Overview : One of the biggest flaw of the Xbox 360 (among the many qualities that makes it an amazing videogame machine) is the problem of damaged/scratched CD/DVD discs, mostly when the console is moved while reading a disc.
Zoozen came up with a simple, easy to install solution to once for all fix this problem!
The Protector 360 is easy to install, only requires a minute to do so, and with its low price is a great deal to protect your expensive games!
And the best thing with this product is that it DOES NOT VOID your xbox360 warranty, since you dont have to open the console.
Quality/Usability : Some of you Xbox 360 owners are afraid of your disc being scratched or are already scratched by the DVD-ROM. This can be caused by minor shaking to the system, moving the system while a disc is loaded inside the system or just a faulty DVD-ROM.
Zoozen has come up with a solution to the scratching problems. They have developed a product called Disc Protector 360. The product is very small and it will help your DVD's live longer.
With this product installed, not only does it NOT require you open your Xbox 360 nor does it void your warranty but now you can place your console in any position without harming your DVDs.
The Disc Protector 360 includes 3 rubber-like pads. These pads are placed on the inner side of the DVD drive. Installation takes a mere 2 mins regardless of experience. All you do is place the 3 pads onto the "mount" On this mount is a piece of cardboard and a plastic circle tube with a straw coming out at one end. On this cardboard, there are three "ditches". In these ditches is where you will place the three pads. Once you have placed the pads, you remove the sticker on the pads to expose the adhesive side of the pads.
Insert the "mount" onto the DVD tray and close it. Once the DVD tray is closed, you'll have to blow on the end with the straw to inflate the tube. What this will do is lift the mount and the pads will stick onto your drive. Once these pads are in place, it will prevent your discs from scratching.
Conclusion : Overall, the Zoozen Disc Protector 360 is a unique product and cheap at the same time. Those having problems with discs being scratched may want to take a look at this product to help solve the situation.
Nyko Charge Station 360
Manufacturer: Nyko
Site: Buy from Nyko
Price: $29.99
Overview : Always have an ample supply of battery power when you need it most. The Charge Station 360 gives gamers the power to always keep two Xbox 360 wireless controller battery packs charging at all times. The Charge Station includes the dual port charging base and two rechargeable battery packs. Easily plug the Charge Station into the wall to keep battery packs charged. It takes just 4 hours to fully charge 2 battery packs. LED charge indicator lights designate when each battery is fully charged. The high quality NiMH batteries are designed to work with Microsoft wireless controllers and each provide an average of 25 hours of additional play time. They can be recharged repeatedly eliminating the need for costly AA batteries.
Features :
Dual port rapid battery pack recharge station
Fully charges two battery packs in about four hours
Includes two high quality NiMH rechargeable battery packs
CE approved for safety and quality
Each battery pack provides up to 25 hours of play
Dual color charge status indicators
Plugs directly to home power socket, no USB port or long wires required
Quality/Usability : Not having to tied to the Xbox 360 by using the wireless controller is a great product. You can roam around freely without even tripping over wires or tripping other people. But the battery is taking a toll. Nyko has released the Charge Station 360. The kit includes two NiMH battery packs and a plug-in-the-wall base station. Unlike the Microsoft Play & Charge Kit and Nyko Power Kit, both require the Xbox 360 to be on in order to charge the batteries. With the Charge Station 360, it can charge two dead battery packs within 4 hours. Charging one battery takes only 2 hours. On the plug-in-the-wall base station, there are LEDs that alert you when the charging is in progress or when it is complete.
During our testings, charging was on par to that of what Nyko claims (2 hours for one battery and 4 hours for both batteries at the same time). During gameplay, although we havent officially timed how long it lasted but Nyko claims to hold charge for 25 hours. Now, keep in mind, this is probably from non-stop playing. For us, the controller can last us a good 2-3 weeks if not more (1-2 hours of game play each week).
The battery packs color is identical to that of the controllers color. So it will blend right in with the controller.
Conclusion : Overall, the Nyko Charge Station 360 is a must own for anyone who uses the wireless controller and plays frequently. Not only will you get more play time, but you also wont have to worry about your battery dying on you. For a price tag of $29.99, you cant pass this up.
Nyko Power Kit 360
Manufacturer: Nyko
Site: Buy from Nyko
Price: $16.99
Overview : Play and recharge the Xbox 360 wireless controller's battery pack simultaneously. The Power Kit includes a high quality NiMH rechargeable and an extra long USB charging cable. The battery provides up to 25 hours of play per charge while the extra long cable allows simultaneous play and charging up to 11 feet from the console. The extended cord makes it easy to kick back at a comfortable distance from the TV without accidentally disconnecting the controller. Never worry about running out of battery power for your controller during play again.
Features :
High quality NiMH rechargeable battery for excellent performance and long life
Longer charge and play cable for convenient battery recharge from the consoles USB ports
Compatible with Microsoft's wireless controller for Xbox 360
CE approved for safety and quality assurance
Eliminates the need for expensive batteries
Up to 25 hours of play per charge
Battery gauge accessible through the Xbox Dashboard
Quality/Usability : The Power Kit 360 includes two items, a NiMH rechargeable battery pack and a USB charging cable which one end plugs into the Xbox 360 and the other end plugs into the top of the controller where a memory card would usually go which charges the battery. By plugging this cable to the wireless controller, it now makes the controller wired. The wire is approximately 11 feet long.
What's nice is that if you're battery is near empty, you can plug the cable into the controller to charge the battery while you're playing so you dont have to put it down. Once its fully charged, you can unplug the cord and play wirelessly.
On the battery there is an LED. Red is for when the battery is about dead. Yellow is when its half charged and Green when its fully charged. During our tests, the battery life fell a little short of holding the supposed 25 hours of game play. Although this may not be accurate as we didnt officially time it, it probably only allowed about 20-22 hours of gaming.
Dont get this confused with Microsoft's own product, Play & Charge Kit. Although both have the same purpose, there is a difference...price and cord. Microsoft's Play & Charge Kit retails for $19.99 while Nyko's Power Kit retails for $16.99 and has a longer cord.
Conclusion : Overall, the Nyko Power Kit 360 is a nice alternative. Although the price is affordable at $16.99 and the cord is longer but for an additional $13.00, you can get the Nyko Charge Station 360 which has a charging base and two NiMH batteries. But you wont be able to charge and play at the same time.
Heres the full listing of game related releases for the last week:
PlayStation3™:
HORI Fighting Stick 3 US$ 49.90
PlayStation2™:
J-League Pro Soccer Club o Tsukurou 5 JPN US$ 64.90
Saint Seiya: The Hades / Saint Seiya: Meiou Hades Juunikyuu Hen JPN US$ 64.90
Zero Shikikan Josentoki Ni (Taito Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Nintendo DS™:
Bokujou Monogatari: Kimi to Sodatsu Shima JPN US$ 48.90
Fossil League Dino Tournament Championship US US$ 29.90
Hotel Dusk: Room 215 US US$ 39.90
InuYasha Secret of the Divine Jewel US US$ 34.90
Monster House JPN US$ 48.90
Sony PSP™:
Legend of Heroes III: Song of the Ocean US US$ 39.90
Memory Stick Pro Duo 2GB US$ 99.90
Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops KOR US$ 49.90
Sid Meier's Pirates! US US$ 34.90
Ys: The Ark of Napishtim (Special Edition) JPN US$ 48.90
Magazines. Toys & Misc:
Arcadia Magazine [March 2007] JPN US$ 12.90
Bokusastu Tenshi Dokuro-Chan Figure Collection US$ 6.90
Doko Demo Issyo Fun Collection Plush Doll: Angel US$ 18.90
Doko Demo Issyo Fun Collection Plush Doll: Devil US$ 18.90
Dot-S Puzzle: Devil World (07-Type A) US$ 9.90
Dot-S Puzzle: Devil World (07-Type B) US$ 9.90
Dragon Quest Crystal Monsters 4 US$ 3.90
Famitsu Wave DVD [March 2007] JPN US$ 16.50
Gantz: 1/8 Scale Painted Extra! Story Image Figure! - Kishimoto Kei (Swim Suit Version) US$ 48.90
Ghost in the Shell - Stand Alone Complex (S.A.C. 2nd GIG) 1/7 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure: Kusanagi Motoko N/A
Melty Blood Pretty Collection Figure US$ 4.49
Neon Genesis Evangelion 1/7 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure: Sitting Rei in Plug-Suit (Rei Ayanami) US$ 48.90
Neon Genesis Evangelion Portraits Candy Toy US$ 5.29
Neon Genesis Evangelion Pre-painted PVC & ABS Figure - A-15 Arael-XX Blood Pattern Blue / Chromosome Type XX N/A
Nintendo DS New Super Mario Bros. Game Card Holder Gashapon US$ 2.99
Nintendo New Super Mario Bros. Keychain US$ 2.49
School Rumble 2 Keychain Figure US$ 2.49
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu Pre-painted PVC & ABS Figure - Mikuru Asahina US$ 42.90
Taisen Hot Gimmick Axes-Jong Ultimate Collection Figure US$ 7.90
Video Game related Soundtracks:
PS2 Ban Happiness Deluxe Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 27.90
Sakura Tree Mini Album: Cosmos [CD+DVD] JPN US$ 29.90
Super Eurobeat presents Initial D Non-Stop Mix from Takumi-selection JPN US$ 24.90
The Idol Master Masterwork 01 JPN US$ 19.90
In their continuing efforts to respond to the needs of the Lost Planet community, the Capcom is currently preparing an update that will add additional multiplayer features, as well as fix a few minor bugs/exploits discovered post-release. The multiplayer features are being added by the team to address requests from players and should help players find matches with appropriate connections as well as foster better community by helping players identify each other by voice as well as Gamertag.
This update is currently scheduled to go live for all Lost Planet players around the globe on or about March 9.
Updates
• In the pre-game lobby, a country flag icon will be shown next to the Gamertag of each player. This will be especially helpful for determining location of the match host.
• In the pre-game lobby, an icon will be added next to each player’s Gamertag, indicating connection strength, speed and rating.
• In Team Elimination, Post Grab and Fugitive modes, an indicator will be added next to the Gamertag of the person who is speaking.
• At the post-match Results screen, an indicator will be added next to the Gamertag of the person who is speaking.
• At the post-match Results screen, Gamertags of the players who have left the session will be darkened.
Bug Fixes
• Sometimes in Fugitive mode there would be multiple Fugitives instead of just one - Fixed
• Occasionally, if an error occurred on the lobby screen, another lobby screen would be displayed on top of it - Fixed
• Sometimes when there was a long delay/lag, the game would hang at the transition screen going from the lobby to the game and then reboot - Fixed
• Sometimes when there was a long delay/lag, depending on the console, certain players in the match would become invisible for the duration of the match - Fixed
• Sometimes post-match Results screens would show players who did not participate in the match - Fixed
• Starting a taunt animation during a reload shortened the reload time as an exploit - Fixed
Empire Interactive, today announced the next generation debut of the FlatOut franchise with FlatOut Ultimate Carnage, releasing on the Xbox 360 in June 2007.
FlatOut Ultimate Carnage includes 12 cars racing on screen up from eight in FlatOut 2, five all-new single player and two all-new multiplayer game modes over the Xbox Live, over 8,000 dynamic objects per track up from 5,000 in FlatOut 2, widescreen High Definition resolution (720p), dynamic lighting and shadowing all with proper real-time environment mapping on all vehicles, downloadable content via Xbox Live, and 20,000 polygons per car up from 7,500 in the previous generation.
You may have noticed a new panel to the right of our news page. It lists all the latest Xbox 360 Reviews from our sister site at reviews.dcemu.co.uk written by our very own reviewer bandit.
Here is a list of some of the recent reviews, make sure you check them out!
Kasumi and Hitomi credit cards are now available on Tecmo's website, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the legendary Japanese bouncy boobed fighting series.
They're the perfect vehicle to purchase those Kasumi pillows that did the rounds a while ago. They're not available outside of Japan, which is a good job because there's no way the guy in your local Spar would give you cash back on it.
Online retailer DVD Empire has quit selling games, blaming selfish publishers, slim margins, slow distribution and the fact that "80% of games are crap" as reasons for its decision.
"The video game industry only cares about mass merchandisers like Toys-R-Us, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, etc. They completely ignore the needs and wants of the medium to small game retailers," the company says on its website. "You may not care whether or not we make money, but we cannot continue to pay to sell video games."
"We all know how fast games devalue in prices; this is due to the fact that 80% of the games created are crap. So take the fact that we only make $5, now if the price of a game drops $20, we are now losing $15 every sale," the statement continues.
"The game industry releases many bad games, and word of mouth spreads fast to the consumer. All of those bunk games sit on our shelves. If we do end up selling them, we lose more money."
DVD Empire then lists several conveniently-numbered reasons why it has decided to stop selling games, including the "video game industry does not care", "we do not receive price protection", "we are not big enough to return products", "distribution is dumb", "games are better suited for brick and mortar retailers".
And the only positive? Apparently 20% of games are indeed, fun - though there's some questionable inclusions on DVD Empire's 'quality game' listings.
Do you agree or disagree with the article above. ?
Dell is focusing its beady eye on the handheld gaming scene, with a potential view to entering the handheld hardware market it's being reported.
"You know, that's definitely one that's on the radar screen, but we have no plans to talk about anything today", Dell's gaming boss Abizar Vakharia told PCPlus.co.uk at a recent press event when quizzed about future plans for a handheld.
It's speculated that, should Dell go ahead with plans for a handheld games device, it could be an Ultra-Mobile PC as opposed to a dedicated gaming platform. We doubt Nintendo - or Sony - are quaking in their boots though.
Blitz: The League will hope to take the European Xbox 360 crowd by storm when it crashes into stores on 23rd February, by using all the tact of a fart in a church.
Far from being a snide remark about the game [or funny - Ed], it actually sums up the premise. You see, it's American Football on steroids, with features like a wacky "unleash meter" that lets you slow down time and pull-off impossible plays; it's unlicensed, uncensored, and proud of it.
The campaign mode lets you explore the on-field violence, off-field fallout and front-office politics that the media feeds on, whilst its adrenaline fuelled head-to-heads can be enjoyed both in single-player and multiplayer via Xbox Live.
"Blitz: The League is free of the constraints that an official league license levies against games in this sporting genre," said Martin Spiess, Midway Europe MD. "The result is about as far removed from a clean, fair, sporting experience as it's possible to get."
With over one million units sold in the US, Blitz: The League is clearly a success. Apparently it's not just Americans that want a piece of the action either, with European hunger forcing Midway's hand in bringing the game to PAL territories.
"There's been quite strong demand for it in Europe," a spokesperson from Midway added. "People have said for a while: why aren't you releasing these titles over here? So we're going to give it a go and see what happens."
Have major RPG Blue Dragon and other Microsoft efforts paved the way for Japanese Xbox 360 success? 8-4 Ltd's John Ricciardi and Kotaku's Japanese correspondent Brian Ashcraft have been talking about the issue, with Ricciardi commenting on Gears Of War's recent appearance in the Japanese Top 10 game chart, with 33,000 units sold in one week: 'I mean, granted, everything is relative — so yes, in a market where the average 360 game sells around 5,000 copies, 30,000 or so may seem like a big deal, but at the end of the day, their userbase is not expanding. The week Gears came out they only sold a little over 7,000 pieces of hardware. It's not enough.
As of today, From Software have updated the Regulation file yet again on the PS3 version. Now at Version 1.20, thousands of player requests have been answered (courtesy of an online questionnaire that was hosted on AC.net). A lot of the changes are to do with parts balancing. From Software have also reset the server rankings again (something the top Japanese players are probably shaking their fists at).
Segueing, as if by magic, into the news of an earlier and simultaneous 360 release. Famitsu have reported the 360 version of AC4 going on sale on the 20th March (a whole two days earlier than expected) and that it will be released simultaneously with the American version. The latter, if true, will be interesting in terms of the game's online popularity.
After all, if some Japanese schoolgirl is whaling on your mechanical ass from day one, how long will American players stick with it? At least with Chrome Hounds the Japanese players didn't have a month head start and it was more a game based on strategy rather than raw ninja skills (something that Japanese players are exhibiting daily on the PS3 version of AC4). Anyway, it will be interesting to see what will finally happen when East meets West on the AC battlefield. For many of the more faithful Western AC brethren, such an opportunity to have their gaming heart ripped from their chest (via the sphincter most probably) is something that's been a decade in waiting.
Finally, the aforementioned Regulation file feature may also be unique to the PS3, unless the 360 guidelines are changed. Selectable patches aren't something Microsoft allow, as far as I am aware.
A tragedy befell a colleague yesterday. For the second time during his tenure of owning an Xbox 360, he experienced the red Ring of Death. This isn't some new system he picked up at the store inexplicably dying on him, this was a system he received directly from Microsoft after his original console kicked the bucket a month after launch.
Now, this blogger has his own personal problems with the Xbox 360's loading tray. The Microsoft Xbox 360 defense force said I must have messed with my loading tray to make it not work properly, because obviously when you own a $400 piece of equipment you try to break it and experience all the joy of warranty red tape. Well, as much as this blogger might try to keep his system out of harm's way, it in no way compares to my colleague -- he is über-tech-master-extreme. With a projection HDTV in his incredible loft, everything is neat and proper in a perfect place. Unless he has some form of technological Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome, he certainly didn't mess with his system.
So, last night he called up India (what, you didn't know Xbox support is in India?), and now he waits to receive the box from support which should arrive in 4 to 5 days, to send his Xbox 360, once again, to Texas for repair. We'll be tracking the progress of his system. Last time it took a few weeks for to get the console back, let's see how long it takes this time. It'd be more comforting to know these tales of Xbox 360 malfunctions were the stuff of message boards and YouTube videos, instead of people with one or two degrees of separation from each other having problems.
GameStop has quietly removed the "Microsoft Xbox 360 Memory Card 512 MB" item from its website, after offering up the upgraded Memory Unit for pre-order yesterday. With news that Xbox Live Arcade titles will soon exceed the prior 50MB limit, come expectations for a new Memory Unit model -- an upgrade from 64MB to 256MB was seemingly confirmed last spring.
Either GameStop was acting on a whim, or Microsoft now plans to bump the new MU up to 512MB which, according to the retailer's initial listing could be released as early as March 1 andlikely priced at $49.99. Could that date (early March) also be a clue as to when we can expect Symphony of the Night on XBLA? Don't count on it. But the throwback Castlevania is "approaching."
Overview : Control your Xbox 360 and TV with 1 remote. Never be burdened with programming remotes again. The Intelligent Remote 360 is a self programming remote for the Xbox 360 that learns the functions for other remotes without the hassle of universal codes or software. Simply select the function on the remote that you would like the Intelligent Remote to learn, point the remotes toward each other, and with the press of a button the data is transferred instantly. This allows for convenient access to the 360’s functions while using other common devices like the TV, Stereo, etc, all from the same remote. The Intelligent Remote eliminates the need for switching between remotes and takes the hassle out of the setup.
Features :
Control your Xbox 360 and other devices like the TV, stereo, etc, with one remote
Built-in "Smart" function learns from existing remotes, no codes or software required
Back-lit buttons are clearly marked and simple to use
The remote turns on and off automatically to maximize battery life
Runs on 2 AAA batteries (included)
Quality/Usability : Nyko's Intelligent Remote 360 covers majority of the basic features of media playback. What is nice about the remote is that you can have it "learn" commands from other infrared remotes allowing the remote to control your Xbox 360 and TV.
Although Nyko's Intelligent Remote is similar to Microsoft's Universal Media Remote, there are some slight differences. IR is wider (measures approximately 1 inch deep, 8.25 inches long and 2 inches wide), two buttons have been added under the mute control (AV and SET) and the START button replaces the Media Center button that would have been on the Universal Media Remote. The backlight lights up green when a button is pressed but is not as bright. The remote also weighs approximately 5 ounces with two AAA batteries installed (batteries included with Intelligent Remote).
What makes the Intelligent Remote unique and different is the "smart" feature. This allows you to map functions from other remotes onto 22 buttons. In order for the remote to learn these functions, you have to face the Intelligent Remotes infrared sensor and the other remotes infrared sensor at each other. Although this is a great feature its not always 100% accurate. Its a hit or miss and only way to find out if the Intelligent Remote has "learned" the function is by trying it out. So it can get annoying.
What can also get annoying sometimes is that the START button can be misleading. Pressing the button brings the Xbox 360 into the dashboard directly rather than pausing like it would on a controller.
Conclusion : Overall, the Nyko Intelligent Remote 360 is a great alternative to Microsoft's Universal Remote. With a cheap price tag of $19.99, its affordable. Although, certain buttons and functions can get annoying. The two AAA batteries last a good before you have to replace them.
With the ever increasing craze and excitement around Gamerscore and Achievements, we have recently worked with our publishing partners to implement some new policies for new games coming out. Here are the basic rules:
1. All regular disc-based games MUST have 1,000 Gamerscore in the base game. This means that any consumer who buys a retail game will have the opportunity to unlock the full 1,000 Gamerscore without having to pay for any add-on content. Note that a publisher may decide to deliver a portion of this Gamerscore via add-on content, but the add-on content will always be free to the consumer.
2. Game publishers will have the option to deliver another 250 incremental Gamerscore on top of the 1,000 via add-on content from Marketplace. This add-on content could be either free or paid. So if you complete a game and earn the full 1,000 GS, you could by getting new add-on content earn up to a total of 1,250 points from a game.
3. Xbox Live Arcade games will operate in similar fashion, but given the size of these titles they will allow you to earn up to 200 Gamerscore from every game and up to another 50 points from add-on content.
I know that with this being a new system and with over 160 Xbox 360 titles in the market today, there have been a few inconsistencies about this in the past. Good news is that moving forward we have a clear policy that we all can count on when we purchase new retail games or Xbox Live Arcade titles. A perfect example of this is the recent release of Crackdown, which has delivered 900 Gamerscore today on the retail game disc. The remaining Gamerscore in Crackdown will be made available, for free, via a future content update. A number of the title's future Achievements will likely be based on some of the amazing feats executed through the streets of Pacific City, as well as the exciting additional content that Realtime Worlds currently has up its sleeve.
Anyway, hope this clarifies any confusion there may have been. We appreciate feedback from everyone in the community and look forward to seeing you online!
Well thats good news for you Achievements whores (like me) out there
Publisher SouthPeak Games has confirmed the UK release date for Two Worlds, for the Xbox 360
Two Worlds promises to be the most dynamic and complex free-roaming RPG available when it hits the shelves in May 2007.
Two Worlds has been developed in Poland by Reality Pump, previously known for the RTS Earth 2140.
