Thank goodness we've got E3 just around the corner to distract us from ALL THESE DELAYS (we're looking straight at you, 1886). Now Valve has announced that we won't be getting our hands on its Steam Machines until 2015 either.
Well, the controller at least. But with no Steam controller (we've tried it, it's awesome), there's really no Steam Machine, is there? It explains why all went a bit quiet after the big unveiling at CES; Valve says it needs a bit more time to perfect its gamepad, which has gone through a couple of iterations already.
"Realistically, we're now looking at a release window of 2015, not 2014," read a blog post from Gabe and the gang.
"We're now using wireless prototype controllers to conduct live playlists, with everyone from industry professionals to die-hard gamers to casual gamers. It's generating a ton of useful feedback, and it means we'll be able to make the controller a lot better."
Well, so you're ready for then, here's our rundown of the Steam Machines that are heading your way. Origin PC and Webhallen have already confirmed that their machines will be pushed back to meet Valve's new target.
Mutt monitors
Speaking of delays, Watch Dogs was finally unleashed this week after its six-month push-back. Having played the game ourselves several months ago we knew that things were looking good, but when Ubisoft announced that reviews would be embargoed until the release day... well, we couldn't help but be a smidge concerned.
But despite a few gripes, the game has impressed across the board. CVG was particularly impressed, rating it 9/10 and saying: "Forget speculation about textures and framerates - Watch Dogs is a bona fide next-gen proposition with a wonderfully told tale at its heart."
Meanwhile GamesRadar gave it a 4/5 and said: "The story is unlikely to keep you logged in, and the missions will often feel annoyingly familiar, but if you connect with and really explore this high-tech world, there are plenty of virtual--and emotional--rewards to harvest."
Before its release, we visited Ubisoft to discuss just how 'next-gen' the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Watch Dogs are, and how frighteningly close to reality the game's vision of a hackable city actually is.
And to celebrate the game's release this week, we also looked back at some of the best and worst hacking features in games gone by, and even took a look at some of the real-life hackers who are protecting our smart cities.
Saddle up
A source recently told TechRadar that Rockstar will announce its next Red Dead game this year, and Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has suggested that our snitch is on the money.
Speaking at an analyst conference this week, Zelnich announced that Red Dead was a permanent franchise for the publisher, strongly hinting that a sequel is nigh.
"It's obvious that GTA is a permanent franchise as long as we keep slivering this incredible quality; it seems quite obvious that Red Dead is a permanent franchise, again with the same caveat," he said.
He also believes that BioShock still has a future, despite the closure of Irrational Games back in February.
"We think it's important [and] certainly something that we're focused on; something 2K Marin will be responsible for shepherding going forward," said Zelnick. "I think there's a lot of upside in that franchise. It hasn't necessarily been realised yet." [CVG]
