Remembering 2013's best and worst phones

With 2014 approaching, we at Bloggergamer would like to take this time and reflect. Reflect on our family and friends, our personal accomplishments, and of course, the smartphone highs and lows of 2013 (this is a tech site after all, what were you expecting?).

Unsurprisingly, the top handsets of this year were dominated by much of the same key players we consistently see from year to year. That includes updated iterations of popular phones such as the fingerprint-scanning Apple iPhone 5S, the powerful Samsung Galaxy S4, and the ultra-juiced up Motorola Droid Maxx.

Others were flagships from familiar manufacturers, but some companies took measures to start afresh in order to elevate and differentiate their chief handsets for 2013.

This includes going back to minimalistic names like HTC's simplistic One and LG dropping the "Optimus" moniker from its G2 device, as well as opting for a novel design, with the former smartphone sporting a stylish all-aluminum construction, and the latter relocating its power buttons to the rear.

Then there were the curveballs. The ones that brought unique but well-executed new features to the market, like Nokia's Lumia 1020 that's equipped with a 41-megapixel camera, and the highly customizable Motorola Moto X.

Of course, not everything came up roses this year. There were a handful of devices that were less than stellar. Some were simple feature phones (like the LG Envoy II and the Huawei Pal) that got docked not because they were too basic, but because they couldn't even perform the simplest tasks reliably.

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First Xbox One indie games arriving early next year

The first wave of Xbox One games available through Microsoft's ID@Xbox self-publishing program will be available sometime in the first quarter of 2014, director Chris Charla told Bloggergamer in a new interview.

“I think it will be early in the New Year, in the first three months,” Charla said. “I would say closer to the third month. In terms of how many games there will be, it’s hard to say, because they’re still in development.”

Xbox One games to be published through the ID@Xbox program are at "all stages of development," Charla said. “Some developers started developing for Xbox One, others already had games in development and are working on Xbox One versions," he said.

None of these projects were named outright, though Microsoft previously released a list of 50 developers signed up to create Xbox One games through the ID@Xbox program.

Charla also dodged a question about the ID@Xbox's controversial clause that reportedly requires developers to launch their games at the same time as other platforms. This policy is not being discussed publicly, and he said developers should reach out to Microsoft if they have questions.

“Unfortunately we really don’t comment on our publishing policies,” Charla said. “Obviously we’ve heard the feedback from developers and we’re looking at all the way the ways we can to lower barriers for developers, but I really can’t comment on publishing policies. The reality is that developers should get in touch with us and talk."

Microsoft previously described independent games as "crucial" to the future of gaming overall.

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