Using a bespoke graphics engine, Two Worlds tells the tale of an epic clash between Orcs and Humans that steadily unfolds to provide an over-arching story. Players embarking on the grand quest will find a dynamic world that adjusts to their actions. A plethora of side quests accompany the main story and there’s a staggeringly large array of items and equipment to collect.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Two Worlds is its multiplayer mode. Reality Pump has crafted a fully-fledged MMORPG mode complete with unique quests, an arena for 1-on-1 PVP battles, multiplayer horse races and completely customisable player characters with no level capping.
Oxygen Games has announced the launch of World "Championship Poker 2: All In" for the Xbox 360, with the release date set for the 16th March 2007
Commenting on the decision to add to the range, Oxygen CEO, Jim Scott said:
“World Championship Poker 2: All In for Xbox 360 is a superb addition to the growing World Championship Poker 2 brand, and we are extremely pleased to be able to add this format to our now Next Gen-inclusive multi-format release”.
Will it be better than "Texas Hold 'em" on xbox live? we will have to wait to see.
World Championship Poker 2 is scheduled for release on the 16th March 2007 and will be available for Xbox 360, PlayStation2, PSP and PC .
A new product has been announced that lets you play music, videos, recorded TV or skip through slideshows on your Xbox 360, using just your voice.
Media Center Communicator V3, created by One Voice Technologies lets users control "up to five" Xbox 360s (though we have nod idea why you'd want to) and Windows Vista with simple voice commands, apparently with no voice training required.
One Voice Technologies CEO, Dean Weber explains: "Imagine walking into your entertainment room and simply saying, for example; Xbox Play U2 or Xbox Play American Idol, and your Xbox immediately starts playing that content."
"We allow the user to uniquely name each Xbox 360 in their home; for instance one might be named Family Room while another named Game Room. This allows the user to say - Family Room Play U2 or Game Room Play CSI Miami. This creates the ultimate digital home experience combining the power of today's PC's running Windows Vista with the flexibility of having up to five Xbox 360 game consoles in your home," he adds.
It's certainly raised a few eyebrows in the office but will this 360 voice tech actually work? We'll let you know when we get our hands on it.
There's more retail listing-related fun this morning, as Next-Gen noticed that GameStop lists an expanded 512MB memory unit for Xbox 360.
The listing has since been removed from the site, but for a short while it allowed punters to pre-order the larger memory unit for $49.99 USD (£25 GBP), with a release date down for March 1.
When we contacted Microsoft it declined to comment on the internet listing, giving us the usual "Microsoft does not comment on rumours or speculation" line.
Still, the company is widely expected to upgrade the current 64MB memory unit - especially with internet reports claiming that it will soon allow Xbox Live Arcade games to exceed the previously-strict 50MB size limit, making them too large to fit on the current units.
As always we'll keep you up to speed with any announcements, or if any other online retailers accidently nudge the big red button.
Microsoft's European boss Chris Lewis has denied claims than an Xbox 360 price cut is coming ahead of the PlayStation 3 launch in March.
Speaking to trade mag MCV, the regional VP of the EMEA home and entertainment division - the man with longest business card in Britain - said that there are "no plans [for a price cut]," and that MS is offering "outstanding value and choice - especially when you compare us to our soon-to-be competitor."
And that wasn't the end of his PS3-bashing either: "I've given up trying to keep up with what Sony is announcing or not announcing," he said. "Sony will launch and sell out their limited quantities. And consumers will try to figure out if the addition of unproven technology is worth the £200 premium over Xbox 360."
Those of you who had their interest piqued by the Xbox 360's "Ultimate Team" mode in UEFA Champions League 2006-2007 might want to check out a developer diary elsewhere on Eurogamer today.
There you will find associate producer Chris Coates explaining how the mode - built around the concept of virtual trading cards - works, and how the team came up with and developed the idea in the first place.
"After exploring a number of ideas we hit on the idea of capitalising on some key motivations for football fans - the desire to build your own fantasy team and the huge sense of community on making those choices," Coates explains.
"Essentially we were trying to build the first ever football action game with online features beyond simply competing against other online and foster a unique gaming community."
UEFA Champions League 2006-2007 is due out on Xbox 360, along with PS2, PSP, PC and mobile phones, from 23rd March, and obviously lets you pick a team, qualify for the money-spinning tournament and then play your way through to the final.
Look out for more coverage of the game, including a full review, in the run-up to its release
Attention soldiers, it's time for more information from the frontlines of Halo 3 development, as another weapon update populates the Bungie website.
This time our reticules are set on the Spartan Laser, known by us professionals as the M6 G/GNR. Crucial information tells us it weighs in at a hefty 19.07 kg, has a muzzle velocity of 299792458 m/s and a unit replacement cost of cR. 2180000.00 - which apparently is quite a lot.
In more realistic terms it's a heavy and powerful weapon that's slow to fire. Acting mainly as an anti-vehicle weapon, it requires a three-second charge before the devastating beam erupts from the nozzle, taking down more or less anything in its path.
As with the the previous assault rifle and Mongoose announcements, there's some quotes from the men-at-arms who've encountered or used this piece of kit.
"I engaged an enemy chopper at a range of [blanked out] meters," boasted one soldier, stroking his handle-bar moustache. "The target immediately erupted into flames. Both vehicle and rider were eliminated."
Another added: "the M6 is one of those rare systems that simultaneously boosts morale, degrades the fighting spirit of the enemy and actually performs admirably as a weapon."
Don't forget that you can experience all this for yourself if you happen to get in to the multiplayer beta test that starts in spring. Currently the only way in is to purchase a copy of Crackdown, which is actually shaping up to be a pretty good game in its own right
Another Region Free game to add to the list! Fuzion Frenzy 2
The demo has been on Xbox live for months (and re-released last week), had if you tryed it you know its fun with a few mates.
It features over 40 games (some better than others), 4 players, locally on one Xbox 360 or on Xbox LIVE.
Play-asia are shipping the Asian version of Fuzion Frenzy 2 (which is in English and Chinese) for $39.90, £20.50, that's cheap for a new Xbox 360 game.
Just to make clear, it is region free, so it can play on all Xbox 360's around the world.
Electronic Arts has revealed record revenues of US $1.281 billion (EUR 983 million) for the Christmas period, driven by key franchises that dominated the charts in North America and Europe.
Need for Speed Carbon, FIFA 07, The Sims 2 Pets and Madden NFL all sold over three million units each, helping the third-party publisher beat analyst estimates and prompting renewed interest in company shares, which climbed over US $2 to US $52.80.
FIFA 07 was EA's biggest seller in Europe, with six million copies sold across the globe since launch. The Sims 2 has now shifted 10 million units, accompanied by 5 million copies of The Sims 2 Pets.
Need for Speed Carbon sold over eight million copies in North America and Europe during the period, while Madden NFL 07 has sold the same amount since launch.
Next-generation products accounted for 32 per cent revenue share in North America, with EA the number one publisher on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC and PSP in North America and Europe.
"We are pleased with the performance of our products on next-generation consoles," commented Larry Probst, CEO of EA.
"In the year ahead, we plan to build on our leadership position on both the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, and to significantly increase support for the Nintendo platforms."
Profits were down 38 per cent to US $160 million (EUR 122.8m), down from the previous year results of US $259 million (EUR 198.9m). North America was the strongest performing region, with net revenues up three per cent to US $637 million (EUR 489.2m), while Europe saw a rise in revenue of one per cent to US 583 million (EUR 447.7m).
Revenues in Asia were down 19 per cent to US $61 million (EUR 46.8m), and currency exchange rates impacted revenue by US $33 million (EUR 25.3m).
Rockstar has proven that Western developed titles do have an audience in Japan, with Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas making its debut at number one in the regional charts.
Published by Capcom in Japan, the PlayStation 2 title has sold over 227,000 units on the first week of release.
While last week saw the debut of Microsoft's Gears of War in the top ten, this week the game is entirely absent from the top fifty games in Japan.
Namco's The Idol Master is the only Xbox 360 title in the top twenty, while From Software's Enchanted Arms is the only PS3 game in the top fifty, at number 29.
The Nintendo DS continues to enjoy healthy sales in the region, shifting over 194,600 units in the past week, with Wii sales reaching over 83,750.
Sony has sold 35,700 PSP units in the past seven days, with the PlayStation 2 outselling the PlayStation 3, with 20,995 and 19,996 units, respectively. The Xbox 360 sold just over 7360 units.
It looks like the PlayStation 3 isn't the only major piece of console hardware that will be released in Australia in March. Microsoft has announced it is finally bringing the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player into Australia on March 29, one week after the PS3 makes its local debut.
The add-on player, which was released in the US last November, will retail for A$249, and will be packaged with a remote control and a copy of director Peter Jackson's King Kong. The Xbox 360 HD DVD Player can play movies in 720p, 1080i, and 1080p high-definition resolutions.
A Microsoft Australia spokesman said that close to 40 HD DVD titles would be available in Australia by the date of the 360 player's release.
Spectral Force 3 ~Innocent Rage~ was Idea Factory's first next-gen SRPG, and it came out for the Xbox 360 back in June. Now the company is preparing two more releases for the 360, both of which are remakes of two of their most successful PS2 titles. Diario: Rebirth Moon Legend, a remake of Rebirth Moon Legend, is due out on the 8th of this month, and Absolute Blazing Infinity, a remake of Blazing Souls, set in the Neverland universe, is scheduled for the 29th of March.
Strange, isn't it? Spectral Force 3 sold a paltry number of copies, and yet the Idea's factory keeps churning them out[/cheap pun]. Of course they are merely remakes, and I doubt whether the slightly enhanced graphics or the extra content (some of which will be downloadable) will persuade anyone to replay these games, but will they manage to attract new players? It's all highly doubtful, and for a company as calculating as this I can only assume that MS is somehow making this worth their while. Meanwhile, Mist of Chaos is coming out on the PS3 about a month later than expected (so the street date is now the 22nd of March), and, as a brand-new title and the console's first SRPG, it will certainly attract most of the attention.
A few places are listing the possibility of a Western release for G.Rev's Senko no Ronde Rev.X (now being billed as Senko no Rondo). This being the 360 port of the eclectic arcade versus shmup. Apparently, Ubisoft is responsible for taking the publishing torch on this one but no official announcement has been made as yet to clarify that fact (the game isn't listed on their respective sites). I have my robot fingers crossed on this (despite already owning the Japanese limited edition release, which I have played rather obsessively anyway).
According to the Australian section of the official Xbox website, we may be finding ourselves incinerating aliens and threatening suspicious bartenders before the year reaches its midpoint. A product blurb dedicated to BioWare's galaxy-spanning sci-fi RPG, Mass Effect, currently lists a release date of 18 May 2007, a bit more specific than the "2007" placeholder appended to the likes of Forza Motorsport 2 (which is set to arrive sometime in May).
It's worth noting that Microsoft has yet to officially announce a release date for Mass Effect. At the time of writing, they had not yet responded to our request for comment.
Update: As expected, the reply doesn't deny or confirm the accuracy of the date, but notes that, "Microsoft has not yet announced a release date and the one listed on Xbox.com should not be treated as such an announcement." The information will likely disappear from the page soon.
For a comedy that's 23 years old, Ghostbusters is sure getting a lot of attention. The newfound interest came courtesy of several clips that surfaced on YouTube in January which appeared to show an impressive-looking game based on the comedy classic. Later that same week, Slovenian developer Zootfly admitted it had a prototype Ghostbusters game running on an Xbox 360 but warned that development "had hit a snag" in terms of the IP.
"We hoped the publisher would sort out the IP issue in a jiffy and we'd be recharging proton packs in no time," ZootFly CEO Bostjan Troha told GameSpot. "Unfortunately, they didn't push to untangle the IP hard enough and the whole thing stalled a bit." Though Troha wouldn't name the IP holder, some speculated that Sony, which owns the Ghostbusters film rights, might scuttle development of the game rather than see it go to the 360.
Today, new information on the Ghostbusters project surfaced--courtesy of a member of the Ghostbusters cast. Touring in his native Canada as one half of the Blues Brothers, Dan Aykroyd revealed to the Edmonton Sun that he will be appearing in the game. He also revealed who holds the game rights to the film.
"Universal [Studios] purchased the rights from Sony for a game," Aykroyd told the Sun. "I'm actually going to have to perform and do some motion capture for them. That will be next year."
If correct, Aykroyd's comments have two implications: First, a Ghostbusters game won't appear until 2008--at the earliest. It also appears to debunk the Sony-as-spoiler rumor, although the blank YouTube pages which bore the game footage now read, "This video has been removed at the request of copyright owner Sony Pictures Entertainment because its content was used without permission."
One question the Aykroyd interview didn't answer was which company is publishing Ghostbusters. Given French media company Vivendi SA still has a major stake in its former subsidiary Universal, which is now part of NBC Universal, some assumed Vivendi Games would be distributing Ghostbusters.
However, a VG spokesman said his company has announced no such deal. "I can't comment," he told GameSpot. "This is a rumor and we do not comment on rumors."
Source: A report on trade site Gamasutra, citing a THQ quarterly conference call as its source.
What we heard: There were a lot of interesting tidbits coming out of THQ's quarterly conference call this morning. The company confirmed that it would be making WWE games on the Wii and DS in addition to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable. It talked about the cost of porting a PS3 game to the Xbox 360. It admitted it was planning its release schedule around Halo 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV so as not to go head-to-head with those games for the same audience. It mentioned for the first time the actual name of its announced Stuntman sequel: Stuntman Ignition.
And according to Gamasutra, it also confirmed that it was going to release a new Red Faction game in its next fiscal year (April 2007 through March 2008 for those keeping track). Such a move would certainly be in keeping with the company's plan to increase the amount of revenue derived from intellectual properties it already owns, as opposed to pricey licenses like SpongeBob and WWE. THQ CEO Brian Farrell even told analysts in the call, "Our fiscal 2008 growth will be driven primarily by increased sales of proven owned intellectual properties, a cornerstone of our strategy."
Farrell also talked about original franchises in the company's longer-term plans.
"When you think about fiscal 2009 and beyond, there are three important takeaways we would like to leave you with," Farrell told analysts. "One, THQ has established six owned franchises which have reached the million-unit mark and our pipeline is growing. Two, our long-term license franchises, the WWE, Pixar, and Nickelodeon, have each shipped 30 million units. And three, we are exploiting new revenue opportunities such as microtransactions and in-game advertising and we continue to expand our global footprint."
After Farrell had wrapped up the presentation portion of the call, the lines were opened for analysts to ask questions. A Merrill Lynch analyst asked Farrell to "list out the six franchise brands you referred to." Farrell responded by mentioning Saints Row, Stuntman, Juiced, Destroy All Humans!, MX, "and my favorite, Red Faction."
Clearly THQ has not forgotten Red Faction. And with its increased emphasis on original IPs, a return to the series is not outside of the realm of possibility. However, nowhere in the call did the publisher actually say that it was developing games for all of its six established franchises, nor did anyone confirm there was a new Red Faction game in development.
The official story: A THQ representative chose not to comment, but referred us to a transcript of the conference call.
THQ released financial results for its fiscal third quarter (October through December) today, and afterward, company executives jumped on a conference call for a grilling from industry analysts.
When asked about how the company was planning to compete with the expected release of heavyweights like Halo 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV later this year, a THQ executive said the company would do what it could to avoid a head-to-head fight with either game. While it isn't shy about releasing licensed fare like Nickelodeon-based titles or WWE games in the same time frame as industry-wide blockbusters, the publisher has "strategically placed" original offerings like Destroy All Humans!, Juiced, and Saints Row around the bigger releases rather than be overshadowed by them.
Also on the topic of Saints Row, one analyst asked how much the publisher was spending to port the open-world Xbox 360 gangbanger to the PlayStation 3. While THQ execs wouldn't put a dollar figure on the answer, one of them called the price to get the game to the PS3 "a fraction" of the original development cost, saying 15 percent was "not a bad guesstimate" on the cost of porting an Xbox 360 game to the PS3, or vice versa.
A couple things THQ has planned for both systems are in-game advertising and microtransactions. Specifically, THQ plans to put both into at least four games in its fiscal year 2008 (April 2007 through March 2008). So far, three games are confirmed to have them: the freshly named Stuntman Ignition, a new Juiced, and the next MX game. All told, the publisher expects to collect about $5 million from downloadable content and in-game advertising in the next fiscal year.
According to today's Forbes profile on the company that published Keiji Inafune's epic shooter, Capcom is in deep about forty million bucks getting Lost Planet out the door, on store shelves, and into the minds of gamers.
Forbes details Capcom's executive VP of publishing in North America and Europe Mark Beaumont and his efforts to shake up the company's marketing. In the case of Lost Planet, advertising and awareness came to a cool $20 million. Combined with a $20 million development budget and you'll see where that $60 you plop down goes.
So where did that twenty mill go? Theater advertising, the two Xbox Live demos, TV spots, community funding—it all costs money. Apparently, a lot of money.
You might think that no one in Japan wants an Xbox 360. But you know what they want less? The 20 GB model of the PLAYSTATION 3. Mega retailer Sofmap is only giving 27,000 yen cash to folks trading in a used 20GB PS3....and 27,500 yen for a used Xbox 360. This is what you might call a raw deal for resellers, as the 20 GB model of the PS3 retails for 49,980 yen, while the 360 goes for a much cheaper 38,980.
Mock Sony's choice to limit European PLAYSTATION 3 sales to the 60 GB model, but maybe they're right.
The latest hardware sales are in and most consoles are still in decline, the sales figures for the PS3 seem extremely low. DS Lite and Wii are miles infront still:
- DS Lite: 194,526
- Wii: 83,754
- PSP: 35,700
- PS2: 20,995
- PS3: 19,996
- Xbox 360: 7,365
- Game Boy Micro: 1,177
- GBA SP: 1,023
- Gamecube: 347
- DS Phat: 82
- GBA: 34
Finally its time to open the new look PC Gaming Site, a news site that takes over from 3 of our other sites and merges them into one site covering all PC Gaming and PC Homebrew News.
Id like to say thanks to Canvasch for the great logos and to Soully for his excellent design.
Replace your original power supply with a standard ATX Computer power supply of your choice. Now you can have an inexpensive replacement, or, opt for more power, less noise, or both! The PSU Energyzer requires no assembly or wiring - just plug it in, turn on your PC power supply, and turn on your Xbox 360.
Specifications & extra information
The PSU Energyzer is a special cable with an OEM Xbox 360 power plug on one end, and a 20 pin ATX connector on the other.
Please note that the original Xbox 360 Power Supply provides 203 watts, and 12v DC current at 16.5 amps, and 5v DC at 1 Amp. For the PSU energyzer to work, your PC power supply must provide this much SUSTAINED power at a minimum. Many PC power supplies are rated for PEAK power instead of sustained power, so you must check the label of your power supply to see if it provides enough sustained power.
GelTabz are silicon made enhancer for Xbox and Xbox 360 controller. You will get a much better grip on your analog sticks, even when sweating. A very simple yet efficient product getting great ratings from all reviews up to date.
Zen Studios have launched the Site for their up coming Pinball FX game for XBLA.
Key Features:
# Live chat via the Xbox 360 Live Vision Camera
# Three vibrant, 3-dimensional tables provide dozens of hours of play
# State-of-the-art physics model that surpasses the best titles in the genre
# Tables start out simple, but new challenges open up as a player’s skill
advances
# Flipper arms can be controlled with hand/arm motions via the Xbox 360
Live Vision camera
# Downloadable tables on Xbox Live Marketplace
# Real-time head-to-head mode for online multiplayer competition
# Amazing realism and polished presentation
On the 9th of February celebrities and thousands of gamers log into the biggest pan-European live gaming event of the year on the Xbox 360.
Some of the celebrities are:
Busta Rhymes
James Morrison
Alessandro del Piero
Martin Solveig
Marc Gené
They will all be taking part in a series of party events across Europe linked up through Xbox Live.
Hip hop legend Busta is bringing his game to the UK to host the event at a secret London location from 8pm-11pm and will pit his wits against the cream of UK talent including Dizzee Rascal, Lady Sovereign and Plan B. Joining the hip hop crew will be England and Arsenal striker Theo Walcott, R’n B singer songwriters Lemar and Simon Webbe, plus a host of musical talent from the UK scene.
For your chance to play against one of the top celebrities taking part, all you have to do is send your details to the following email address: xboxliveparty@njlive.co.uk
In the subject line of the email put the name of the celebrity that you would like to play against and in the body of the mail please include the following information:
· Name
· Age
· Nationality
· Gamertag
If you are selected to play you will receive all the information you need to take part nearer the time.
Gamers are also being encouraged to host their own Xbox Live Party. Xbox 360 owners can join the party from the comfort of their homes by signing into Xbox Live at 17.00GMT/18.00CET on February 9th. Xbox will be giving away Xbox Live Vision Cameras to whoever sends in the best pictures from their Xbox Live Party night.
We here at X360A are pushing to get 1000 people online at the same time to get the cunningly named Online With 1,000 People achievement, worth 100 gamerscore.
Yes we know it has been attempted before, and yes we know it failed. That was due to the short time frame in which was allowed for people to find out and the fact that this site wasnt involved in organising it of course!!
This is why we have given almost a months notice- so go forth and spread the word!!
The time we are looking at (on Sunday 25th February) is 8PM GMT (England).
So:
8PM GMT
9PM Central Europe
3PM New York (Eastern USA)
Midday California (Western USA)
We have been informed by EA Sports direct that you do not need to be playing a game, but you can just be online listerning to the ESPN radio service. Last time, EA recorded 917 users on their servers- so close, but yet so far!!
We're going to manage it this time tho, we just need help from you guys to spread the word around as many places as possible, to get as many people as possible. The odds are, this will only ever happen once. Be a part of it .
We all know how badly the xbox360 is doing in Japan (bar the odd success of Blue Dragoon and a smaller success of Gears of War), and MS has always admitted that its not doing well there. It seems they are really tring anything to get Xboxs shifting in Asia, now including asking them whatswrongwithu.com
The site is targeted to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Korea, with an abrasive attempt at in your face attitude.
It’s interesting to note that there is no Japanese language option on the site.
It this a clever in your face marketing campaign, or just just insulting?
Bizarre Creations has updated its website with a tiny update about where the Liverpool-based company is with work on Project Gotham Racing 4.
"The internal team we have here at Bizarre are pretty familiar with the routine now; everybody knows their place and is really getting on with it at a speedy rate. We've seen a couple of excellent new technologies make their way into the game... of course you'll hear more about these in due time.
"Oh, and just to clarify: the X06 trailer wasn't gameplay. It wasn't representative of what we've got planned for the style or locations in the game itself. You won't see outer space racing or anything like that! We have changed our design emphasis slightly from previous titles though... I think we're going to surprise a few people with PGR4!"
Bizarre also offered word that we could see the top secret project 'The Club' in the coming weeks. "We've been 'running dark' with The Club for a long time. Info and screenshots are rare, and public gameplay footage is non existent. But don't worry... that's all going to change very soon. We've already given a couple of press days to some select print journalists, and online media will follow in the next few weeks. Personally I can't wait to blow the lid right off, and introduce you to the full game!"
