• Did you know that the Xbox One’s games will actually be region free? Amongst the other changes revealed by Microsoft lately, that point may have been overlooked, but the company has reiterated it today. Unfortunately, Microsoft have also removed 8 European countries from their original list of regions that would be able to buy the Xbox One at launch.

Talking specifically to the unfortunate people who won’t be able to buy a console at launch, Microsoft’s Director of Marketing pointed out that you can import a console if you want to. He even mentioned that people can use prepaid cards from one of the regions where the console is available, if they want to buy an Xbox Live subscription or downloadable games. From an Aussie perspective, we’re the fortunate ones, as we can simply look forward to being able to grab an Xbox One game or two from overseas when the console launches here on the 22nd of November.

• Sony have released a new 12 minute gameplay video for Dying Light, and the game is looking rather exciting!

• There’s a new use for Microsoft’s Kinect camera: turning flat surfaces into touch screens. All you need is an application called Ubi on your Windows 8 PC, a Kinect camera, and a projector. This functionality may prove to be quite useful in conference rooms worldwide, as a low cost solution for interactive presentations.
• We’ve got our first look at an Xbox One in the wild, thanks to Microsoft’s Director of Marketing. Albert Penello posted the below image of the Xbox One console that he’s got set up in his living room, which is running Ryse and the next-gen Kinect camera. Amusingly, there’s actually a couple of Nintendo products in this rather Microsoft centric picture. Looks like Penello is secretly a Wii U fan!
  

• The Xbox One no longer requires the Kinect camera to be plugged in, but if you were starting to think that Microsoft might be considering releasing a version of the console that doesn’t come with a Kinect in the box, you’d be wrong. They’re going “100% all in” when it comes to the camera.
• After the Xbox 360’s red ring disaster, it seems that Microsoft are taking no chances with the Xbox One. If the console detects that it’s starting to overheat, the internal fan will speed up to increase airflow. If that still isn’t enough, the console can enter a low power state, which will allow it to cool down. If the console is still overheating after all of that, the Xbox One interface will apparently alert the user and tell them to switch off the console.
• Want to get up close and personal with the Xbox One? Well, Microsoft have you covered. In their new Xbox One unboxing video, the popular Microsoft representative Major Nelson shows off every bit of the console that you’ll have in your hands on launch day.

• What’s that smell? It might have been your Xbox One controller. Microsoft’s Head of Xbox Accessories revealed that a prototype controller “used smell cartridges to release smells, with scents including gunpowder, burning rubber, smoke and flowers”. So, why didn’t this feature end up in the final version? The lingering smell, apparently. It’s all well and good to stink up the place during a good virtual gunfight, but other members of the household were less keen on putting up with the aftermath