the GTA games players have been used to earning cash for completing objectives. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas allowed you to enter gyms and buff up, but it would be great to earn experience points to earn the ability to learn new moves. Perhaps the new protagonist can gradually learn kung-fu.

Scenery destruction
Mangling motors has always been a big part of the GTA series. It would be great to see some of that destruction carry over into the rest of the environment. Imagine hiding behind a wall, only to see it eroded away by gunfire, or nearby buildings getting torn apart in explosive crossfire. 

 Rockstar bringing Grand Theft Auto 3 to iOS and Android

More reasons to carry on exploring the city
Up to now GTA games have done a good job of encouraging players to play on after clearing the campaign, thanks to the chance to collect hidden packages and finish any remaining sidequests. But what about after that? Rockstar has been keen to add separate downloadable content (DLC) quests, and we’d love to see that trend continue. At reasonable prices, of course. And how about some free DLC for those that put the effort in. Rockstar’s own Red Dead Redemption has gradually seen free DLC creep in so there’s plenty of hope.

Co-operative mode
Co-op mode, anyone? The Gears of War series has already shown that, done well, an excellent co-op mode can do wonders for a game’s single player campaign. And you can bet your life that Rockstar will do something not yet seen in a Grand Theft Auto game. A co-op mode would see two players simultaneously wreaking all sorts of havoc across the city. The team-working possibilities are endless. But would it work?

Grand Theft Auto V confirmed http://fwd.channel5.com/gadget-show/gadget-news/grand-theft-auto-v-official-launch