In a shot across Microsoft's bow, Team Xecuter has released a how-to for the installation of its yet to be released Blaster360 firmware flasher. There's a range of different motivations behind wanting to flash your Xbox 360, the most obvious being the ability to update your Xbox 360's firmware to a newer and improved version. Of course, whether or not that "newer and improved" firmware is officially sanctioned by Microsoft is another matter entirely. If the homebrew community's relationship with Sony regarding the PSP's firmware is anything to go by, it would probably be safe to assume that Microsoft doesn't even want its users to switch between official firmware versions, let alone modded ones that trick the 360 into playing "backed up" games. In the past the company has never stepped up and taken a public stand against any of these third party solutions; a position that could change due to the main innovation of the Blaster360. As the install guide shows, a user only needs to open their Xbox 360 once in order to change the firmware. Once the chip is all plugged in it's possible to change firmware from outside the box, making it very easy to switch modded machines back to their factory state. That removes an easily recognizable sign that a console is modded, and puts the ball very firmly into Microsoft's court.
THQ expects revenue from in-game advertising and downloadable content to account for at least US $5 million (EUR 3.85m) by 2008.
The WWE publisher anticipates that next-generation releases in the Stuntman, MX and Juiced franchises will help the company take advantage of the burgeoning market.
"This is a growing market, and we have placed ads now in MX, Juiced, Stuntman, and at least one other franchise," revealed CEO Brian Farrell, during a recent conference call.
When asked how much revenue in-game advertising would generate for THQ in 2008, Ferrell replied: "Our best estimate is US $5 million, but I would not be surprised to see that number go up."
Ferrell also revealed he expects more than half the company's revenue in the coming year to come from next-generation product for the PS3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii.
THQ's titles for next-gen machines include sequels to Red Faction, Juiced and Stuntman, as well as further exploitation of THQ's Destroy All Humans, MX and Saints Row franchises.
This week its a retro release with Root Beer Tapper.
“Root Beer Tapper” will be available for download on Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360™ beginning Wednesday, Feb. 7, at 9 a.m. GMT (1 a.m. PST).
“Root Beer Tapper” will be available worldwide (excluding Korea and Japan) for 400 Points ($5.00 /£3.40 /€4.65)
Game Features
* Authentic to the original game
* Take on a bar full of thirsty folks in “Root Beer Tapper” and see if you can keep their mugs full.
* Grab the empty mugs before they slide off the bar.
* Earn extra points by collecting tips.
* Locate and open the one can that has not been shaken up and serve it up to waiting patrons in the bonus rounds.
* Enjoy high-definition support for detailed graphics.
* Play either locally or over Xbox Live* in co-op or versus modes.
* Have your scores posted on the Xbox Live Leaderboard. High scores are tracked for the current week and also for all-time arcade, co-op and versus game modes.
* Earn up to 12 Achievements and 200 gamerscore points.
It’s here at last on April 4 - the world’s first games magazine for women for € 1.90 at a six-figure print volume. At a media volume of € 2.8 million, the marketing campaign for the first issue of play vanilla is set to produce around 10 million new contacts.
Already introduced in the December issue of Joy fashion magazine as an insert, play vanilla will be appearing at around 130 pages in pocket format every two months from April 4. The play vanilla editorial office will be covering topics such as PC, video, and mobile games specifically aimed at younger women. This means inspiring articles, cool design, high benefit, and fun factor.
Computec Media AG will be supporting the play vanilla sales launch with printed ads at a media volume of over € 1 million in magazines such as Prinz, Petra, Joy, Cosmopolitan, Shape, and TV direct, along with TV and big-screen commercial spots at just shy of € 280,000 on Vox, MTV, Super RTL, and in UCI cinemas as well as advertising banners on high-outreach websites at just under € 1.5 million.
"The time has come for a women’s magazine,” says Petra Fröhlich, play vanilla and PC Games editor-in-chief. "The overwhelming reactions from thirty countries on the play vanilla launch plus the extremely positive results from initial reader surveys have confirmed it. Almost all participants want to see play vanilla appear on a regular basis. The fresh, feminine magazine concept is directly addressed to keen women gamers, who are out of the range for ordinary games magazines.”
According to Computec Media AG CEO Johannes Sevket Gözalan, "the unbelievable international reactions to the first issue of play vanilla along with excellent feedback from agencies and games publishers are unmistakable proof that Computec has again lived up to its pioneering and market leader position in electronic entertainment. This market-hitting innovation will not only extend our readership, but also serve one of the most important target groups in burgeoning entertainment segment in all social strata. We will be starting play vanilla as an independent print and online title supported by a seven-figure media volume and a six-figure print volume. The play vanilla magazine will build on our exceptional success story we enjoy with SFT, PC Games, and buffed.de.”
Sega of America has released details on Virtua Tennis 3's Xbox Live modes, as well as confirming that the Xbox 360 version of the game will support super-high 1080p resolutions, for those with massively-expensive televisions.
According to Sega, Virtua Tennis 3 will support both ranked an friendly matches over Xbox Live, as well as allowing you to enter exhibition games or tournaments in both the single and doubles variety.
There's also a spectator system coming for the Tennis ace, VT:TV, which will allow players to watch the pros compete in ranked matches in a similar fashion to Project Gotham 3 and eventually, Halo 3.
It's no secret that the Xbox 360's disc drive is hella noisy, by far outstripping any incidental fan noises that might be going on inside that white box. Luckily, help is on the way -- sort of. Microsoft has started building its 360s with a new DVD drive manufactured by BenQ-LiteOn-Philips, the BenQ VAD6038, which purportedly runs "super-quiet" in comparison to the previous two drives used by MS, and even speeds up and smooths out load times. Of course, this does nothing for the 10 million plus current owners of Xbox 360s suffering from the noisy insanity of the older drives, but it does mean that as Microsoft ramps up production with this new drive, your next 360 hopefully won't fall victim to the whir.
Capcom has held onto the No. 1 spot in the UK all-formats software chart for the second week running as Xbox 360 exclusive Lost Planet continues to prove popular with consumers.
FIFA 07 and Pro Evo 6 are also still riding high, but swap places this week as Konami's offering rises one place to No. 2.
Making its debut at No. 4 is Sega Mega Drive Collection, which is selling well on both PSP and PS2. Wii title Wario Ware: Smooth Moves is up one place to No. 5, while EA follows with its second top ten title, Need for Speed: Carbon.
Nintendo takes the seventh and eighth spots with Wii Play and DS best-seller New Super Mario Bros. At nine again this week it's THQ's Cars, while The Sims 2: Pets rounds out the chart at No. 10.
New entries in the top 40 include TV tie-in Little Britain: The Videogame, which debuts at No. 14, and Star Fox Command at No. 26. Ubisoft's Rocky Balboa is in at 27, while MMORPG Vanguard: Saga of Heroes enters the chart at No. 34.
Big movers include The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, up eight places to No. 13. World Snooker Championship 2007 drops down ten places to No. 17, while World of Warcraft expansion pack The Burning Crusade says goodbye to the top ten as it slips from No. 5 to No. 18.
Blizzard's Itzik Ben Bassat has suggested that consoles are becoming more and more like PCs - to the point where they could be obsolete within as little as five years.
Ben Bassat, who is Blizzard's VP of business development and international, observed, "The PC is becoming an entertainment hub - you use it to watch videos and TV, play games, listen to music... With wireless, you can send your content from your PC to anywhere in the house, to your TV, something I already do. You can play PC on your TV because it's an LCD screen.
"Consoles are becoming sophisticated PCs which sit in the living room... We'll have to see how all this develops. Maybe in five years you won't need a console because you'll have one PC which delivers content all over your house."
Ben Bassat confirmed that Blizzard has no plans to bring hugely popular MMORPG World of Warcraft to consoles - but did say that the company is keeping a close eye on the next-gen machines, particularly with regard to the online space.
"Online console gaming is still in its very early stages, and it needs to be developed further to provide opportunities of a scale which will be interesting to us," he explained.
"So when we come to develop a new game we will look at the kind of opportunities that exist out there and what we want to develop, and if it could be interesting on console. We should remember that a 360 is just a sophisticated PC."
Ben Bassat said he has not seen enough of Sony's online service for PlayStation 3 to be able to evaluate it - but he was full of praise for Microsoft and Xbox Live Arcade.
"Personally I love XBLA - I think Microsoft has done an excellent job developing it and there are lots of exciting things there," he stated.
"I'm very impressed, I'm impressed by the people who do it, and the service is very easy, very intuitive. I love it."
Bill Gates has demonstrated his unique public speaking skillset again, this time by further ostracizing gamers who grew to love one of the best Xbox 360 titles of last year - Viva Piñata. Comments made by Mr. Gates during an interview on the Charlie Rose show include the choice comment 'We have a thing called Viva Piñata that's for young girls, where you're tending a garden and these animals come along...'. His comment are carried by Eurogamer, who also provide a link to the YouTube video of the interview. For gamers who really appreciated this under-marketed and lovably quirky title, this is just another low blow
Florida attorney and game-regulation activist Jack Thompson has been involved in a number of public feuds stemming from his efforts against the likes of shock-jock Howard Stern, Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two Interactive, and the lawyers who have represented them. Thompson has even sued the Florida Bar, of which he is a member.
Now the Florida Bar has rolled up all those feuds and more into a 40-page complaint filed with the state's Supreme Court. Self-explanatory game blog GamePolitics broke the story over the weekend, reporting that the Bar's complaint makes five allegations against Thompson for violations of professional conduct.
GameSpot obtained a full copy of the complaint, which accuses Thompson of a number of misdeeds, such as repeatedly disobeying a judge's orders and violating Alabama's rules of professional conduct. Specifically, the complaint says Thompson made out-of-court statements that could tamper with the court case, knowing that they would be picked up and widely reported.
The complaint also alleges that Thompson directly violated a judge's orders multiple times. In November 2005, Fayette County Circuit Judge James Moore revoked Thompson's temporary license to practice law in Alabama for his behavior in the civil suit of a man convicted of killing two police officers and a dispatcher. Moore also ordered Thompson not to send him copies of any letters or e-mails he sent to a third party. The complaint says Thompson violated that order at least 30 times.
Another count accuses Thompson of making statements about Take-Two's lawyers opposing him "for no substantial purpose other than to embarrass, disparage, or humiliate them," of threatening disciplinary charges just to get a leg up in his civil suit, and for making statements about the qualifications or integrity of a judge with a reckless disregard for the truth. The final two counts allege that Thompson disparaged the lawyers representing Howard Stern in his legal battles with the radio host, accusing them of extortion and racketeering, among other things.
Thompson has filed a motion to stay any disciplinary action in the case and a motion for mediation. The Bar has not filed a response, and the judge has not ruled on either motion yet.
Modder mavin Adam Thole wasn't satisfied with the wire dangling from his tilt-sensing Xbox 360 controller -- so he cut it off. Thole has now successfully applied his mod to the wireless version of the 360 controller, including a switch to seamlessly transition between the left analogue stick and tilt control.
Thole plans to produce a how-to video for creating your own tiltable controller using his tiltBoard. For the impatient or unskilled, Thole's selling a pricey pre-built unit on eBay.
After its relative success in Japan, Mistwalker is hoping to expand Blue Dragon's potential in any/every direction possible while it moves forward with work on Blue Dragon 2. The smokers in the audience will be especially pleased to find a Blue Dragon Zippo lighter on sale via Bandai's LaLaBit Market net store during February and March, with the items scheduled for delivery in April. The lighters cost ¥10,500 (US$87) each -- a bit pricey, but then, they are going to become rare Zippos.
And there's other Mistwalker swag soon to go on sale at LaLaBit, as well, including snazzy Blue Dragon t-shirts and mugs. What we'd really like, though, is a genuine Blue Dragon flamethrower. (For toasting marshmallows.) That would be cool.
News and chances to win some nice hardware etc from Play Asia:
Play-Asia.com Lucky Lunar New Year Sale - Over 3,000 bargains at incredibly low prices. Plus a chance to win fantastic prizes, including an Xbox360 + HD DVD Player, Nintendo Wii, NDS Lite & lots more.
Kung Hei Fat Choi! Play-Asia welcomes the forthcoming Chinese New Year season, the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese New Year for 2007 (which begins on February 18th) is the Year of the Pig. To celebrate this event, Play-Asia helps you to fill your piggy bank with thousands of newly discounted products, plus a chance to win fantastic prizes.
Now is the perfect time to browse through our extensive offerings and find one or another product that was left on your Christmas wish list, with a good chance of it now available at a lower price tag. We have spent time carefully reviewing our inventory and the result is a total of more than 3,000 in-stock items, all of them now available at discounted prices and only for a limited period of time.
Just like we've done with our sales in the past, you will again have the chance to win fantastic prizes, including an Xbox360™ Console + HD DVD Player addon, Nintendo Wii™, Nintendo DS™ Lite, store credit vouchers and much more by simply joining our New Year Sale.
And this is how it works:
Joining the Lucky Draw is easy. All you need to do is to place an order for any discounted item eligible for the Lucky Draw at Play-Asia.com between February 6th and February 28th. You can recognize these items by the "Piggy Bank Lucky New Year Sale" icon located on each individual product page.
Every paid order item will automatically join the Lucky Draw. The more items you order, the higher your chance to win one of our prizes. The winners of the 50 main prizes will be announced in this news post during the first week of March 2007 and will also be notified by e-mail.
Prizes:
1st Prize: Xbox360™ Console PRO System (Japanese or Asia Version) + HD DVD Player addon and 3 Xbox360™ Games or HD DVD Movies of your choice (*)
2nd Prize: Nintendo Wii™ Console (Japanese Version) + 2 Wii™ Games of your choice (*)
3rd Prize: Nintendo DS™ Lite Console + 2 NDS™ Games of your choice (*)
4th Prize: GP2X Game System Value Pack
5-10th Prize: A store credit voucher worth US$ 50 each, redeemable for any purchase at Play-Asia.com
11-20th Prize: A store credit voucher worth US$ 20 each, redeemable for any purchase at Play-Asia.com
21-50th Prize: A store credit voucher worth US$ 10 each, redeemable for any purchase at Play-Asia.com
(*) The "game of your choice" is only valid for any game priced up to a maximum of US$ 70 per title. Prizes cannot be redeemed as cash.
Discounted Items:
More than 3,000 different in-stock products have been discounted at Play-Asia.com, including over 2,000 video games and accessories, 800 movies, 300 CDs and 200 toys. Below you can find a small excerpt of some hot and featured products. A lot more can be found in our constantly updated Sales Category Pages.
Heres an excerpt of the Bargains available
PlayStation3™:
Genji: Kamui Souran / Genji: Days of the Blade JPN US$ 29.90
Mobile Suit Gundam: Target in Sight JPN US$ 29.90
Ridge Racer 7 JPN N/A
Nintendo Wii™:
Call of Duty 3 US US$ 39.90
Elebits JPN US$ 39.90
Hajimete no Wii: Your First Step To Wii (w/ Remote) JPN US$ 39.90
Kororinpa JPN US$ 29.90
Odoru Made in Wario JPN US$ 39.90
Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz US US$ 29.90
Super Swing Golf Pangya JPN US$ 39.90
Wing Island JPN US$ 39.90
Xbox360™:
Bionicle Heroes ASIA US$ 19.90
Call of Duty 2 ASIA N/A
Cars ASIA US$ 19.90
Full Auto JPN US$ 29.90
NBA Live 07 ASIA US$ 19.90
Prey ASIA N/A
Star Trek: Legacy US US$ 34.90
Super Robot Taisen XO JPN US$ 29.90
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 ASIA US$ 24.90
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent ASIA US$ 36.90
Tony Hawk's Project 8 ASIA US$ 42.90
Xbox 360 Faceplate (FIFA World Cup 2006) Europe US$ 6.90
Zegapain NOT JPN US$ 29.90
Zegapain XOR JPN US$ 19.90
PlayStation2™:
A.C.E. Another Century's Episode 2 JPN US$ 39.90
Death by Degrees Tekken: Nina Williams (Chinese Version) ASIA US$ 4.90
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII JPN US$ 12.90
Front Mission 4 US US$ 14.90
Gran Turismo 4 JPN US$ 34.90
Kaido Battle 2: Chain Reaction JPN US$ 19.90
Kunoichi: Shinobu JPN US$ 6.90
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny: Generation of C.E. JPN US$ 29.90
Nano Breaker US US$ 9.90
Naruto: Konoha Spirits JPN US$ 39.90
Onimusha 3 JPN US$ 12.90
Onimusha Buraiden JPN US$ 9.90
Rumble Roses US US$ 12.90
Ryu ga Gotoku 2 JPN US$ 39.90
Sega SuperStars for EyeToy (w/ EyeToy) JPN US$ 18.90
Street Fighter Zero - Fighters Generation JPN US$ 29.90
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory (Ubisoft Best) JPN US$ 8.90
beatmania IIDX Controller US$ 49.90
Gamecube™:
Billy Hatcher & The Giant Egg (Best Price) JPN US$ 11.90
Biohazard 0 JPN US$ 19.90
Densetsu no Quiz (w/ Microphone) JPN US$ 6.90
Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat JPN US$ 6.90
Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat (incl. drum controller) JPN US$ 19.90
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem JPN US$ 6.90
Giftpia JPN US$ 19.90
Gold Gashbell!! Friendship Tag Battle JPN US$ 9.90
Gold Gashbell: Yuujou Tag Battle 2 JPN US$ 6.90
Konjiki no Gashbell: Go! Go! Mamono Fight!! JPN US$ 6.90
Kururin Squash JPN US$ 14.90
Mega Man X Collection US US$ 19.90
Nintendo Puzzle Collection JPN US$ 14.90
Product Number 3 (P.N.03) JPN US$ 9.90
RockMan X Command Mission JPN US$ 9.90
Sonic Adventure DX (Best Price) JPN US$ 14.90
Super Mario Sunshine KOR US$ 14.90
Viewtiful Joe 2 JPN US$ 9.90
Xbox™:
Beretta 92FS US$ 24.90
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge ASIA US$ 6.90
Dead or Alive Ultimate Double Disc Collector's Edition ASIA US$ 44.90
Grabbed by the Ghoulies (Platinum Hits) ASIA US$ 4.90
Halo 2 ASIA US$ 44.90
Hello Kitty: Mission Rescue ASIA US$ 6.90
Nobunaga no Yabou: Ranseiki JPN US$ 1.90
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ASIA US$ 6.90
Project Gotham Racing 2 ASIA US$ 6.90
Sudeki ASIA US$ 6.90
Tenchu: Return from Darkness ASIA US$ 6.90
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow ASIA US$ 6.90
XIII ASIA US$ 6.90
Sony PSP™:
Boku no Natsuyasumi Portable ASIA US$ 6.90
Every Extend Extra JPN US$ 14.90
Finder Love: Fumina Hara JPN US$ 9.90
Jukugon JPN US$ 6.90
King's Field Additional I ASIA US$ 6.90
Pouch and Cloth (black) US$ 1.99
Pouch and Cloth (white) US$ 1.99
Simple 2500 Series Portable Vol. 4: The Mind Mapping Exercise ASIA US$ 5.90
Spectral vs. Generation ASIA US$ 9.90
Sweet Paradise JPN US$ 2.90
Talkman Euro ASIA US$ 10.90
Yarudora Portable: Blood The Last Vampire (Chinese Version) ASIA US$ 4.90
Yarudora Portable: Double Cast (Chinese Version) ASIA US$ 4.90
Yarudora Portable: Kisetsu o Dakishimete (Chinese Version) ASIA US$ 4.90
Nintendo DS™:
Contact JPN US$ 12.90
Eyeshield 21: Max Devil Power JPN US$ 24.90
Gyakuten Saiban 2 (Best Price) / Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All JPN US$ 24.90
Hanjuku Eiyuu DS: Egg Monster Heroes JPN US$ 14.90
Kaitou Wario the Seven / Wario: Master of Disguise JPN US$ 29.90
Naruto: Saikyo Ninja Daikesshu 4 JPN US$ 19.90
Rockman ZX JPN US$ 24.90
Star Fox DS / Star Fox Command JPN US$ 14.90
Tales of the Tempest JPN US$ 14.90
Winning Eleven DS JPN US$ 9.90
Gameboy™ (Advance):
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (Konami the Best) JPN US$ 14.90
Densetsu no Stafi 2 JPN US$ 14.90
Grandia: Parallel Trippers JPN US$ 2.90
Klonoa Heroes: Legend of the Star Medal JPN US$ 9.90
Mario Golf GB JPN US$ 7.90
Mother 3 JPN US$ 29.90
Pocket Bomberman [Tin Box] JPN US$ 9.90
RockMan EXE 6: Faltzer Version JPN US$ 9.90
RockMan Zero 2 JPN US$ 9.90
RockMan Zero 3 JPN US$ 14.90
bit Generations: Boundish JPN US$ 14.90
bit Generations: Coloris JPN US$ 14.90
bit Generations: Dialhex JPN US$ 14.90
bit Generations: Digidrive JPN US$ 14.90
bit Generations: Dotstream JPN US$ 14.90
bit Generations: Orbital JPN US$ 14.90
bit Generations: Soundvoyager JPN US$ 14.90
Toys, Books & Misc:
Animal Crossing Keychain - Model E US$ 0.99
Biohazard Stamp Collection JPN US$ 24.90
Bleach Screen Cleaner Phone Strap Gashapon US$ 0.99
Brave Story Brave Swing Gashapon US$ 0.99
Dead or Alive K.T Figure Collection US$ 3.90
Devil May Cry 5th Anniversary Frame Stamps Set JPN US$ 29.90
Devil May Cry 5th Anniversary Silver Layer Poster (A) US$ 10.90
Devil May Cry 5th Anniversary Silver Layer Poster (B) US$ 10.90
Figure Meister Noizi Ito Collection Neo Figure US$ 5.90
Gainax Toricolle Characters Collection Gashapon US$ 1.79
Ibara Figure Collection Vol.2: Meidi US$ 9.90
Ibara Figure Collection Vol.5: Shasta US$ 9.90
Jump Ultimate Stars Postcard Book US$ 1.99
Kabaya Little Dog Story Candy Toy US$ 0.49
Mai-Hime Collecton Figure Part. 3 US$ 1.99
SR Shakugan no Shana Collection Gashapon US$ 2.49
Ultimate Action Evangelion Gashapon Part 2 US$ 2.49
Viewtiful Joe Trading Figure US$ 1.49
Stephen Totilo, at MTV Games, has hit a gaming wall. At the newly un-flashed Multiplayer site he talks about the bane of gamers everywhere, what developer Jamie Fristrom calls a 'shelf-level event': a gaming wall that makes it hard if not impossible to complete a game. While a lot of gamers can overcome difficulties to reach the end credits, there are some frustrations that can suck all the fun out of play. He cites the bosses from Final Fantasy X and Super Paper Mario as dealbreakers. I personally am playing through God of War again, and the incredibly frustrating spear trap in the 'Paths of Madness' section of the game never fails to provoke hysterics. Have you run into any such obstacles lately? What game obstacles have caused you toss away a controller in frustration and swear off a game entirely?
We all knew that Nintendo has been leading the console scene over in Japan since the release of the Wii, but some sales figures provided by Enterbrain on the 6th reveal just how big the gap is. Over January, Nintendo sold approximately 405,000 Wii units, well beyond Sony's 148,000 PS3 units, the PS2's 111,000 units and the Xbox 360's 40,000 units.
In the race for next generation supremacy, this puts the Wii at 1,395,000 units, with the PS3 trailing at 614,000 units.
The Wii wasn't the number one system in January, though. That honor goes to the DS, which sold about 700,000 units. Nor was the PS3 the highest selling Sony system, as the PSP managed sales of 230,000 units over the month.
In software, the DS is still tops. Dragon Quest Monsters Joker, released late last year, sold 400,000 units over the month, besting the mighty Pokemon Diamond & Pearl, which combined for 370,000 units. Wii Sports is still selling hot. The Wii launch title took third for the month with 350,000 units. It's widely expected that the game will become the Wii's first million seller some time next month.
Here's the full top 10 software chart for January, as provided by Enterbrain:
1. Dragon Quest Monsters Joker (DS, Square Enix): 402,992
2. Pokemon Diamond & Pearl (DS, Pokemon): 370,832
3. Wii Sports (Wii, Nintendo): 355,243
4. Wii Play (Wii, Nintendo): 283,758
5. New Super Mario Brothers (DS, Nintendo): 229,797
6. Grand Theft Auto San Andreas (PS2, Capcom): 209,974
7. Brain Age 2 (DS, Nintendo): 208,875
8. Common Knowledge Trainer (DS, Nintendo): 203,206
9. Animal Crossing (DS, Nintendo): 181,869
10. Kirby Squeak Squad (DS, Nintendo): 155,997
These sales figures cover from January 1 to January 28
Xbox 360 is teaming up with Old Spice to bring the first Rewards Challenge to Xbox Live. Increase your gamerscore by 1,500 between February 12 and April 12, 2007 (60 days), for the chance to earn a bounty of rewards. In order to participate, you need to have a valid Windows Live ID with your Xbox LIVE gamercard linked, be a legal resident of the 50 United States and District of Columbia (expect future challenges to be global in scope) and at least thirteen years-old.
Reward Package Qualifications
*Level 1 (Gamers who have a gamerscore between 0-4,999 at time of entry): Game Picture, Dashboard theme, Contra for Xbox LIVE Arcade
*Level 2 (5,000-9,999 gamerscore at time of entry): Level 1 Package, 100 Microsoft Points and a contest T-shirt
*Level 3 (10,000+ gamerscore at time of entry): Level 1 Package, 200 Microsoft Points, contest T-shirt and Fusion Frenzy 2
*In addition, Old Spice will give Level 1 and 2 the gift of experience by upgrading their Rewards Level for 2007.
Think you can do it? With more than $500,000 in total rewards, such as Microsoft Points and Xbox 360 games, it is time to tackle those unbeaten games and start unlocking Achievements, because this Spring the rewards go beyond just having an impressive gamerscore.
Be sure to log on to www.xbox.com/rewards on February 12 to sign up for participation. Reward quantities are limited so gamers who reach the set goal will be awarded on a first come, first served basis only.
EA and Valve, today announced the naming and product configurations The Black Box and The Orange Box, two of the most anticipated action game offerings shipping worldwide this Winter 2007.
The Black Box will ship for the PC, and includes Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal and Team Fortress 2. The Orange Box will ship for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, and includes all the content of The Black Box, plus the original Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode One.
Included in The Black Box and The Orange Box include:
• Half-Life 2: Episode Two -- the second installment in Valve’s episodic trilogy advances the award-winning story, leading the player to new locations outside of City 17.
• Portal -- a pioneering type of single player action game that rewrites the rules for how players approach and manipulate their environment – much like how Half-Life 2’s Gravity Gun reinvented the way gamers interact with objects in the game.
• Team Fortress 2 -- an all-new version of the legendary title that spawned team based multiplayer action games. The game’s daring new art style features the most advanced graphics of any Source-based game released to date.
The Black Box and The Orange Box are targeted for release this winter 2007. For more information, visit www.steamgames.com
Jeff Minter, gaming legend (Tempest 2000,Attack of the Mutant Camels, Llamatron, and the Xbox 360 media visualization.. thing), has posted on his blog about his up coming XBLA game Space Giraffe.
Space Giraffe is "to Tempest what Llamatron was to Robotron", which means, basicly, Tempest ....on acid!
Jeff posted on the blog:
I'm really loving playing it. The last couple of nights we've had full on sessions on the big plasma and it just looks *lovely*. And it's wonderfully shooty, you get to blow a lot of stuff up very prettily without it being forbiddingly difficult, once you get your head round a couple of key concepts that make it not-just-Tempest-y . I'm only at level 32 now, plenty of time to make the later levels really hard if I want to, plenty of scope for challenging new enemy types, but I want at least these early levels to be a nice fat slice of sweet gaming cake that *everyone* can sink their teeth into once they get the gist. And I think I've got that. It's really nice.
The game has been sent to MS HQ for testing and to get the "green light" to finish the game. Jeff's previous game Unity, for the GameCube (a REZ type game) was cancelled after a long development period, lets hope this does not happen again.
Gears of War, Okami and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess are among the nominees for 'Best Game' in the seventh annual Game Developers Choice Awards.
This year's GDCA, the awards program where honours are bestowed to developers by developers, will take place during GDC 2007 on March 7, the ceremony to be hosted by legend Tim Schafer of Double Fine Productions.
Joining Gears, Okami and Zelda as 'Best Game' nominees are Oblivion and Wii Sports. Out of a total of eight categories in the awards, Okami and Oblivion have actually been nominated four times each.
Awards for Audio, Character Design, Game Design, Technology, Visual Arts, Writing and New Studio join the Best Game award. A full list of nominees for each category can be found on the official Game Developers Choice Awards website.
In a soon-to-be-published interview with CVG, Crackdown senior designer Stephen Iannetta says that after playing the demo he thinks gamers will "buy Crackdown on the basis of Crackdown" and not just for an invite to the Halo 3 multiplayer beta.
"Prior to the demo coming out there were a lot of people saying 'wait a minute, this is just a way to sell Crackdown'," he says, "and I think the more they played the demo the more they realised 'no wait, this is a great game'".
The multiplayer beta invites are due to ship with all initial copies of Crackdown, one of three methods to gain access when it launches this spring.
"I think it's really clever marketing by Microsoft", Iannetta continues. "I think the people that have played the demo and seen the game will actually realise it's a selling point for Crackdown and it's not used to get more copies out of it."
Iannetta also told CVG that he thinks that the two games are "complementary products" and that "people who enjoy playing Halo will enjoy playing Crackdown".
BioWare has released five new screenshots of its upcoming 360 role-playing game Mass Effect, and they're so pretty we've already printed them off and made a sci-fi montage on our desks.
No new details on the game at the moment, but as the latest from the creators of the excellent Knights of the Old Republic - and arguably the most stunning-looking game to date - we can't wait to get our hands on the disc, immerse ourselves in a massive duvet cocoon and only return to work once we've explored every last inch of Mass Effect's infinite galaxy.
Better hold on to the P45 before the rumoured May release date, then.
Via GameSpot, the news on the University of Rochester site is that playing videogames can actually improve your vision. Games, especially action shooters, actually change the way your brain looks at the world. According to the findings of researchers Daphne Bavelier and Shawn Green, visual processing is enhanced through consistent play of complex graphical titles. Simple orientation tests were much easier for a group that played UT, compared to a group that only played Tetris.
Alan Wake (the game with the really great tornado from last year's E3) has been reconfirmed as an exclusive title for Microsoft platforms. Via Wired's Game|Life blog, the news comes from the awesomely named Helsingin Sanomat website. Remedy (makers of the Max Payne titles) had this game slated as a 360/PC exclusive back in their E3 2006 trailers, but news of Microsoft's new 'mentoring' role for the company appears to have renewed interest in the game. It's unclear why Microsoft isn't following their general pattern of purchasing the company outright, but the 30-employee strong company is staying independent. Microsoft's resources still back the company, though:
"Microsoft has huge machinery for games production. If a team of 80 voice actors are needed from the States, they can provide it. Their test laboratory is also fantastic."
The Xbox 360 may have lost its title as the fastest-selling home console in Australia to the Nintendo Wii, but that hasn't stopped local Microsoft execs from touting the machine's success. Australia's top Xbox executive, Microsoft's David McLean, says the 360 is well ahead of its last-gen competitors at this stage of its life cycle, and is well poised to take on its next-gen challengers.
In an interview with GameSpot AU (read the full transcript here), McLean--Microsoft Home and Entertainment Division Regional Director for Australia and New Zealand--said the 360 had sold 145,000 units in its first 45 weeks of sale down under, with a current attach rate of 4.8 games per console. McLean says the 360 is well ahead of where Sony's PlayStation 2 was at the same stage. The PS2 was first released in Australia in 2000, and has sold 2.2 million units so far.
"We launched 45 weeks ago [in Australia]. In the PS2’s first 45 weeks, they sold 116,000 units. In our first 45 weeks, we sold 145,000 units. So if you think about momentum and moving from that to a situation of 2.2 million units over time, we feel we’re on track. We’re ahead of where our competitors were at this stage of the life cycle," he said.
"At this point in my competitor’s life cycle [for the PS2], their attach rate was 2.5 units of software per console, according to GfK Australia. At that time, they had their major franchises out in the market. Grand Theft Auto 3, Gran Turismo 3 and Metal Gear Solid 2 were available. Our attach rate is currently running at 4.8-–we’ve just released Gears of War, we’ve got some heavy hitting titles coming this year with Halo 3, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Crackdown. We’re extremely confident that we’ll see our attach rate grow at an accelerated rate."
Despite the bullish outlook, McLean did confirm that internal forecasts for 360 sales in Australia to the end of June 2007 were being lowered in line with the software giant's global outlook. As part of its last earnings report, Microsoft said it was targeting 12 million units sold by the end of June, down from an earlier forecast of 13-15 million. McLean declined to disclose a specific forecast for the Australian market.
"Typically we don’t talk about numbers for individual regions, but we are a part of that global number," he said. "I think it's a good decision for us as a business to make. It's focusing on the right things--being profitable, focusing on great software and accessories attach, focusing on providing new services and experiences for our gamers and creating a healthy ecosystem around Xbox 360."
In a move that could have oppressed German game developers looking jealously towards the southwest, the French Parliament has approved a plan to allow game developers creating games with a "with a cultural dimension" a tax credit equaling 20% of development costs up to 3 million euros a year. That's a pretty sizeable chunk of change aimed at keeping developers in the country, providing a sharp contrast to Germany, where some game developers are looked on and treated like borderline criminals.
So what determines if a game has a cultural dimension? Anything from the story the music, the look and feel, etc., so while a game about killing space aliens on a made up planet might not fall under the criteria, killing space aliens in the Louvre to the music of Jean-Marie Leclair just might.
Devs shouldn't start counting their euros yet however, as the European Commission is currently looking the plan over to see if it constitutes a EU policy violating subsidy.
Goozex has become partners with DCEmu Reviews. Join Goozex now and get one FREE trade immediately. Then, once you have completed your first transaction with positive feedback(*), we will credit you an additional bonus of 100 points. Joining is completely free: no monthly fee, no credit card is required!
(*) A positive transaction is one which has received positive feedback from the buyer. To be eligible for the bonus, you can be either the seller or the buyer, so long as the transaction is successfully completed to the buyer's satisfaction.
Your first trades are on us!
What is Goozex and how does it work?
Goozex is the new innovative system developed and tested by video-gamers for video-gamers. Goozex provides a unique trading platform that allows peer-to-multi-peer trading of physical goods. The company delivers the following services:
Peer-to-multi-peer trading platform
Community experience
Video game reviews and multi-media information on the products
The system allows users to trade their video games in exchange for Goozex points, which can then be used to receive video games from other users. This helps gamers avoid paying enormous amounts of cash for games. Goozex runs on an internal currency that is dictated by points that are assigned to each game. The only payment that members make to Goozex is a payment of $1 transaction fee for each video game they receive. Learn more!
The following is how to register for free and what you get when you sign up:
Once registered, you get 1 FREE TRADE immediately.
Once you have received one positive feedback, you get an additional 100 points!
Deadline: July 31, 2007
Those interested in getting rid of console games that they have been trying to get rid of and want to get games that they want, this is a great and easy service. Depending on games and points value, you can swap games evenly without having to spend extra money. There is no support for retro systems such as NES, SNES, etc. but may be available in the future. Unfortunately, this is only available to residents in the US, Canada and Bermuda due to region and compatibility of consoles (REGION 1; NTSC).
With the launch of the PS3 and Wii 3 months behind us, we've taken a look back at those launches and as well launch of the 360 and tried to come up with a set of new rules for the next major console launch.
1. Thou shall not force us to kill for your system, thou shall have at least 600,000 units at launch
2. Thou shall have enough accessories to go with the system
3. Honor the father and the mother, do not charge more than $350 for thy next system
4. You shall not bear false witness against your system specs
5. You shall not steal extra money from us by not including key components in the box
6. Remember a gaming day and keep it holy (release new online content on a consistent basis)
7. You shall not covet your neighbors titles, make sure you have at least three solid first party launch titles
8. You shall not commit gaming adultery, backwards compatibility should be an all or nothing deal
9. Thou should have good tech support and a solid replacement policy in place for defective units
10. Future launches will launch with one and only one SKU
PlayStation3™:
HDMI Audio Video Cable (3 meters / 10 ft) US$ 46.90
HORI Fighting Stick 3 US$ 49.90
HORI Real Arcade Pro Stick 3 US$ 89.90
Sonic the Hedgehog US US$ 64.90
Virtua Fighter 5 JPN US$ 69.90
Virtua Fighter 5 ASIA US$ 59.90
Virtua Stick High Grade US$ 79.90
Outstanding Virtua Stick High Grade preorders are expected to be filled within next week.
Nintendo Wii™:
Cooking Mama: Minna to Issho ni Oryouri Taikai! JPN US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™:
Choro Q HG 2 (Atlus Best Collection) JPN US$ 24.90
Full House Kiss 2 (CapKore) JPN US$ 24.90
Hisshou Pachinko Kouryoku Series Vol. 1: CR Shinseiki Evangelion (Special Price Version) JPN US$ 34.90
Oretachi Geasen Zoku Sono 18: Thunder Cross JPN US$ 25.90
Oretachi Geasen Zoku Sono 19: Trio the Punch JPN US$ 25.90
OutRun 20th Anniversary Special Box JPN US$ 159.90
OutRun2 SP JPN N/A
OutRun2 SP [First Print Limited Edition] JPN US$ 64.90
Rogue Galaxy US US$ 49.90
StellaDeus (Atlus Best Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Nintendo DS™:
Diddy Kong Racing DS US US$ 39.90
Jet Impulse / DS Air JPN US$ 48.90
Luminous Arc JPN US$ 48.90
Morita Shogi DS JPN US$ 39.90
Sony PSP™:
Magic Sudoku ASIA US$ 24.90
Medal of Honor Heroes JPN US$ 48.90
New Rainbow Island: Hurdy Gurdy Daibouken!! JPN US$ 48.90
Dreamcast&rade;
Last Hope US$ 39.99
PC Games:
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes US US$ 49.90
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes Online Collector's Guild Edition US N/A
Guide Books:
Battlestations: Midway (Prima Official Game Guide) US US$ 19.90
Rogue Galaxy Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 22.90
Toys & Misc:
Bleach Complete Works III Figure - Justice vs Crimes of Treason US$ 4.99
Excellent Model Core Queen's Blade P-2 1/8 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Experienced Mercenary Echidna N/A
Final Fantasy III Square-Enix Characters US$ 6.90
Final Fantasy Mechanical Arts: Continental Circus from Final Fantasy VII Advent Children (Non Scale Pre-Painted Action Figure) US$ 29.90
Final Fantasy Mechanical Arts: Fenrir from Final Fantasy VII Advent Children (Non Scale Pre-Painted Action Figure) US$ 29.90
Final Fantasy Mechanical Arts: High Wind from Final Fantasy VII Advent Children (Non Scale Pre-Painted Action Figure) US$ 29.90
Final Fantasy Mechanical Arts: Kadaj's Motorcycle from Final Fantasy VII Advent Children (Non Scale Pre-Painted Action Figure) US$ 29.90
Final Fantasy Mechanical Arts: Sister Ray from Final Fantasy VII Advent Children (Non Scale Pre-Painted Action Figure) US$ 29.90
From TV Animation One Piece Candy Toy US$ 3.49
Gainax Toricolle Characters Collection Gashapon US$ 1.79
Ikkitousen: 1/7 Scale Painted Figure Story Image Figure EX - Ryofu Housen US$ 52.90
Mai-Hime 1/7 Scale Painted PVC Figure: Natsuki Kuga US$ 52.90
Mai-Hime Z 1/6 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Arika Yumemiya Coral Robe US$ 52.90
Mai-Hime Z 1/6 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Nina Wang Coral Robe US$ 52.90
Melty Blood Series I Painted PVC Figure: Arcueid Brunestud US$ 48.90
Melty Blood Series I Painted PVC Figure: Hisui US$ 48.90
OS-Idol: 1/8 Scale Painted PVC Figure - Win Chan US$ 38.90
Sakigake!! Otokojuku Toshi Retsuden Figure US$ 6.90
Tales of the Abyss One Coin Grande Figure Collection US$ 6.90
To Heart 2 - Another Days 1/7 Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Manaka Komaki (Milky One Piece Ver.) US$ 52.90
Video Game related Soundtracks:
Kiniro no Corda 2 BGM & Monologue Shu JPN US$ 23.90
PC Game 'Edelweiss' Drama CD JPN US$ 28.90
Radio DJCD Bleach B Station Second Season Vol.1 JPN US$ 24.90
Riviera Perfect Audio Collection Plus JPN US$ 34.90
Wild Arms: The Vth Vanguard Original Score Vol.2 JPN US$ 33.90
Rumors have been circling around the net that a black Xbox 360 with a 120gb hard drive and HDMI is due out in Australia for $749 AU in April. There is even a picture going around too:
but this is a picture of an old xbox dev kit.
so at this stage, its still very much a rumor (even if some sites are posting it as official)
In New Zealand a 14-year-old thief that had stolen a Xbox 360, contacted Microsoft to register it and asked for a new power cord (he forgot to steal it too). The original victim, rang Microsoft to report it stolen and told them the serial number, but MS told the victim that the thief had already registered it, just a day after the burglary took place!
Microsoft had the thief name, address and phone number, as they were to send him a new power cord.
Police had to wait a while in order to obtain a court order allowing it to claim the information from Microsoft (customer/thief privacy issues), before they could arrest the thief.
There's been a generous amount of downloadable content available for the already huge Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion on the Xbox 360. Fans, me included, can't get enough of all the things you can do and discover in Cyrodiil. The upcoming Shivering Isles expansion offers about 30 hours of gameplay to Oblivion, a sword that gains experience (dubbed Dawnfang) and is set to the backdrop of a trippy Sheogorath. If you needed another reason to dive into the Shivering Isles expansion, here's one Oblivion fans haven't had since beating the original quests: Achievements.
We've confirmed with Bethesda Softworks that the "Shivering Isles" Expansion will indeed offer an additional 250 Gamerscore Points, with 10 Achievements, bringing the total possible Gamerscore available from Oblivion to 1250.
Microsoft recently updated its Xbox 360 Achievement/Gamerscore policy for retail and XBLA game titles
RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser has identified five key areas of development which casual games companies must focus on if the sector is to achieve mass market success.
Speaking at the Casual Games Association's Europe: West conference, which kicked off in Amsterdam yesterday, Glaser began his upbeat keynote speech by tackling the hot topic of monetisation.
Claiming that only 2 per cent of customers commit to purchasing a casual game after a free trial period, Glaser predicted that advertising would provide the bulk of the sector's future income. He cited RealNetworks's Clicktopia and streamed video advertising templates as examples of how ad-based revenue systems could be successfully employed in casual games.
Glaser went on to state that the sector must capitalise on its promising growth by branching into new formats, including next-generation consoles and handhelds.
"We're seeing a lot of consoles such as the Nintendo Wii and DS being aimed at a wider demographic, not just the hardcore gaming market," he explained.
However, Glaser also sounded a note of caution - warning that each platform has its own unique requirements, and that if true multi-platform success is to be achieved, every product will need optimising for specific formats.
"Just making a great game on the PC is hard," he stated. "It doesn't automatically translate to these other platforms. The games have to be optimised for each platform."
While Glaser was confident that these multi-platform markets would grow over time, he also warned that growth rates "may not be as spectacular as some people have suggested in the short and mid terms".
Next up was the subject of casual gaming growing into a worldwide industry - with Glaser stating that many rapidly growing markets such as South America and Asia still remain relatively untapped.
Pointing to RealNetworks's new deal with Yahoo to power game sites across Europe as an example of how the industry must become more global, Glaser moved on to his fourth tip for future success - the need to integrate into communities and social networks.
Citing Asia as an example of how the industry needed to adapt, Glaser pointed to the failure of the Try Before You Buy model in most of the continent's major countries.
"[Try Before You Buy] works in Japan, but in the very large markets such as India, China and Korea, there's not a tradition of this model working," he observed.
"However, there is a model that's working great, and that's about being members of a community. If we want to become a global business we have to get smart at that approach."
Glaser rounded off by insisting casual gaming must start establishing itself as a mainstream entertainment medium on a par with hardcore gaming and film. He said that that in order to do this greater press awareness and wider review coverage is paramount, along with the introduction of known and trusted brands - like Monopoly and Scrabble - into the marketplace to attract new customers.
"Our goal is to make casual games to be seen as just another form of entertainment, where the press will review it just like they would a movie or a hardcore game," stated Glaser. He concluded that, "It's just a matter of time till we get into the mainstream."
Despite Glaser's perhaps overly optimistic final conclusion that the casual gaming market was the healthiest industry of all of the entertainment mediums, his assertion that the sector has one of the largest growth possibilities is far harder to argue against - and it's a sector that Glaser and RealNetworks are clearly determined to remain at the forefront of for years to come.
Last year, North Carolina legislators pondered giving companies that make games in the state--like Gears of War developer Epic Games--a 15 percent tax credit for equipment and labor costs. This year the state's lawmakers are considering game-centric legislation of a different sort.
As reported by Game Politics, North Carolina State Senator Julia Boseman introduced Senate Bill 87, which would add violent video games--possibly including the sort made by Gears of War developer Epic Games--to the list of material considered harmful to minors. If it became law, the bill would make it illegal for anyone except a parent or legal guardian to sell, rent, or otherwise expose a minor to a game deemed harmful to minors.
Retailers and arcade operators would not be able to advertise that the games are available or display them except in a separate section of their stores labeled "adults only." Also, all retailers and arcade operators, regardless of whether they carried games that qualified as harmful to minors, would be required to post signs explaining the industry's gaming rating systems.
As for what games would be covered, the law would classify as harmful to minors any game featuring "the realistic visual depiction of serious injury to human beings…" if it was found to fail a modified version of the three-pronged obscenity test. The graphic violence in the game would need "a predominant tendency to appeal to a morbid interest of minors in violence," the violence would have to be "patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community concerning what is suitable for minors," and the game would have to lack "serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors."
If it comes to a vote, the bill appears to have a good chance of passing the North Carolina Senate; 29 of the state's 50 senators have signed on as co-authors of the bill. If passed by the Senate, the bill would then need to be passed by the House of Representatives and approved by the governor to become law. If it passes all that, it would go into effect December 1.
2006's rumour that ZX Spectrum 2D shoot-'em-up JetPac is heading to Xbox Live Arcade has re-emerged.
The latest word on the revival of the classic is pointing to the website for USK (the German monitoring organisation of entertainment software) where the product JetPac Refuelled is listed, with Microsoft named as publisher. The game's described as an arcade shoot-'em-up.
A call to Microsoft turned up nothing new and no confirmation on JetPac Refuelled, but with JetPac original being developed by Rare - albeit under the developer's former moniker Ultimate - Play the Game - and the recent news that the developer is to focus on Xbox Live Arcade games, things are starting to add up for a Live Arcade outing.
JetPac was released in 1983 and saw a jet-packed space man attempting to construct a spaceship, fill it with fuel and blast off from a planet surface while under assault from a variety of bizarre enemies.
Wired has up a very thoughtful article examining the current anti-violent gaming trends in Germany, and reflecting on their connection to WWII. Article author Bruce Gain discusses some of the history of post-Nazi Germany, and points out how violent games rile politics in that country by reminding it of its past. Says Gain:
"Some German officials link these games to an increase in violence among the young and cite at least one instance where a gamer applied the lessons learned from a first-person shooter to a real-life murderous rampage. Remove the connection, they argue, and you prevent further violence. Germany has a lot of gamers, but the violence found in many of these games is widely criticized there. It has some of the strictest video-game censorship laws in the Western world. For example, laws prohibit the sale of Counter-Strike and other titles with blood-depicting graphics switched on. But for many politicians, the laws don't go far enough."
Speaking to Pro-G, Square Enix producer Hiromichi Tanaka confirmed that he was working on a new MMORPG bound for Xbox 360 and Windows Vista, adding "PS3 is a possibility." Ten months ago, Tanaka was saying just the opposite about the oft-hinted at MMO -- probably a sequel to Final Fantasy XI; possibly not. In April 2006, Tanaka confirmed the project for PlayStation 3, but made no mention of an Xbox 360 version. Now it would appear that development has shifted away from PS3 and onto Xbox 360.
Since Square Enix has already promised several versions of Final Fantasy XIII for PS3, it's in the company's interest, as a publisher concerned with multi-platform presence, to bring its next MMO to Xbox 360 first; a PS3 version could always come later. The project could also provide an opportunity to make use of Square Enix's recently acquired Unreal Engine 3 license.
Overview : Replace your original power supply with a standard ATX Computer power supply of your choice. Now you can have an inexpensive replacement, or, opt for more power, less noise, or both! The PSU Energyzer requires no assembly or wiring - just plug it in, turn on your PC power supply, and turn on your Xbox 360.
The PSU Energyzer is a special cable with an OEM Xbox 360 power plug on one end, and a 20 pin ATX connector on the other.
Please note that the original Xbox 360 Power Supply provides 203 watts, and 12v DC current at 16.5 amps, and 5v DC at 1 Amp. For the PSU energyzer to work, your PC power supply must provide this much SUSTAINED power at a minimum. Many PC power supplies are rated for PEAK power instead of sustained power, so you must check the label of your power supply to see if it provides enough sustained power.
Quality/Usability : Talismoon PSU Energyser is an alternative to the brick sized power supply for the Xbox 360. The Energyser is a cable that connects directly to your PC. Once its connected to your PC and turned on, it draws its power from the PC to power your Xbox 360.
This eliminates having to use the power supply that came with the console and frees up a wall outlet for other devices. There was no slow down, lags or any problems running the Xbox 360 through the cable. The console acted normal and ran fine just as if it was plugged powered through the original AC adapter. But you have to make sure that the power supply on your PC is able to handle the power to be able to run your console.
Of course, this only works if your Xbox 360 and PC are near each other as the cable isnt that long. But long enough.
Conclusion : Overall, the Talismoon PSU Energyser cable is a great spare power supply or replacement to have. Only drawbacks would be is if your PC is either far away or in a different room from the Xbox 360 and if in order to play with the Xbox 360, you have to have computer turned on. I know some like to turn off their computers and some leave it on for days/weeks. But it does free up a wall outlet.
features
Will work with future Xbox 360 Wireless Accessories.
Provides up to a 30-foot range for complete wireless freedom.
Use up to four Wireless Controllers and four Wireless Headsets simultaneously with one Wireless Gaming Receiver.
Easily integrates with PC gaming scenarios and utilizes the same binding technology as Xbox 360.
Provides a great value by eliminating the need for additional accessories for Windows-based gaming at an attractive price point.
Plugs into a PC USB port and has a six foot cable.
Future drivers available for Windows Vista™ and Force Feedback for the Wireless Racing Wheel.
description
The Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows lets you take your quality, wireless gaming experiences that you enjoy on your console and experience them on your Windows gaming platform.
The move reflects the increasing importance of downloads in the entertainment sector in general – with the music industry, of course, already fully embracing non-physical sales of singles and albums. And the step will also further underline the strength of the ChartTrack UK data, which is already the envy of other territories around the world.
The fragmented nature of the sector means that negotiations are on-going, but ChartTrack has detailed plans in place already.
“We’re some way off downloads becoming a big part of the business, but it’s coming,” said ChartTrack’s Dorian Bloch. “And part of our mission statement is to follow the market wherever it goes.”
It is expected that downloads will appear first in the PC charts once retailers start to offer games via their websites, but as Bloch points out: “We can’t incorporate some retail downloads without incorporating them all.”
Downloads via Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii, however, present a tougher challenge. “Console download data is held by the format holders, and for us to get that data will require a lot of negotiation as they might not necessarily be forthcoming with it straight away,” Bloch stated. “With consoles, the integration will probably be later rather than sooner as someone needs to independently verify the sales. And we hope that will be us.”
Rumours of an Xbox 360 version of Ninja Gaiden Sigma have been smacked down by the game's director.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma is the upcoming remake of the awesome Ninja Gaiden Black that launched to critical acclaim back on Xbox a few years ago.
Yes, we're MASSIVE fans of the game (second best Xbox game behind Halo in our book) and can't wait to see what Tecmo has planned for the sequel. We might even play the original over the weekend again to remind ourselves.
But before that there'll be Ninja Gaiden Sigma on PS3. And only PS3, by the looks of it. In an upcoming interview with director Yosuke Hayashi, he told CVG that whispers of a secret 360 version already in development were nothing more than rumours.
Hayashi said, "I would take that rumour as proof that people's expectations for Sigma must be very high. But it is just a rumour." So nothing at the moment, but it doesn't sound like an outright flat denial to us.
There was a flurry of commotion on the official Gears of War message board yesterday, after one user claimed to see the motto "2nd Emergence Q4 2007" on Cliffy 'man of style' B's user profile.
Obviously the entire internet (well, the part of it that enjoys chainsawing people in the face) exploded at the thought of playing Marcus Fenix's second chapter this side of 2008, but alas it was all too good to be true.
The rumour was shot down after users spotted that the Cliffy B in question was not in fact the real Cliffy B, but a fake, less well-groomed version with an 'I' in place of the 'l' in his username. Cheeky bugger.
On the surface, the 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (IAAs) seemed a lot like the Ninth Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. Same venue (The Joint at Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel & Casino), same host (actor/comedian Jay Mohr), and same elbow-rubbing with industry celebs.
However, this year's coinciding D.I.C.E. Summit, put on by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS), has grown, and in turn so has the IAA show. This year's awards show was of particular interest, as it is the first AIAS awards show to include all three new game consoles.
Journalist Heather Chaplin interviews AIAS president Joseph Olin on the red carpet.
The awards show went off with just one technical hitch, which was filled with Mohr's semi-humorous tales of his cat fornicating. But as far as awards shows go, the AIAS pulled off a winner. Though there were plenty of people pulling for their own creations, the crowd, made up of industry big wigs and not the randoms off the street like Spike TV's Video Game Awards, clearly appreciated a worthy winner.
The real fight to watch was between two of the most critically acclaimed games of the year--Epic Games' Gears of War and Bethesda Softworks' The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Oblivion took home the top prize at December's Spike TV Video Game Awards, both were matched up tonight for Game of the Year, and both will go head-to-head at the GDC Awards in March.
Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinski and Michael Capps accept Game of the Year honors in Las Vegas.
Over the course of the show, it was a dominating performance by Gears of War, which walked away with eight awards. The shooter took the very first two awards, prompting host Mohr to say, "Let's not get all sour after we're here for one-and-a-half hours for Gears of War. Don't get pissy. Just get a cocktail."
Gears won the awards for Outstanding Character Performance - Male, Outstanding Achievement in Animation, Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, Outstanding Achievement in Online Play, Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering, Action/Adventure Game of the Year, Console Game of the Year, and Overall Game of the Year.
Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime stands guard over the Lifetime Achievement Awards handed out earlier in the night to Minoru Arakawa and Howard Lincoln.
One of the more surprising victors of the evening was Nintendo's pack-in Wii game, Wii Sports. If a category dabbled in innovation or game play, Wii Sports grabbed it. The game took home the awards for Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering, Outstanding Achievement in Game Design, and Outstanding Innovation in Gaming.
However the award for best reception of an award goes to Cliffy B, accepting the prize for Gears' win for Outstanding Achievement in Online Play. The prize was presented by Sony president of worldwide studios Phil Harrison, and when Gears was announced as the winner, many an eye widened in the crowd.
Sid Meier introduces the Hall of Fame award, given this year to M.U.L.E. designer Dani Bunten. Dani's two sons accept the award on their father's behalf.
As Cliff accepted the award, he made sure to mention how robust the Xbox 360's online capabilities were--a not-too-veiled dig at Harrison's PlayStation 3. Harrison took the jab in good humor even when Cliff left the stage without an acknowledgement to Harrison, and chuckled as he approached the microphone to present the next award. These are the moments that make award shows like this.
Did you enjoy this week's Scrin assault gameplay trailer from Command & Conquer 3? We did, thoroughly, and we're equally enjoying new Scrin-powered screenshots that have just beamed down from the EA mothership.
Coming from both the Xbox 360 and PC versions of the RTS, we've posted them onto this page right here for your perusal.
Command & conquer 3 is out March 30 on PC. The Xbox 360 version is due this year - we checked with EA for a definite date but no news on that yet, it said.
If you were planning on tossing Microsoft's upcoming supercop sim shortly after using the included Halo 3 Beta key, you'd best restrain your throwing arm. Shizzle Games has posted an image of Crackdown's included invite card -- it clearly lays out that the Halo 3 Beta code is both downloaded and launched via the game's main menu. With no dashboard option, you'll have to keep your Crackdown disc for as long as you want to take part in Bungie's practice run.
Luckily, Crackdown's recent Xbox Live demo has greatly weakened the game's early reputation for being Master Chief's ball-and-chain.
- DS Lite: 146,073
- Wii: 65,740
- PSP: 31,216
- PS2: 18,727
- PS3: 17,540
- Xbox 360: 6,130
- Game Boy Micro: 1,050
- GBA SP: 724
- Gamecube: 306
- DS Phat: 119
- GBA: 28
Again the DS Lite is doing extremely well, the Wii again in second place, most disapointing must be the PS3 sales which are lacking behind both PSP and PS2. Has Sonys bubble and control of Japans Gaming Market come to an end ?
Lunar New Year is almost here (February 18 to be exact) and Microsoft is celebrating it by releasing cheap game bundles in Taiwan. These special year of the boar packages come with two games for $1,490 TWD (only $45 US!). One package is a racing pack with Ridge Racer 6 and Project Gotham Racing 3. The other package is a Team Ninja package with Dead or Alive 4 and Dead or Alive Xtreme 2. Both packs are a fair deal, too bad they’re not region free.
It's been exactly a year since Activision last said anything about its game based on Michael Bay's upcoming robot movie, Transformers -- and even then, explicit information about the title was closely guarded (specific consoles hadn't been named; the developers weren't identified, etc). But after 52 weeks of nothing, our contacts at Activision have finally come clean and given us a couple of details to work with.
Officially known as Transformers: The Game, the Traveller's Tales-developed actioner is scheduled for just about every platform out there (PC, PS2, PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360) and will come out this summer with nearly identical content. Its storyline will follow the movie closely, giving players control over both the Autobots and the Decepticons as they choose to either protect the earth or pimp slap it.
The final number of playable characters is still unknown, but Activision has confirmed that Optimus Prime, Megatron, Starscream, Bumblebee, and Ironhide are among them. Each bot has their own set of special skills and abilities too, and gamers will be able to switch between robot and vehicle form at any time. Fully destructible environments (including entire buildings and vehicles) and the ability to use wreckage as weapons are also expected.
Combat mechanics still aren't very clear, but developers do say that each character's scale and weight affects how they fight. Both ranged and melee battles are possible as well, and there are a few other elements that haven't been expanded on yet.
Handheld fans should also take note that PSP and DS versions are in the works from Savage and Vicarious Visions respectively. No details about the Dual Screen edition were made public, wowever, we do know that the PSP edition boasts 20 playable Autobots and Decepticons and follows an expanded telling of the movie's storyline (complete with bot customization and ad hoc/ infrastructure multiplayer modes).
Seven new Halo 3 alpha screenshots have been leaked on to the internet via germen site Evo-x.de, showing in greater detail the levels and weapons we'll have access to in the multiplayer beta test this spring.
Even though the shots are low quality camera-to-screen jobbies, we're still impressed by the new assault rifle model and impressive amount of trees and background detail present in the maps - and we expect the single-player campaign to look even better.
As for getting on to the multiplayer beta, you'll want Realtime Worlds' Crackdown when it's released next week. Look for our review of that title in the next few days.
A major new Xbox 360 release and best of all its Region Free, heres the details:
Relive the biggest sea battles of World War II as you blast your way across the Pacific from the chaos of Pearl Harbor, through the Philippines, Java and the Coral Sea all the way to the epic Battle of Midway.
Battlestations: Midway's unique blend of intense 3rd-person action and epic, large-scale naval combat brings to life the Battle of the Pacific in a WWII shooter unlike any game seen before.
Eidos' realtime simulation game Battlestations: Midway for Xbox360™ is shipping today as English language Asia release version at US$ 49.90 only. The game is region free and can be played on any standard Xbox360™ console.
Game features:
Massive Firepower: Command the awsome firepower of over 60 authentic WWII fighting machines from legendary battleships and aircraft carriers to fighters, dive bombers and submarines.
Unique Gameplay: Experience action-packed WWII combat from multiple perspectives as you jump between dozens of units, playing as a pilot, a gunner, a submarine captain or even carrier fleet commander.
Extensive Single Player: Battle through the Allied Pacific Campaign and extensive challenge missions or polish your skills in the Naval Training Academy.
Addictive Online Combat: Experience huge multi-unit online battles with up to 8 players controlling over 60 units on Xbox Live.
Authentic WWII Atmosphere: Cutting-edge graphics bring the Pacific alive with stunning real-world environments, dynamic weather effects and incredibly detailed vehicles and weaponry.
features
Unmatched gameplay realism and artificial intelligence result in pure soccer action
Fully licensed international leagues and teams including Argentina, Australia, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden
Master League mode allows you to build and develop a team and lead it to success over multiple seasons.
More advanced animations and skill moves including feints, more control over sliding tackles and more control when dribbling
Online multiplayer matches via Xbox™ Live
description
The world's #1 soccer series makes its next generation debut on the Xbox 360™. Take the field and experience the game's realistic, fast-paced action or take the reins of your favorite team with the in-depth Master League Mode. Featuring online multiplayer support, players can go head-to-head on Xbox Live™ to find out who has the best moves in the most realistic and authentic soccer game around.
No date this Valentine's day? Planning a romantic trip to the park with that old flame, cider? Well thanks to Microsoft you needn't drink yourself into a depressed White Lightning stupor this February 14, as there are a number of exciting activities going down on Xbox Live.
Festivities kick off with Viva Piñata trade-off on the romantic evening, with Microsoft encouraging Xbox Live gamers to "trade piñatas with the ones you love" - though frankly if our love life left us on the Xbox 360 this Valentine's Day,we'd much rather be kicking arse on Gears, and/or looking at pornography.
Micorosft also offers advice on "getting girls to game" and unsurprisingly the easiest known method, buying a Nintendo DS and Nintendogs, is nowhere to be mentioned.
You can see the full list of activities over on Xbox.com.
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures developer Funcom is aiming to support cross-platform adventuring between PC and Xbox 360 with its MMORPG.
Revealing that the developer is "toying around with many different solutions" to cross-platform action, Conan product manger Erling Ellingsen went on to explain possible options in an interview to be published shortly.
"...one is having some shared servers and some servers that are not shared - simply to give players the freedom of choice. What solution we actually do end up with is something we will have to reveal later".
However, before any eventual solution to cross-platform is reached, numerous hurdles will have to be overcome.
"There are several issues with mixing people on the same server. Will they be able to communicate well enough with each other? Will the console users be less responsive than the PC users? There are many issues that must be addressed," Ellingsen said.
Bungie is allowing Halo 3 gamers to mute any player they find annoying by a simple press of the Back button.
The latest Bungie update included some actual useful information this time: "Anyone who's played MP on Xbox Live knows the following is true: Teenagers, plus anonymity, plus microphone = idiot. The 'A-Hole Button' in Halo 3 lets you exact instant, silent vengeance. These kind of vocal buttmunches, as it turns out, are exactly as fun to play against as normal people, as long as you can't hear them."
Any fool can do it too, "you simply press a button (back button, for the moment anyway) and up comes the score list with everyone's tag on it. The right stick lets you highlight the miscreant and you can then instantly mute them for the rest of the game. These morons continue smacktalking anyway because they can't help themselves, but if you don't have to listen to it, you can simply enjoy killing them over and over again, knowing that as their Ritalin wears off and their frustration builds, it's less and less fun for them. Aaaah. So satisfying."
To celebrate the release of Realtime World's brilliant free-roaming car-flinger Crackdown this Friday, CVG has teamed up with Microsoft to give away three copies of the game complete with Halo 3 beta invites.
The first details of LucasArts' PS3 and Xbox 360 Star Wars project have finally emerged, from the latest issue of US mag Game Informer.
It's called Star Wars: Force Unleashed and takes place between Episode III and Episode IV, when new Sith on the block Darth Vader is out to wipe the galaxy clean of runaway Jedi.
As Vader's apprentice, you're on a secret mission to dive head-first into the forbidden Dark Side of the force, take out the emperor and rule the galaxy as master and apprentice. Awww.
Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are being developed in-house at Lucasarts, while PS2, PSP and DS duties have been outsourced to another, unnamed developer.
George Lucas reportedly has a lot of input in the project, and even helped design some of the characters.
Force Unleashed uses LucasArts' much-touted Eurphoria engine, which calculates environmental damage such as smashing crates in real-time. One given example of the tech is how a tree will either break in two or splinter realistically depending on how you hit it. Likewise, steel will dent appropriately when damaged your fancy Force powers.
And speaking of Force powers, many of the world-bending tricks from the E3 tech demo are present in Force Unleashed, including the "cannon ball"-like force push, with controls presented in a similar vein to the excellent Psi-Ops.
One scene reportedly has you battling Jedi Knight Shaak Ti in the Jedi Temple, after the galaxy-wide order to exterminate of the Jedi. There's also the suggestion of being able to control your own pack of Rancors, the gigantic beasties that Jabba the Hutt likes to keep under his gaff.
But we all know how Star Wars ends so it's going to be a very predictable cock-up for Vadar's Palpatine-trouncing plans, right? LucasArts promises to shake up the Star Wars lore with alternate endings in Unleashed, where the bad guys really can win.
We'll bring you more details - and hopefully media - as it arrives. Where's the Wii version though? Perfect for the Wii Remote...
You've probably figured out by now that the DS and Wii were the hottest things in Japanese gaming over the holiday period. A recent poll conducted by Weekly Famitsu suggests just how big the two systems were.
The magazine asked readers of its Famitsu.com website which system they most played over the holiday season. While the DS was the biggest selling system over the period, Wii was apparently the most played system, taking up 244 votes. DS came next, with 185 votes, followed by the PS2 (148), Xbox 360 (146) and PSP (115). The PS3 didn't place in the top five.
Famitsu asked its nation wide army of retail friends (the same set of retailers that help parent publisher Enterbrain assemble its weekly sales charts) a similar question: which product was hottest over the holiday season. The DS Lite took the top spot, at 46 votes. The Wii hardware got second at 28, followed by DS software as a whole (9), Dragon Quest Monsters Joker for the DS (8) and Yakuza 2 for the PS2 (5). Once again, the PS3 didn't place in the top 5.
It's a bit surprising that the PS3 didn't place on either list, as the system was the fourth best selling piece of hardware for the period, beatin by the DS, Wii and PSP
It's hard to say whether Paperboy is simply an effervescent arcade game or a frighteningly accurate simulation of life in the suburbs (see: video after the break). You'll be able to judge for yourself this coming Wednesday at 9AM GMT (1AM PST) when the intricate study in aggressive news distribution lands neatly on the Xbox Live Arcade doorstep. When you retrieve it while still in your stained bathrobe and your morning daze, keep in mind that the graphically enhanced download will set you back 400 MS Points ($5).
Oh, and remember to duck. Those newspapers will take your head clean off.
Last week we checked off Root Beer Tapper from Microsoft's list, leaving nine "approaching" Xbox Live Arcade titles in the queue. So who's up this week -- if there is to be a release? Not Worms.
Team17 reports that Worms is still buried in the certification process; and despite the recent amendment, has been bound to the old 50MB size limit. As a result, the XBLA version is lacking in audio content and environmental themes; and an OXM review notes that the baseball bat, skunk, 'select worm' option, and 'Holy Hand' grenade have been left out. Team17 maintains that the omissions won't affect gameplay, but is committed to expanding Worms with downloadable content packs, both free and premium; similar to how Q Entertainment is handling Lumines Live.
Spectrum Emulator for the Xbox 360 XNA has been released:
Project Description
* ZX Spectrum 48K emulator for Xbox 360 written using XNA.
Introduction
* ZX360 emulates 48K ZX Spectrum for the Xbox 360 using the XNA platform. Currently it is at the very early stages but does run most games and runs at 100% speed.
Current Status
* Still havent come up with a good way to map keys to an Xbox 360 controller, currently have mapped a few numeric buttons to DPad and ABXY, also mapped Cursor Joystick to left thumbstick. Ideally it needs a setup screen so you could set mappings per game and save the settings.
* No sound support yet.
* Need better ROM selection. Has loading support for .Z80 and .ROM files but currently only loads .SNA ROMs.
* The spectrum ROM is included as Amstrad who bought Sinclair gave permission to distribute it.
* No game ROMS are included, you will need to find some .SNA games and place them in the Roms directory in the projects. There is a post build event which copies them to the build directory.
* This should get you started: http://www.ayanay.firenet.uk.net/archives/binaries/a/
* I have been testing with Sabre Wulf and Alien8 and they play perfectly.
Keyboard Mapping
* Currently holding the right shoulder button and then using the DPad you can change ROMS and also back will quit.
* Holding the left shoulder button and pressing the DPad and ABXY will give 0-8 so for example load Alien8, hold the left shoulder and press X to select "Cursor Joystick", then A to start and control with left thumbstick.
* I know it is confusing and rubbish, it will get much better!
A guy named Bip Chizzle leaked a video showing off a lot of the weapons from the Halo 3 Alpha. A lot of the weapon animations are most likely placeholder, but it's nice to see what some of the weapons look like in first person.
Mass Effect’s length has been subjected to many questions as Bioware talks up episodic content many people feared they’d leave content out of Mass Effect and sell it later. Luckily it doesn’t appear to be the case. In a recent interview with Team Xbox when the developers were asked about the size of the game they responded saying it would be about 40 hours for the core game and could be another 20 or 30 hours depending on how you play the game with more content coming at a later date. At least the game will be huge but it will be a time sucker upper! Here’s the full quote,
Ray Muzyka: I mean, it really depends on just how much you want to do on the uncharted worlds. I think it’s going to be about 40 hours or so for the main story, so it’s going to be a good-sized BioWare RPG just for the core part. Off the beaten path, there’s probably another 20 or 30 hours or so of stuff, or more, depending on how much you do and what order you do it in and all of that. It’s this non-linear exploration of uncharted worlds.
The latest issue of Game Informer brought forth information on the latest Star Wars game. Titled Star Wars: Force Unleashed, it is set to help bridge the 19 year gap between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. You get to play as Darth Vader's apprentice, as he wants to overthrow the Emperor and rule the galaxy with you at his side. At the same time, there is a galaxy wide hunt to exterminate the remaining Jedi from existence. Force Unleashed also boasts LucasArts' Eurphoria engine, capable of real-time environmental damage. For instance, when using Force powers on steel, it will dent appropriately. Another example includes a tree either splintering or breaking in two, dependent on the type of impact.
You may be concerned that given the title is taking place between the two trilogies that your actions aren't going to have a huge impact, as the events are set in stone. That's not the case, as LucasArts is saying that there will be multiple endings that can really shake up the Star Wars Universe. At least you have a shot of taking down Palpatine before the first Death Star is fully operational. Does this pique your interest, or does any (finished) Star Wars game without the word "Knights" and "Republic" in the title get ignored?
Chrome developer Techland, has confirmed that "Warhound" will be released on the Xbox 360 and PC for Q4 07.
Warhound is a non-linear first person perspective action shooter set in modern times. You take the role of an elite mercenary who will not hesitate to undertake even impossible tasks... for the right price. Governments, businessmen and various organizations hire you for hazardous missions around the globe.
Compete with other mercenaries and prove that you’re the best in the trade. Collect wealth, equipment and weapons, work on your reputation and strive for the title of the best mercenary in the world. Become the Warhound – a real dog of war.
Main features:
* Face the most fierce and dangerous criminal groups in the world. Help stricken governments, free kidnapped VIPs, eliminate dictators and drug kingpins. Stand up to a global threat and prevent the largest terrorist attack in history.
* Take up missions in exotic locations around the world: Korea, Africa, Balkans, South America, East Asia, isles of the Pacific... Marvel at the realistic, dynamic world and true-to-life sceneries.
* Choose how you want to develop your character in one of the available fields. Your choices are a direct factor for the selection of missions you’ll be offered and make more paths available during the action.
* Use interactive environment elements to your advantage – move or destroy any object you deem necessary. Use the landscape to your advantage.
* Climb the career ladder of an elite mercenary. Gain access to the most requiring employers and the most rewarding contracts.
* Take care of your finances. Buy weapons, ammunition, vehicles and equipment. Pay for transportation into and out of the mission area once the task is completed. Plan your missions and buy intelligence data. Sell weapons and precious items taken from the battlefield.
* Come back to missions you’ve completed before. Thanks to the random factor, every operation will be different every time you play.
* Use the multiplayer mode to go head to head against up to 32 players. Use modern equipment, vehicles and skills in standard and custom game modes.
* Based on the 4th edition of the ChromeEngine, supporting the latest DirectX10 and Pixel Shader 4.0 graphics, allowing for impressive, wide-open areas, photorealistic graphics and life-like physics simulation (fire, water, smoke, wind, etc.)
The war between the GDF and Strogg will soon be igniting on the Xbox 360 as id Software and Activision, today confirmed that Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars, the team-based first person action title, is coming to next-gen platforms. Players can choose to defend humanity as a part of the Global Defense Force (GDF) or destroy it as a merciless Strogg alien invader. Under the executive production of id Software, Nerve Software is developing Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars for the Xbox 360, while Z-Axis is the developer for the PS3 version.
At this stage the P.C. version is to b released "Spring/Summer", so let hope the Xbox 360 version is not too far behind.
Eidos is at number one in the all-formats chart this week with Battlestations: Midway, which beat Little Britain: The Video Game to the top spot by just 1000 units.
Mastertronic's TV tie-in takes second place, meaning that there are two UK publishers riding high at the top of the charts - a rare occurrence, according to data providers Chart-Track.
FIFA '07 is a non-mover at No. 3, but Pro Evo 6 drops two places to No. 4. There's another small margin here, with just 50 units of difference between Little Britain and PES.
At five it's the Sega Mega Drive Collection, while last week's chart topper, Lost Planet, is down at No. 6.
EA takes seventh and eighth place with Need for Speed: Carbon and The Sims 2: Pets. Rounding out the chart are perennial favourites New Super Mario Bros. at No. 9 and THQ's Cars at No. 10.
New entries this week include Avatar: The Legend of Aang and Capcom's PS2 offering Okami. Two Nintendogs titles make a return to the top 40, along with Tiger Woods '07 and The Simpsons: Hit and Run.
There are some big movers in the chart - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is down 13 places to No. 26, while Wii Play is just behind, falling from No. 7 to No. 27. Ubisoft movie tie-in Rocky Balboa and THQ's Zoo Tycoon DS fall ten places each to hit No. 37 and No. 38.
Ars Technica's Opposable Thumbs blog takes a look at the numbers for last year, and makes an interesting observation: hardcore gamers are probably not the future. Specifically, last year's videogame sales numbers show a huge trend in the adoption of mass-market licensed games. We've also previously discussed the extreme popularity of casual games. Despite Gears of War selling around the same amount as Cars (both around 2 million units), the cost in time and money to create Gears was substantially greater than the cost to create the Pixar-licensed title. The result?
"As growth continues, we're bound to see some substantial changes. As it stands, hardcore gamers are still a pivotal purchasing force in the games market: most of the top ten titles were what I would consider "hardcore" games. However, the trend away from the hardcore and towards the casual is becoming increasingly more predominant. We've talked quite a bit lately about the growing demand and response for casual games, and when coupled with the shocking sales of licensed products, I'm left wondering whether or not the number of hardcore gamers is dwindling."
Playing games can take a long time, like 70 hours for some. Worse case scenario, they never end. So you see, video game critics (read: journalists) are faced with a problem; if they're suppose to critique games as Roger Ebert does movies, shouldn't they play every single AAA title all the way through to do their job to the fullest?
Joystiq's own ninja columnist Kyle Orland examines the "limited time to complete so many games" dilemma in speaking with a variety of industry journalists. From his GameDaily column: "Many journalists that responded to my inquiry found they just didn't have the time to really get into certain epic games. CMP's Simon Carless lamented that he'd probably 'have to take a holiday' to put aside his current pile of games and finally get through Twilight Princess. GameDaily's Robert Workman is waiting for "a lazy summer day" to finally give Oblivion another go."
Yours truly? I've only played 20 minutes of Gears, probably won't play past the water temple in Twilight Princess, and have God of War (the first one!) still sitting in a box waiting to be played all because of fleeting time. Someone needs to tar and feather me. So what games are you ashamed to say you've never played or completed?
Watchdog reports on the 3 red lights of death problem with Microsoft's Xbox 360.
Microsoft responds to Watchdog's report
In an official statement issued to GamesIndustry.biz, Microsoft said that the "vast majority" of Xbox 360 owners have had an "outstanding experience" with the console.
But the platform holder went on to concede: "That being said, we have received a few isolated reports of consoles not working as expected.
"It's important to note that there is no systemic issue with Xbox 360 - each incident is unique and these customer inquiries are being handled on a case-by-case basis."
Microsoft has not revealed details of how many Xbox 360 units have been found faulty, but did state that the return rate is "significantly lower" than the CE industry average of between 3 and 5 per cent.
>> TheSpecialist mailed us a new version of his HDDHackr (HDDHacker) tool that allows you to use a cheap 2.5" laptop Western Digital BEVS series HDD as Xbox360 HDD
What's new/fixed:
* Added option to flash the Western Digital back to its original state
* Much easier to use, no more manual copying of sectors
* Improved compatibility, should now really work with all BEVS models
* Bug fixed, that caused flashing of incorrect serial number in some rare cases.
It looks like Treasure's rather marvellous Dreamcast and GameCube shooter Ikaruga might be on its way to Xbox Live Arcade.
That's because the game is currently showing up on Partnernet, the Xbox 360's closed debug network, access to which is limited to journalists and developers.
There are two downloads listed in the Xbox Live Arcade section of Partnernet, which mirrors Xbox Live's functionality in a different setting. The titles are nondescript, but if you download the two 5.7MB files Ikaruga appears under a Japanese name in the console's Live Arcade menu.
We couldn't get it to run, but it does reach a Treasure title screen, and lists 12 achievements including one marked "Secret" and one for each of Chapters 1-4 and the Final Chapter.
Treasure has previously said it was "really interested" in working on Xbox Live Arcade, but when company president Masato Maegawa spoke about that desire recently he wasn't specific about any projects in development.
Treasure is known to be working on an original shooter for Xbox 360, but last we heard it won't be out for a while.
DreamBuildPlay.com has announced the "Warm-up Challenge" in their XNA Game Development Competition. The top five entries win $500.
Judging criteria
Entries will be evaluated using these three criteria:
* Innovation (40%) – Push your creative and technical limits
* Fun Factor (40%) – Hook our judges with exciting, entertaining action
* Production Quality (20%) – Make your game world as polished as possible
Registration and preparations to enter the Warm-Up Challenge commence
on 2/13/07. Official entry period is from 2/21/07 at 12:00 AM Central Time (“CT”) (CT = GMT – 06:00) through
2/28/07 at 11:59:59 PM CT in eligible geographies. Must at least 18 years old.
Building games for Xbox 360 requires an active subscription to the XNA Creators Club
The next update for Epic's hugely successful Xbox 360 shooter Gears of War fans will be out "Definitely within a couple of months", Mark Rein has revealed.
Speaking to Team Xbox, he added the developer wants "to have as regular a stream of new stuff coming for the title" as possible.
Rein reaffirmed that "there'll be a fun little surprise in the next update", although wouldn't spill further beans. "I don't want to say specifically what we're going to have," he said.
And will the next Gears update be a free download? Epic would "love to have everything be free", Rein explained, although "There's a lot of pressure on us, having the leading game on the platform, to be part of the downloadable economy... there's external pressure on us to participate in that."
During the interview, the Epic boss also described a PC version of GoW as being "inevitable", but said technology is key hurdle to overcome.
"The big challenge is to make a game that was designed solely for the console... to take advantage of every last little corner of that console, to fill every little crack and run as many threads as we could and do as much to exploit the power of that machine, and make it run well on enough PCs to be worth releasing. That's a challenge.
"UT will help us there, because Unreal Tournament 3 will be kind of our vanguard PC product, and it's helping us get optimisation on the PC. So it's just a matter of, now, can we make Gears run on enough PCs that it's worth selling...or do we have to wait in five years until everyone has a PC that can run it?
Bizarre Creations (PGR, The Club, GW) have posted an update on their site about their up coming Xbox Live Arcade game Boom Boom Rocket:
The game itself is a simple concept, but taken to extremes. The aim is easy: press the corresponding button for each firework as it hits a line at the top of the screen, and it'll explode. The more accurate you are with your button presses, the higher your score. The person with the highest score wins. Easy stuff... you're probably already familiar with the concept from games like DDR.
However (and this is a big however), Boom Boom Rocket introduces a few new ideas to the tried and tested formula which we think make the game really fun to play. The first thing is the idea of pure speed. We don't have to worry about complicated peripherals to make this game fun... its game pad only, and it's FAST. Within a couple of rounds you'll be setting off huge numbers of fireworks as if it were second nature... and much of the fun comes from the fact that your fingers will be moving at Mach 3 on the harder difficulties.
Ubisoft, today announced the full list for the upcoming release of Player’s Pack Red Edition, an all new downloadable content (DLC) package coming up for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas, exclusively for the Xbox 360. Scheduled to be on the Marketplace at the end of March and includes five more playable multiplayer maps and two new game modes. An Outline of content this update consists of:
Three Brand New MP Adversarial Maps: Three brand new MP maps are included for a brand new Vegas multiplayer experience.
Doscala Restaurant – This well known Italian restaurant is located in the heart Las Vegas, near the famous Fremont Street.
Marshalling Yard – This century-old service yard is situated in the center of an industrial district. Still active today, it is primarily used to store cars, but is also equipped with cleaning and maintenance facilities.
Roof - A Coffee Factory has been overrun in the continuing gang violence that is wreaking havoc in this border town. The strategic positioning of the factory makes it highly desirable to control, making it a focal point of the violence.
Two Revisited; Relit MP Adversarial Maps: Two favorite Rainbow Six Vegas MP maps are revisited and relit for a new gameplay experience.
Border Town – Redux
Killhouse - Redux
Two New Modes: Two all new game modes that can be played in the 10 original maps and the five new maps add upon Vegas’ long list of available game types.
Assassination mode - The goal of the Attackers is to eliminate a high-value asset of the Defenders, who in turn will try to defend and escort the VIP to his extraction Zone.
Total Conquest - This is a team-oriented, static control-point game mode where each map contains three “Mobile Radar Installations” (control points). To win, a team must activate and maintain control of at least one of the three Mobile Radar Installations locations for a given period of time.
A true universal VGA box compatible with all consoles on todays market: Xbox 1, Xbox 360, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii.
Compatible with both PAL and NTSC system, it is available with European or US power supply. A plug and play installation will give you Ypbpr input with all consoles!
- Compatible with all consoles.(Wii™, PS3™, XB360™, PS2™, Xbox™ etc )
- Works on both PAL and NTSC system.
- Double scan conversion (31.5KHz for NTSC, 31.25KHz for PAL).
- Output resolution ; NTSC (60Hz) 858 x 525 PAL (50Hz) 864 x 625
- YpbPr (works for all consoles with Ypbpr input).
- Automatically memorizes your adjustments.
- Plug and play installation.
- With power supply (110V or 220-240V) and a Multi-Ypbpr cable.
Last month, Kansas Senator Sam Brownback declared he would seek the 2008 Republican nomination for President of the United States. His first speech as a candidate was roundly mocked on the January 23 episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart for his repeated use of the words "greatness" and "goodness." (The same program also pilloried the entire spectrum of Democratic candidates, including the "first Leprechaun president[al]" hopeful, Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich.)
Today, Brownback took a very public step to prove the American public how "good" and "great" he is. The Senator announced that he was reintroducing the Truth in Video Game Rating Act (S.3935), a measure he first submitted last September. If made law, the act would require the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) to play the final build of a game from beginning to end before it gives said game a rating.
"Video game reviewers should be required to review the entire content of a game to ensure the accuracy of the rating," Brownback said in a statement. "The current video game ratings system is not as accurate as it could be because reviewers do not see the full content of games and do not even play the games they rate." The Truth in Video Game Rating Act would also commission a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study to "determine the efficacy of the...ESRB ratings system."
Currently, the ESRB reviews video of the "most extreme instances, across all relevant categories including but not limited to violence, language, sex, controlled substances and gambling" in each game it rates. Following the infamous hidden-sex-minigame Grand Theft Auto San Andreas scandal of 2005, publishers must now also submit "pertinent content that is not playable, but will exist in the game code on the final game disc."
Since then, the ESRB's system has proven fallible--or infallible, depending on one's viewpoint. In May 2006, the board rescinded the T for Teen rating of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion after it discovered graphically violent content at the denouement of the Dark Brotherhood questline. Despite being rated M for Mature, Oblivion went on to sell nearly 1.4 million copies in the US as of December 2006, generating just short of $80 million.* It has also won numerous accolades, including GameSpot's Role-Playing Game of the Year.
Now this here's a press release. UK online game rental company Gametart has randomly sampled 200 British women and decided to let the world know the ins and outs of their sexual appetites. To the point, they asked them how often they had sex, and if they regularly played video games.
Of our sample of 200 women, those who played video games on average had sex 4.3 times a week while those who didn't play games only had sex just 3.2 times a week.
A completely useless poll done for the purpose of advertising their site, of course. Do they take into account age? Looks? What was their definition of having sex? Rumble or no rumble? Most importantly, where is the photographic evidence?
Perhaps even more promising for gamers is the fact that many of the women that we interviewed who have only recently started playing games said that they now have sex more often than before.
As a wise doctor once said, "You are telling lies!" So what they are saying here is playing video games will enhance your sex life. Anyone else notice this particular phenomenon?
The game industry is quick to trump its accomplishments; bestsellers, growing revenues, and market expansion. The optimist in us likes that, but what's a pessimist to do? Well the recent issue of EGM (Mar '07) has a listicle that's hard to argue over: the worst-selling games of 2006. Though the always-serious Seanbaby fails to mention a specific source, he says "These games were selected from sales figures of the least purchased games of 2006 -- cold, hard, indisputable measurements of suck." They are:
Unison: Rebels of Rhythm & Dance (PS2)
Kakuto Chojin: Back Alley Brutal (XB)
Frogger Beyond (XB)
Bomberman: Act Zero (XB360)
Freestyle Street Soccer (XB)
Egg Mania: Eggstreme Madness (XB)
Space Ace (XB)
That's a lot of Xbox 1 games. Translation: "She's going down! Send the dross with it!"
Play Asia have posted a list of the latest new games released:
Sony PSP™:
Kanon JPN US$ 48.90
Lost Regnum: Makutsu no Koutei (Chinese Version) ASIA US$ 42.90
Nintendo DS™:
Layton Kyouju no Fushigi na Machi JPN US$ 48.90
PlayStation2™:
Appleseed EX JPN US$ 64.90
Appleseed EX [Limited Box] JPN US$ 99.90
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness / Akumajo Dracula: Yami no Juin (Konami the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Hiiro no Kakera: Ano Sora no Shita de JPN US$ 49.90
Hiiro no Kakera: Ano Sora no Shita de [Twin Pack] JPN US$ 99.90
Meine Liebe II (Konami Palace Selection) JPN US$ 20.90
Third party accessories (for PS3™ and Wii™):
Designer Remote Power Glove (Golf) US$ 6.99
Designer Remote Power Glove (Motorcycle) US$ 6.99
Designer Remote Power Glove (Tennis) US$ 6.99
Joypad Recharge Cable (3 meters / 10 ft) US$ 4.99 New toy releases:
Animal Crossing 10'' Super DX Plush Doll: Hooter (Blathers) US$ 18.90
Animal Crossing 10'' Super DX Plush Doll: Kinuyo (Mabel) US$ 18.90
Animal Crossing 10'' Super DX Plush Doll: Tanukichi (Tom Nook) US$ 18.90
Animal Crossing 10'' Super DX Plush Doll: Totakeke (K.K. Slider) US$ 18.90
Super Mario Bros. Kinoko Figure - 1up Mushroom US$ 7.90
Super Mario Bros. Kinoko Figure - Hatena Block US$ 7.90
Super Mario Bros. Kinoko Figure - Poison Mushroom US$ 7.90
Super Mario Bros. Kinoko Figure - Super Mushroom US$ 7.90
Excerpt of interesting new Japanese CD releases:
14 message -every ballad songs 2- [Limited Edition] (~Every Little Thing) JPN US$ 42.90
Blue Blood Special Edition [Limited Pressing] (~X) JPN US$ 31.90
Egao Yes Nude [CD+Booklet Limited Edition] (~Morning Musume) JPN N/A
Jealousy Special Edition [Limited Pressing] (~X) JPN US$ 31.90
Kirakira Megane's [Limited Edition] (~Megane's) JPN US$ 7.90
Valentine Kiss [Limited Edition] (~Genichiro Sanada With Rikkaidai Fuzoku Chu) JPN US$ 7.90
LucasArts officially announced its latest game in the Star Wars saga. Coming November for PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, PSP and Nintendo DS, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed explores one of the more interesting time periods in Star Wars lore. Set between the events of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Force Unleashed puts gamers in the role of Darth Vader's secret apprentice.
As Palpatine rises to power and the Empire begins its conquest of the galaxy, Vader sends his apprentice to help exterminate the remaining Jedi. Your character has four primary Force powers to develop during missions to eradicate the Jedi: Force push, grip, repulse and lightning. Powers can be used together to create unique combos and cause massive destruction to enemies and the environment.
The next-gen versions of Force Unleashed utilize some new technologies that promise realistic environmental reactions. Beyond having wood splinter and plants bend in the wind, non-player characters also act and react more realistically. Characters are said to adjust their behavior on the fly, based on the player's actions. It's unknown how the PS2, PSP and DS versions will differ.
Created under the direction of George Lucas, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed offers new insights into the Star Wars universe. And it let's you kick some Jedi ass. Look for eyes-on impressions of The Force Unleashed in a few weeks.
In the wake of details hitting on LucasArts new Star Wars game, The Force Unleashed, the company has set up an official website.
Confirming a release for November 2007, the site features concept art, game details and an FAQ on the DMM (Digital Molecular Matter) and euphoria technology employed. Combined with Havoc physics, we're promised these "groundbreaking" technologies will "create true next-gen gameplay and the Force like it's never been seen or experienced before."
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is set between Episode III and Episode IV in the movie series and sticks you in the shoes of Darth Vader's apprentice, aiding the Dark Lord of the Sith in ridding the universe of Jedi. LucasArts has spoken of a branching storyline, explaining that "Decisions made by players throughout the game will determine the path of the story, including multiple endings that will rock Star Wars continuity as they know it."
Blue Dragon, Microsoft's hit Far East RPG, is set to receive a stream of download content through Xbox Live.
The free download content adds two new difficulty modes to the Mistwalker RPG, "hard" and "super hard" which adjust the toughness of the game's colourful baddies. Also added is a "new plus" option which lets you play through the main quest again with all your stats and goodies intact.
Japanese fans will be able to grab the downloads from 8am tomorrow, and as for Europe we're still waiting on a date for the three-disc RPG.
The Xbox 360 version of Rayman Raving Rabbids will make use of the 360's Vision Camera.
Specifics on how the title will use the Vision Cam have yet to be revealed but publisher Ubisoft has also said that the 360 version will include exclusive mini-games not seen in other versions.
Look out for Bunnies Don't Play Rock, Paper, Scissors and Bunnies Don't Play Basketball being two new additions. There'll also be the mandatory 360 polish and shine on the new version too.
Guitar Hero II's associate producer Ted Lange has told IGN that the developer plans to release a wireless controller for the Xbox 360 version "rather shortly".
Apparently he said that a wire is currently needed to make it work. Seeing as though we can send men to the moon, surly a wireless X-plorer isn't totally out of the question.
Lange also promised that the 360 game will feature the most downloadable content "anyone has ever seen in a game to this date." Fingers crossed we won't have to pay for it all though. If we did, you'd probably beable to buy a real guitar and amp for cheaper.
Guitar Hero II on Xbox 360 should be available around April.
The latest figures from ABC have revealed that gaming magazines appear to be in a continuing decline, with a few bright spots as readership of many Future and Imagine titles falls once again.
OPSM2's monthly circulation is down 24 per cent from the August 2006 figures to hit 76,351. But there has been a 17 per cent rise for Official Nintendo, with readership almost topping 43,000 copies per month.
Official Xbox 360 is also up from 42,680 to just over 56,000, with sales likely to have been boosted by the closure of Official Xbox Magazine. Figures for the new Official PlayStation 3 Magazine were not provided.
Excluding OPSM3, 175,368 official titles are sold each month - compared to 218,863 six months previously.
As for the battle of the unofficial mags, Future's PSW is down from nearly 34,500 to just over 26,000 copies, while Imagine-published Play is in the lead with 29,000 - despite a 37.5 per cent drop in readership compared to a year ago.
Circulation for Imagine's Powerstation was down to 15,171 from 22,288 in February 2006. Future-published rival PSM2, currently transitioning to become PSM3, saw a drop of more than 25 per cent over the past six months to hit just over 26,500.
Xbox 360 World, another Future mag, saw its circulation remaining steady at around 23,000, while readership for Imagine's X360 was up more than 20 per cent to edge past the 28,000 mark.
The figure for 360, also published by Imagine, fell slightly from 13,098 to 11,369. Relative newcomer Uncooked Media experienced a rise in sales for 360 Gamer, which went up from 9100 to top 10,600.
PC titles appear to be in a slow but steady decline - PC Zone is down from just over 30,000 to 27,000, while PC Gamer lost 1675 readers to hit just over 43,600.
It's a different story for the multi-platform titles, which appear to be in a stable position. Games Master's readership is now hovering around the 54,000 mark following a small increase in sales, while circulation for Imagine's Games TM still stands at just over 20,000. Once again, Edge faired better than many of Future's publications - readership is up from 33,597 to 35,145, a rise of more than 4 per cent.
As a sort of semi-preview for what to expect in the next-gen versions of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, kotakuite Ally directed me towards this technology demo from GDC 2006, which highlights Digital Molecular Matters methods for interacting with materials. The vid starts off with some Indiana Jones character reaction goodness as well.
Pretty exciting stuff there, but as another kotakuite, Pdubbs601 points out, LucasArts has stated that this new tech is only viable on next-gen consoles, so don't expect to see the same effects in the PS2 or PSP version.
Heres the full listing of Games and Game Related releases from Play Asia:
Xbox360™:
Battlestations: Midway ASIA US$ 49.90
Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 US US$ 49.90
Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows ASIA US$ 19.90
Nintendo Wii™:
Designer Remote Power Glove (Golf) US$ 6.99
Designer Remote Power Glove (Motorcycle) US$ 6.99
Designer Remote Power Glove (Tennis) US$ 6.99
Wii Play with Remote US US$ 59.90
PlayStation3™:
Joypad Recharge Cable (3 meters / 10 ft) US$ 4.99 PlayStation2™:
AR Tonelico: Melody of Elemia US US$ 59.90
Appleseed EX JPN US$ 64.90
Appleseed EX [Limited Box] JPN US$ 99.90
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness / Akumajo Dracula: Yami no Juin (Konami the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Harukanaru Jikuu no Kade 3 (Koei the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Hiiro no Kakera: Ano Sora no Shita de JPN US$ 49.90
Hiiro no Kakera: Ano Sora no Shita de [Twin Pack] JPN US$ 99.90
Meine Liebe II (Konami Palace Selection) JPN US$ 20.90
RoydsPad.Net US$ 59.90
Sangokushi VIII with Power-Up Kit (Koei Selection) JPN US$ 24.90
Shining Force EXA KOR US$ 59.90
Soul Cradle: Sekai o Kurau Mono JPN US$ 64.90
Soul Cradle: Sekai o Kurau Mono [First Print Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
Zero no Tsukaima JPN US$ 64.90
Zero no Tsukaima [First Print Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Nintendo DS™:
Bleach DS 2nd: Kokui Hirameku Chinkon Uta JPN US$ 48.90
Death Note: Kira Game JPN US$ 48.90
Layton Kyouju no Fushigi na Machi JPN US$ 48.90
Lunar Knights US US$ 34.90
Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 US US$ 39.90
Sony PSP™:
Capcom Puzzle World US US$ 39.90
Gurumin US US$ 39.90
Hard Pouch Portable (blue) US$ 10.90
Hard Pouch Portable (pink) US$ 10.90
Kanon JPN US$ 48.90
Lost Regnum: Makutsu no Koutei (Chinese Version) ASIA US$ 42.90
Lumines II JPN US$ 48.90
Rezel Cross (Chinese Version) ASIA US$ 42.90
Silicon Cover Portable (blue) US$ 10.90
Silicon Cover Portable (pink) US$ 10.90
Tales of Destiny 2 JPN US$ 48.90
Tales of Destiny 2 ASIA US$ 42.90
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 JPN US$ 48.90
Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 US US$ 39.90
Gameboy Advance™:
Final Fantasy VI Advance US US$ 39.90
PC Games:
Biohazard 4 (DVD-ROM) KOR US$ 49.90
UFO: Afterlight ASIA US$ 24.90
Guide Books:
You and Wii: Everything You Need to Know US US$ 21.90
Toys & Misc:
Animal Crossing 10'' Super DX Plush Doll: Hooter (Blathers) US$ 18.90
Animal Crossing 10'' Super DX Plush Doll: Kinuyo (Mabel) US$ 18.90
Animal Crossing 10'' Super DX Plush Doll: Tanukichi (Tom Nook) US$ 18.90
Animal Crossing 10'' Super DX Plush Doll: Totakeke (K.K. Slider) US$ 18.90
Animal Crossing 7'' Plush Doll Collection 2: Hooter (Blathers) US$ 11.90
Animal Crossing 7'' Plush Doll Collection 2: Master (Brewster) US$ 11.90
Animal Crossing 7'' Plush Doll Collection 2: Perio (Pete) US$ 11.90
Animal Crossing 7'' Plush Doll Collection 2: Sally US$ 11.90
Animal Crossing 7'' Plush Doll Collection 2: Totakeke (K.K. Slider) US$ 11.90
Neon Genesis Evangelion Extra Pajamas Baby Pre-painted PVC Figure: Asuka Langley US$ 17.90
Neon Genesis Evangelion Extra Pajamas Baby Pre-painted PVC Figure: Rei Ayanami US$ 17.90
Nintendo DS Lite Mini Figure & DS Card Case Twin Strap US$ 5.99
Super Mario Bros. Dot Design Mat: Type A Mario N/A
Super Mario Bros. Dot Design Mat: Type B Question Mark N/A
Super Mario Bros. Dot Design Mat: Type C Goomba N/A
Super Mario Bros. Dot Design Mat: Type D Brick N/A
Super Mario Bros. Dot Design Mat: Type E Super Mushroom US$ 16.90
Super Mario Bros. Dot Design Mouse 2: Mario US$ 17.90
Super Mario Bros. Dot Design Mouse 2: Star US$ 17.90
Super Mario Bros. Kinoko Figure - 1up Mushroom US$ 7.90
Super Mario Bros. Kinoko Figure - Hatena Block N/A
Super Mario Bros. Kinoko Figure - Poison Mushroom US$ 7.90
Super Mario Bros. Kinoko Figure - Super Mushroom US$ 7.90
Video Game related Soundtracks:
Hidechan! Radio. 2.5 Two-Han Princess Singles + Music & Drama CD
As a company, Microsoft's success is partially attributed to its support of the developer community. So when Bill Gates saw a modded original Xbox it seems appropriate that he was curious how homebrew developers could be engaged.
In August 2006 Microsoft's answer came with the announcement of the free development tool XNA Game Studio Express and the subscription-based XNA Creators Club.
Released in December, this is the only mechanism to do legitimate homebrew on the Xbox 360. Unlike the PS3 and Wii a web browser is not available. Until Microsoft believes people really want a browser and Microsoft is comfortable with the security implications, a browser won't come.
Unlike like the other console makers, however, Microsoft has built and continues to build infrastructure, tools and marketing programs around their homebrew platform.
The XNA Strategy
The enabling technology for Microsoft's homebrew strategy is the XNA Framework and its Common Language Runtime. In a nutshell, the framework provides APIs to access features of the Xbox 360, and the CLR is the sandbox/operating environment applications run on.
For amateur game developers there is plenty to like about Microsoft's strategy:
The tools are free and allow you to build applications for Windows and the Xbox 360.
There is plenty of information on the Internet and at Microsoft's developer site.
Your code runs on the 360's standard operating system and allows remote debugging.
The framework gives you access to much of the console's abilities including 3D graphics acceleration, audio, private storage and rummblable controllers.
So what has been created so far? There are emulators for the NES and ZX Spectrum, third party development tools, and of course people are building various games.
While the XNA strategy is starting strong, improvements and changes are needed in order to gain mass market appeal.
First, some examples of minor annoyances ... 3D sound is not supported and Achievements cannot be dished out. The lack of 3D sound support is odd considering the betas had it. The lack of achievements, however, is understandable. They require coordination with Microsoft to integrate with Live, let alone malcontents would artificially inflate their Gamerscores.
Higher on the missing features list is the lack of networking support. Without it you cannot create networked games or full media centers. The Microsoft XNA FAQ states networking support is actively being worked on. It is unclear if this is a new Live-oriented API or if they are going to enable the .NET Framework's existing API. I'm hoping for both. But Microsoft will want to attempt to prevent applications from accidentally or purposefully attacking Live or other machines.
The biggest impediments to mass market homebrew, however, are the need to spend $99 US on an annual subscription (or $49 US for four months) and the requirement to share and compile source code in order to use a homebrew application. This is undoubtedly a situation of testing the waters. After all they have a lot of customers to consider. By customers, I mean:
The homebrew app writer who wants to create anything they can think of.
The mass market homebrew app user who wants to use a homebrew app without compilation, worrying about security, and paying for the privilege of homebrew.
The existing publishers and developers who probably want to minimize competition from free applications and won't pay for dev kits, tools, etc, if full featured alternatives are freely available.
Microsoft itself, who wants to support a development community but minimize the impact on the customer support team from users of homebrew applications. This is on top of Microsoft's need to manage the situation should any of the above groups get particularly unhappy.
Essentially we are in the early stages of a longer term strategy. I equate this to how Microsoft approached Xbox Live in 2002. We are witnessing the developer-oriented first homebrew step. I'm hoping Microsoft's second step is both broader from an audience standpoint, and deeper from a technical standpoint. Let's see what they reveal at GDC.
Bottom-line: Unlike the other consoles makers, Microsoft is attempting to ensure the homebrew experience is part of Xbox 360 proper. The potential is strong but the mass market showstoppers include the need to purchase an annual subscription and the need to compile the source code of the application. Undoubtedly Microsoft will address this. Hopefully they will address it soon.
Chart topping superstars, Scissor Sisters, will join an a line up of DJ and snowboarding talent playing in a series of unique Game with Fame events at the Xbox Big Day Out in Val d’Isère. The band will team up with the likes of French DJ and producer Martin Solveig, UK superstars Fabio & Grooverider and Quiksilver riders including Mathieu Crepel, Danny Wheeler and Jakob Wilhelmson to take on gamers across Europe, direct from the Alps later this month.
The details of how to take part:
Quiksilver Riders
Who: Mathieu Crepel, Danny Wheeler and Jakob Wilhelmson
Date: Tuesday 27th February
Time: 19.00 - 21.00 CET
Game: Tony Hawk Project 8
Forza Motorsport 2 is due out here (Europe) in May as well as the US, Microsoft said today, and we now know a bit more about the cars you'll be driving, too.
In the first of a series of "car reveals", we're told of a bunch of Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche and Lamborghinis that are available to buy up and customise. There are 15 Ferrari models, 13 Porsche, five Lambos and a pair of "Mazzas". We're making these nicknames up, obviously.
The full list of confirmed cars and a couple of handsome images have popped up on the well-maintained official website. Good to see the 1987 Porsche 959 in there. That's the one we were waiting for.
In all seriousness though, Forza Motorsport 2 is looking sharper and sharper with every update, and should build considerably on the success of the first game when it spins into sight a few months from now.
It will also be one of the few games to take full advantage of the Xbox 360 steering wheel, released at Christmas.
Last September, a slate of previously unannounced Wii Virtual Console titles from Sega were spotted with fresh new ratings on the Entertainment Software Rating Board's Web site. Two months later, another round of apparent Virtual Console games received new ratings, these ones pulled primarily from the Nintendo Entertainment System's collection of classics.
So far, only about half of those games have found their way to release, but the ESRB site continues to hint at future releases in the form of ratings for unannounced games. The ESRB has recently rated Wii editions of older games Galaga, Mighty Bomb Jack, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of Fire, none of which have been confirmed for a US release yet. As yet unreleased TurboGrafx-16 Virtual Console offerings New Adventure Island and Chew Man-Fu are also in the ESRB database, and Hudson has confirmed both games are scheduled for a US release this month.
In addition, the site has a listing for Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts on the Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, introducing the possibility that Capcom's Super Nintendo side-scroller could be the first downloadable game to land on all three platforms. A Capcom representative had not returned GameSpot's request for comment as of press time.
The ESRB database also includes ratings for a few retro collections. EA Replay 2 on the PlayStation Portable--which hasn't been confirmed by the publisher but was spotted at online retailers earlier this year--received a T for Teen, with content descriptors for blood and violence. Meanwhile, the site also lists domestic ratings for Empire Interactive's Euro offerings Taito Legends 2 for PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox, as well as Taito Legends Power-Up for the PSP.
Finally, the site lists a rating for the Lumines Live Artist Pack: Madonna "Sorry" (originally seen in action at last year's E3). While this isn't the first bit of downloadable console content to receive a rating from the ESRB (The Knights of the Nine expansion for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was rated), it appears to be the first time the additional content has received a different rating than the product for which it is intended. Lumines Live received a rating of E for Everyone, while the Madonna artist pack has been tagged as E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older. There are no listings for Lumines Live's previous downloadable content packs.
Bungie has released new details on the upcoming Halo 3 multiplayer beta, in an FAQ on its official website.
While its hesitant to reveal the full list of maps and game modes for the multiplayer beta - saying only that there will be "enough to get the testing data we need while providing a fun game experience."
Bungie also confirms that the matchmaking party system will be included, and even the mysterious functionality of the X button will be uncovered ("it won't be all that surprising", Bungie says).
As for what it's looking to learn from the Beta, Bungie says it's looking for "mainly the kinds of things that you cannot otherwise accomplish without the mass of people we'll have, such as stress-testing all of the backend stuff and networking.
"We'll be keeping an eye on our forums for general feedback," it continues, "but the primary goal is to gain valuable technical information that's only possible when we have tens of thousands of simultaneous players across the world." Looks like we're in for some seriously balanced Needlers, then.
Microsoft has reaffirmed its objective with the Halo 3 multiplayer beta, telling gamers "don't call it a demo".
Speaking to MTV.com, Microsoft Game Studios boss Phil Spencer says that the beta is totally different from a demo. "A demo is built to whet the appetite until the retail game comes out, he says. "This is a beta and there might be some seams that are showing at certain points, but we think this is the best way to get ready for Halo 3 launch.
"It's not really a tease," he continues, "we're not using the beta as a way to string someone along in the hope that they might go and buy halo 3 when it finally comes out.We really look at it as a way of testing the technology and a way of making sure that some of our more far-reaching design goals are being met watching people play online."
Bungie also posted an FAQ for the beta on its official website, explaining exactly how access through Realtime World's Crackdown will work.
US retailer Gamestop has taken out a full-page advert in USA Today to highlight its ongoing commitment to stopping minors buying games about slaughtering hookers and that.
"We Gamestop, as well as other retailers, have already stepped up with ESRB to regulate ourselves," spokesperson Clive Olivera told Eurogamer this afternoon.
"That's what this is all about. We wanted to bump it up and let the public know, especially consumers, that it is something we actually take quite seriously."
The advert features Gamestop president Steve Morgan peering strangely out from under a gigantic "Respect The Ratings" slogan, which is joined on the page by cubes with ominous ESRB ratings stamped on them.
Hello slightly weird Steve Morgan.
Unlike the BBFC ratings in the UK, which are enforced by law, the ESRB system is used primarily as a guideline to highlight the content of a game; it isn't actually against the law to sell a Mature 17+ game to a minor in America.
"I think we can always do better," Olivera continued. "One mature-rated game sold to a minor is one too many. It's our goal to provide as much education as we can, not only to our employees but to consumers in general."
And hence RespectTheRatings.com was born, to help parents get a grip on the crazy world of videogames. Instead of, you know, shouting at them and being completely insane, like certain specific opponents to violent videogames.
"There is an audience for every game, just like there is a system for every consumer out there," Olivera added. "Gamestop is looking at providing as much information as possible so people can make an informed choice."
Which leaves only one question, really: what on earth is happening with Steve Morgan's face?
Writer Richard O. Jones has a lengthy article up at Black Voice News, where he discusses the dangers of racial stereotyping in video games. Citing examples like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, he contends that young Black and Latino children who constantly see themselves portrayed as thieves and killers are more likely to emulate them.
"If Blacks and Latinos are always portrayed as the villains, or as the victims who get killed often and easily, that is code for powerlessness," said Kansas State University psychologist John Murray, who's studied violence and stereotypes in the media for the past 30 years. "These image persist because too few minorities are in the industry."
It is a very good point he makes. The US video game industry is 80% Caucasian, and let's face it, white people tend to program white characters, mainly because it's what they are familiar with, but I suspect also out of a fear that if they portray a Black character they'll get it wrong, or offend someone. Just look at Barret from FFVII.
Jones goes on to suggest that the solution lies in more young Black and Latino children stop playing the games and start making them, and I agree completely. Not only would it help with their own self-image, it could help everyone understand each other a little bit better.
Next Generation examines while voicing support for the formation of a video game standards commission with the end goal of creating a standardized console format. Like, no more proprietary Nintendos, Sonys, or Microsofts; just commodified machines that adhere to a protocol and play the same games like DVD and MP3 players do with their respective media.
From the article: "Honestly, at its current rate I don't know how much further the industry can go unless we do all band together and start watching out for our best interests as a community... Cliché as it might be, a united front is a strong front – and we've got a hell of a lot to offer the world."
But alas, the technical gap between platforms is far too great and differentiated at the moment to concede to a set standard, not to mention the heavy resistance of major corporations protecting their proprietary pockets. And do we really want to commodify video games more than they already are?
From Amazon UK comes all the following releases for today and the week ahead:
Heres the listings:
Airbus Fleet (Add on for FS 2004/FSX) (PC CD) (2007) (Windows XP)
ARMA: Armed Assault (PC)
Arthur and the Invisibles (PSP)
Call of Duty 2: Game of the Year Edition (Xbox 360 Classics)
Chili Con Carnage (PSP)
Classic British Motor Racing (PC CD)
Classic British Motor Racing (PS2)
Delaware St John Adventure Double Pack 1 & 2 (PC)
Excite Truck (Wii)
Fritz Chess 10 (PC DVD)
Fuzion Frenzy 2 (Xbox 360)
God Hand (PS2)
Hammy goes Nuts (PSP)
HDMI 4 Way Switch Box with Remote & 3 Metre HDMI Cable (PS3)
Lumines Plus (PS2)
Mario Slam Basketball (Nintendo DS)
Paradise (PC)
Postman Pat: The Greendale Rocket (GBA)
Project Gotham Racing 3 (Xbox 360 Classics)
Robin Hoods Quest (PC)
Robin Hoods Quest (PS2)
Sherlock Holmes - The Awakened (PC DVD)
Ship Simulator 2006 (Official Add-on) (PC)
Shrek Smash 'N' Crash (PSP)
The Snow Queen Quest (PC)
The Snow Queen Quest (PS2)
Supreme Commander (PC)
Supreme Commander UEF Faction Pack - Amazon Exclusive (PC)
Test Drive Unlimited (PC DVD)
Test Drive Unlimited (PS2)
TOCA Race Driver 3 Challenge (PSP)
Tortuga: Two Treasures (PC)
War Front: Turning Point (PC)
World Series of Poker: Tournament Champions (PC)
- DS Lite: 201,177
- Wii: 78,550
- PSP: 32,175
- PS3: 23,431
- PS2: 16,033
- Xbox 360: 4,811
- GBA SP: 980
- Game Boy Micro: 884
- Gamecube: 383
- DS Phat: 121
- GBA: 36
The Wii/DS tag team are trouncing Sonys efforts in Japan, if they bring out connectivity soon between the consoles then watch Wii sales go through the roof.
When most modern gamers imagine a joystick, the image that comes to mind is that of the arcade stick—a flat slab with an array of large buttons and a short, springy joystick. The older set, however, will recall the old days of the Atari 2600 and its controller, a small, palm sized base with a tall stick protruding from the middle. It wasn't very comfortable or accurate, but it didn't really need to be. This style of controller design, however, went extinct relatively early in console history due to the arrival of the gamepad, generally a far more comfortable and accurate design for faster paced gameplay.
Recently, Xbox Live Arcade on the Xbox 360 has opened the doors to a wealth of easily accessible classic games on a modern system. For some the experience of tooling around with Dig Dug, Pac Man, Paper Boy, Frogger, Time Pilot, and others with a modern game pad is good enough. For purists, however, the experience is not the same without the controller these games were originally played with, the old school palm-top gamestick of 2600 vintage. Addressing such demand, MadCatz has developed and released the Arcade GameStick 360, essentially modernizing the console controller of the '70s with the accoutrement of our modern age.
Make sure to check out the full review in the link provided, in the mean time check out this picture.
These are the first ever images of Spider-Man's next web-slinging outing, showing the super hero up to his usual antics in both his standard suit and the new black suit.
Check out the shot with the heavily dented taxi cab, which hopefully reflects the levels of interaction to feature in the new polygonal recreation of The Big Apple.
Although the format from which these screens were taken has not been official confirmed, that Spider-Man character model looks too detailed to be on Wii, so we're calling Xbox 360 with these shots.
Spider-Man 3 is expected to release in May to coincide with the release of the motion picture.
Xbox 360 might have only dipped a toe into the MMORPG waters to date but developer Funcom is confident that its forthcoming Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures will be a success on the console.
Product manager Erling Ellingsen reckons this is because of how well the game "sits with the action-oriented audience".
"We have just as high hopes for this version of the game," Ellingsen continued in an interview with CVG. "Combat in Age of Conan is dynamic, real-time and hands-on - something that will make it work much better on a console than what has been possible with other MMOs."
Ellingsen explained that the Xbox 360 version of Age of Conan will release after the PC version - which is out October - but was keen to point out that a separate development team is focussing on the console version of the MMORPG.
"It's important to note that this is not going to be just a port from the PC, but we're actually going to great lengths to make a tailored version for the Xbox 360", Ellingsen said.
Most games are released on Fridays (to maximise weekend buying activity) but if something is brought forward or moves, this is the place to come if you want to track the title that just keeps on slipping (naming no names, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.). We'll even throw in one or two hardware and peripheral releases if we think they're worthy.
The complete list of games released in the UK this week (23/02/07):
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six, PSP, Ubisoft
You have to pity the publisher that brings a game out on the same day as the long anticipated Final Fantasy XII, which is exactly what Ubisoft is doing by releasing Pippa Funnel 3: The Golden Stirrup Challenge this coming Friday. It doesn't stand a chance...
Of course, different audiences, different markets but you have to wonder how anything is going to compete with Square Enix's 100+ hour PS2 behemoth. Can Crackdown make a dent in its hardcore following?
Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
How can we sum up this game in just a few words? 'Buy it!' is probably most succinct. If you've never played a Final Fantasy game before it's the perfect place to start. And if you have you should realise straight away that this mammoth chapter in the series has done away with random encounters entirely, the only thing that really grated in previous episodes.
There's a new 'gambit' system allowing you to tailor combat commands to your every whim and a kind of bizarre chess-style mini-game that lets you unlock special 'licence' abilities for your characters. It's all done with Square Enix's usual élan, story-telling genius and focus on sumptuous visuals. Pippa Funnel RIP.
Crackdown (Xbox 360)
This is Dave Jones' (the creator of GTA and Lemmings) latest title and it takes the free-roaming concept to the next level. Set in the crime-infested world of Pacific City the game sees you, literally, raining down justice on hundreds of thugs and perps. The title's main innovation is complete freedom of motion. There are no areas locked-off and the city's dizzy 'verticality' can be fully explored by your character's ability to leap and climb with abandon. But action is the main focus and there's a strong OTT explosive dynamic about the game that'll appeal to anyone who enjoyed Mercenaries or Just Cause. In fact it's everything those games aspired to be. Well worth a look if you prefer action over RPGs.
Ghost Rider (PS2, PSP, GBA)
Released to coincide with the movie, starring Nicholas Cage as a fiery-headed vigilante, Ghost Rider is Devil May Cry with a hint of Road Rash. We've played the game at preview stage several times and it's certainly enjoyable in a God of War-style way but lacks that game's exploratory charm and intricate boss encounters. The PSP version has been adapted to deliver shorter, more goal oriented missions and looks superb. Likely to be a decent movie tie-in but unless you are a fan of the comic-book there are better games out this week.
Kororinpa (Wii)
Now this one is interesting and we're pleased it's getting a European release. Certainly worth looking into if you've already grown tired of Wii Sports. Basically it's Marble Madness where you tilt the Remote to move your marble around the course.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas (PSP)
Rainbow Six Vegas was a return to form for the series on Xbox 360 and was particularly effervescent in multiplayer. This is the PSP port and along with introducing new characters and new locations in the single-player component there's also some exclusive Wi-Fi multiplayer modes. Along with a Terrorist Hunt mode there's a 5-player Survival and Team Survival option available in both Ad hoc and Infrastructure. If the gameplay can be tailored to the PSP controls this could well be one of the best multiplayer games on the PSP to date.
Pippa Funnel 3: The Golden Stirrup Challenge (PC)
Our Week Ahead round-up wouldn't be complete without a short comment on the latest in the Pippa Funnel series. Bizarrely this is from the same developer that brought us the intriguing and innovative In Memoriam on PC. But Pippa Funnel 3: The Golden Stirrup Challenge is exactly what you'd expect: a horsey petting and dressage title, mainly aimed at girls (though CVG's Andy Taylor also has a soft spot for it). This time round you can visit Italy, Alsace and China and even raise your own foal.
Keep an eye out for next week's round-up going live on Saturday.
The aurora vent lighting system creates more than one illusion: first, that your Xbox is emitting an unearthly glow, but also that you took a lot of
time to create a custom LED array for your Xbox vent lights. Instead, this product snaps into the custom LED holders included with the product, and
plugs into the onboard power without any soldering.
The DVD Linker is a replacement product for the standard DVD cables of the Xbox 360. Perfect match whether yours are lost, damaged in a Frankenstein moment, or you just want spares on hand before trying your next wild mod.
We've heard of using a Wiimote to handle home automation tasks, but building a device in order to create an automated Xbox 360 controller is another animal entirely. An intrigued and efficiency-minded individual set out to to achieve an additional 60 Xbox Live gamer points by trudging through 1,000 Death Matches and 1,000 Dark Ops rounds, all without him actually being there. Thus the xBot automator was born -- a robotic dictator that was programmed to simply hit the start and B buttons on a timed interval in order to progress through all the matches needed in order to snag the oh-so-coveted points. Essentially, the completely non-intrusive machine utilizes two rotational solenoids driven by a TTL (Transistor to Transistor Logic) controller, and while the actual programming steps were indeed a bit more in-depth, the creator isn't divulging all of his secrets just yet. So if you think you've got the DIY skills necessary to concoct one of these yourself, and would rather spend "around 10 hours" piecing together an automating machine rather than 40 (or more) hours in Perfect Dark: Zero, be sure to hit the read link for a few more deets on the whole process, and click on through for a live demonstration.
Capcom, today announced plans to offer downloadable multiplayer map packs for Lost Planet. The first map pack will cost 400 Points, with pricing on the following packs to be determined later.
The first pack is planned to be released on or about March 9 and contains two new multiplayer levels: “Radar Field,” a close quarters facility which is under construction and has a giant radar that provides an excellent vantage point, and “Island 902,” a sprawling Pacific-themed battlefield with several islands connected by bridges as well as vast underwater areas. Additionally, “Battleground,” a multiplayer map originally offered exclusively to those who purchased the Limited Edition of the game, will be made available for free to all Lost Planet players. The next two packs, as well as the free Battleground map will be made available in the coming months.
bungie.net have posted a Halo 3 Beta FAQ. Some of the more interesting Qs & As are:
When does the beta start?
The beta will not start when Crackdown is released. The beta will go live when it’s ready, which should be sometime this Spring. The team is currently busy whipping the included content into shape. Our goal is to deliver a fun, solid game experience though it will still very much be a “beta
How long will the beta last?
The beta will only be playable for a limited time. Exact timing is still TBD.
How many players are going to be in the beta?
A lot, many thousands. Let's just say, you won't have trouble finding a match.
Will we all have to sign NDAs and never speak of the beta? Will you try to contain screenshots and movies coming out of the beta?
Nope. In a perfect world, maybe, but it's hard enough when the participants are just a few thousand MS employees, let alone thousands and thousands of Halo fans. We don't expect anything in the beta to remain a secret. The beta will be covered by a normal user agreement, with lots of caveats about the fact that it's not finished, only lasts for a short time and so on.
TheInquirer.net is reporting that the Makro are selling Premium Pack 360's for the Core pack price (£199), they even have a picture of the catalogue proving it. But what they don't realise is the Makro, being a wholesales, shows the prices excluding VAT (17.5%), so the real price is about £235. Still a good price, £45 cheaper than the RRP of £279.
Unfortunately Makro is not open to the public, you need a Makro's traders card (shop owners/managers etc).
Update: many sites are reporting that the price is £199, so here is proof VAT is not included
Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (UU’s)
1 Gears of War
2 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
3 Call Of Duty 3
4 DEF JAM: ICON (Demo)
5 Crackdown (Demo)
6 Madden NFL 07
7 Lost Planet
8 NBA STREET (Demo)
9 Oblivion
10 GRAW 2 (Demo)
Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions)
1 Paperboy
2 Root Beer Tapper
3 UNO
4 Heavy Weapon
5 Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
6 Contra
7 Texas Hold 'em
8 Geometry Wars Evolved
9 Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting
10 Small Arms
It looks like Halo 4 might have just been accidentally confirmed, not that news of a sequel to the Xbox 360's top exclusive would be surprising at all.
The Bungie guys were kind enough to donate a voice cameo in Halo 3 for non-profit Hollywood Arts, a group that "reaches homeless young people through the arts." But in the description of the official eBay auction for the cameo it seems that some legumes were spilled.
Voiceover will be recorded at Blindlight Studios in Hollywood, CA before May 15, 2007 or this package will have to redeemed for Halo 4.
While this seems pretty straight forward, I suppose it's possible the Hollywood Arts people jumped to some conclusions when they said there was a Halo 4, but I sorta doubt it.
Bungie has stated that Halo 3 will finish story arc, but there could be more games set in the halo universe (Halo Wars anyone)
Update:
the description has been rewritten with the only change being "If you miss this deadline, this opportunity becomes applicable to a future Bungie project".
The cameo is for Halo 3, and the timeframe is tight, although the “wit” who wrote the eBay copy originally joked that if you don’t make the session in time, you’d have to end up in Halo 4. Note that was NOT an announcement, but rather a sad clunker of a gag.
Things in Korea are starting to change. A country known more for its voricious PC gaming appetite looks poised to be the settling for yet another console war. This year, the PS3 will launch in June, and the Nintendo Wii will hit stores sometime later. With the Xbox 360 out in Korea since 2006, is Microsoft worried? Says Microsoft Korea director Kim Dae-jin:
When we first started to sell Xbox 360 a year ago, many people from the game industry and the media worried about us. But now, things have turned rosier. We will have some healthy competition in 2007 and that will expand the market volume. Even though PlayStation and Nintendo are joining the race, we will still be able to make more sales than last year.
If the DS is any indication of how Korean gamers view Nintendo, huge initial sales since the product when on sale show that the Wii could be a hit. Sony has an uphill fight as Sony Computer Entertainment Korea faces big losses and recently cut its staff by a quarter — Hence the delayed PS3 launch in Korea. Piracy might be to blame for Sony's woes, though. And since Microsoft Korea is apparently moving more units than its Japan branch, things do look promising!
What do you do when you can't get a Wii? You stare at pictures of it. Nintendo's hardware shortage has likely encouraged a startling boost in web traffic for the company. According to data from Nielsen & NetRatings, Nintendo.com's unique visitor count reached 2.08 million in January, up 82% from last year's count.
The numbers were enough to trump both PlayStation.com (1.55 million uniques) and Xbox.com (1.5 million uniques) -- and land Nintendo.com in seventh place among the top computer hardware manufacturer sites. Nintendo also recorded the third longest browsing time per visit at 19 minutes and 29 seconds. Despite Nintendo's web growth, Apple.com proved it was still the destination for lustful consumers, recording 43.51 million unique visitors, who averaged 79 minutes and 25 seconds of perusing. It's called the iPhone.
If you got your hands on Crackdown already, download these four free agents. The set includes a character with Sam Fisher style head gear. Hey why no female characters ?
Name: Four-Play Pack
Price: Free
Availability: Gold Members in all Xbox Live regions except Germany
Dash Details: Before getting busy, download and get into the action with these four new Agents
According to Reuters, a new study involving 33 surgeons at a New York hospital shows 'a strong correlation between video game skills and a surgeon's capabilities'. A statement by the senior author of the study even suggests the use of video games as a training tool for surgeons. Another of the study's authors cautions parents to curb excessive gaming, however: 'spending that much time playing video games is not going to help their child's chances of getting into medical school'
Microsoft's Shane Kim has reignited the next-gen war of words - revealing that the creator of Xbox 360 has complete faith that it will emerge as the victor of this console generation. Kim, Microsoft's coporate vice president, also insists that 360 won't be buried as swiftly as its predecessor when the dawn of a new next-gen era begins.
According to Kim, Microsoft's honchos "absolutely believe" that Xbox 360 "will win this generation," and that it "is going to have a very long tail". And he isn't talking about giving the much-rumoured black Xbox an eye-catching new design feature.
"If we could have a PS2-like tail, that would be awesome for Xbox 360. I don't think you're going to see the same abrupt move to the next-generation," Kim told gaming website 1UP in a recent interview. Any extension to 360's life will require stronger dedication on Microsoft's behalf than was given to the Xbox, though Kim stresses the swift dumping of Xbox was "a strategic decision" aimed at ensuring Microsoft dominated the next console war.
Crackdown draws a dividing line between gamers, offering a virtual world in which to play freely (by the developer's rules), while scrapping efforts to provide an engrossing narrative driven by forced gameplay scenarios -- not that there couldn't have been room for both. Realtime Worlds has clearly demonstrated which side of the line it stands on.
It's difficult to know how interested we'd be in Crackdown if Halo 3 Beta had never been tethered to the game disc; 'Crackdown' is a name that's been floating around a list of AAA-exclusives, but the beta brought its presence to the forefront of early '07 anticipation. Perhaps this game is too niche to make non-360 owners jealous, but there's no denying that it adds an important element to the Xbox 360 library. That's not to say Crackdown necessarily defines greatness. They don't get more subjective than this...
1UP (90/100) - "Yeah, Crackdown's a little like Grand Theft Auto and its ilk... [but so] much of the bullshit has been stripped out ... that Crackdown is barely in the same genre... [However,] Crackdown's greatest disappointment is in its lack of variety... Given the superhuman abilities of your agent, it would've been nice to come up against a comparable challenge. How awesome would it be to go toe to toe with another rooftop-leaping, car-flinging supervillain?... Most of the game's joy comes not from single-mindedly taking out bosses, but taking advantage of the big box of toys your agent's been dropped into... That it represents the best, if not the first, online multiplayer sandbox game on a console is just gravy."
Worth Playing (90/100) - "Crackdown is the rare open world game that actually gives you incentive to explore every nook and cranny of the city around you... This is an absolutely incredible game for co-op... Playing in co-op mode lets players who've gone for different agent "builds" really complement each other in their teamwork, and it brings a new dimension to the frankly unprecedented strategic elements inherent in Crackdown's spin on the open world genre. Best of all, there's no poorly implemented, tacked-on versus multiplayer to muddy up the waters... This is a game that Microsoft expected the vast majority of 360 owners to want to have this spring, and rightly so. Games like Crackdown are the cornerstone the 360's passionate user community is built upon, and why the 360 is developing an increasingly deserved reputation for being the next-gen console of choice."
IGN (80/100) - "This huge, streaming game ... is built around simple basics: Shooting bosses and collecting orbs. So how can Crackdown ... be so simple yet so god-damned addictive?... Once you boot it up, the game's allure ... will suck you in and leave you wanting more. It's called Crackdown for a reason... While the action carries Crackdown, unfortunately the story couldn't carry a bundle of sticks... Let's just say you wouldn't buy this game for the enthralling narrative and compelling characters. You'll buy it to become a slobbering mindless slave to orb collecting... On the downside, exploration is limited to only two orb types. Sure, there are 500 agility orbs, and 300 secret orbs, which is a lot. But other than orbs, you got nothing... Crackdown won't last that long, it's uneven, and the story and the music are weak sauce... But overall the thrill of jumping like a mutant kangaroo from rooftop to rooftop is unrivaled!"
GameSpot (78/100) - "[An] open-world game that feels more open ended than any other game of its type, but that lack of structure makes the game feel half finished and shallow in a few spots... The weird part is that none of the story really matters, because the whole point of the game is to provide open-ended freedom and a large, interesting city to explore... The game tries to make the co-op a seamless experience, but in reality, it's anything but. When you're playing alone, you can set an option to allow other players to request to join your game. You can limit this to friends, if you like, but either way, you can always deny a request if you're in the middle of something. If you accept, the player doesn't jump in alongside you or anything. Instead, you're kicked out of the game, and you have to reload to get back in. If that other player quits, your game ends, as well. A more on-the-fly join/quit setup would have made this mode a bit more effective... Crackdown feels unfinished. It feels like the developers sat down and crafted a wonderful-looking city and carefully considered how the gameplay and abilities should work, and then they didn't have enough time to plug in enough activities to take advantage of it all."
One of the major selling points of this newest generation of consoles is the ability to buy casual and classic games and download them directly to your console. The 360 has seen success with the Live Arcade gaming service, and Nintendo is undoubtedly doing well enticing gamers into reliving their youth via the Virtual Console service on the Wii.
There's no question: gamers love it, and sales are strong. However, one surprise has nipped us a few times, and according to your e-mails, a few of you have been surprised too. As it turns out, many of these games aren't completely faithful to our memories and to the originals they represent. Most of the differences are minor, and some are even improvements. Here's a rundown of some of the bigger gotchas we've run across to date:
Mario Kart 64 (Wii Virtual Console): The $10 downloadable version of Mario Kart 64 does not let you save ghost data in the time trials. The culprit is the lack of emulation of the memory pack slot on the back on the N64 system—a problem likely to strike other Nintendo 64 games. For Mario Kart, the missing feature isn't a show stopper, but racing against your best times was an addicting and popular way to play the original on the Nintendo 64.
Kid Icarus (Wii Virtual Console): This is a classic from the original NES, and while the graphics and sound are great on the Wii, you won't be able to use the popular cheat codes from your youth. We're not sure why they were taken out. This may not matter to some, but the memories of the codes are a big part of what made this game special. Who could forget DANGER !!!!!! TERROR HORROR or PAKING PAKING PAKING PAKING? There are other codes that work, but this subtly reminds you that you're not quite playing the game you remember.
Starfox 64 (Wii Virtual Console): Many gamers remember Starfox 64 for the fact it came with the rumble pack, allowing the controller to shake and buzz along with the game. Nintendo has said that rumble won't be supported in Virtual Console games, so if you like rumble in your games Starfox 64 will be different from your memories. While only some N64 games supported rumble, it was a big part of the Starfox 64 launch, and will be missed. Starfox 64 has no announced release date yet, but it and several other rumble-originals are expected later this year.
Frogger (Xbox Live Arcade): This is a harder one to quantify, but enough people have commented on it in reviews that we feel it's worth touching on. The game play just feels off. The download features updated graphics, but even in the original graphical presentation the game has a slightly different feel from the arcade original. If you're a huge Frogger fan and grew up giving the machine quarters, you can probably get used to the change, but be aware it's not exactly the same game you remember. Deaths seem to come a little easier, upping the overall difficulty.
Contra (Xbox Live Arcade): When people think of Contra they think of the Konami code (up up down down left right left right select start) and thankfully the code works in the downloadable version of the game. The gotcha this time was the fact that the download is based on the arcade version of Contra, not the widely known and loved NES port. While this is more of a bad decision than a glitch, some players have felt ripped off when they realized this wasn't the version of the game they remember. This is why demos are important, and companies should note which version of the game they are selling.
The D-Pad (Xbox Live Arcade): While not a game, we have to comment on the Xbox 360's controller. The Wiimote is a good fit for NES games, and Nintendo sells a classic controller for other games, and even supports the GameCube controller. The 360 controller is another matter entirely: the d-pad is terribly imprecise and the analogue stick is worthless in games like Street Fighter 2. Play a game of Pac-Man at the arcade and then try the same game on a 360 controller. The frustration will be immediate. In many cases playing with original controllers is enough of a reason not to play these games via official emulation at all. There have been persistent rumors that Microsoft might release a wireless joystick to combat this. We'll see.
Close, and the cigar?
How much these differences matter to you is a matter of opinion; some are going to pick and choose what games to buy based on what is included or missing while others may never notice a difference. What's clear is that it's harder to get an authentic experience using these download services than many people originally expected. In fact, some of you take these matters quite seriously, as reader mail and forum feedback shows.
It's worth noting that with these newer downloadable systems, there's plenty of positives, too. Convenience is king, and being able to even play these games is a huge boon to many gamers who no longer have old systems and the games that go with them. The quality can be quite impressive, too. Opposable Thumbs recently reviewed a new NES clone system, and after comparing the graphical output of each one, the Wii's picture was even better than the original. It's an old cliché that you can't go home, and maybe in this case without tracking down classic systems and original carts, you'll never be able to experience the games exactly how you remember them. Depending on your point of view, that could be a plus or a minus.
What if Sony had developed the SNES CD add-on? There might not have been the PlayStation. Find that and more in this interesting list. Would you have bought any of these systems if they had been released?
Sega Neptune
The Sega Neptune was basically a two-in-one game system (Genesis/32X), planned for release in 1995. Unfortunately, by the time a working protoype was ready, the Sega Saturn took the spotlight.
Sega felt that consumers would not be interested in the Sega Neptune, so the project was scrapped. Of the two prototypes that were made, neither actually functioned, but were just empty cases. The proposed retail price for the unit was US$200
Atari Jaguar Duo
Like the Neptune, the Jagaur Duo was a dual system, combining the Jaguar and Jaguar CD into one console. Unfortunately, the Jaguar CD didn’t sell as many units as the company had hoped, so they scrapped the idea before a prototype was built.
NanoGear
Basically a portable PC, NanoGear is what the GP2X should’ve been. It allows users to create their own games with the included tools and sports built-in networking.
Pretty high tech handheld that looks like it never got off the drawing board
Sega VR
Sadly, Sega’s answer to Nintendo’s Virtual Boy never quite made it. Basically, it “was based around an IDEO virtual reality headset (HMD) with LCD screens in the visor and stereo headphones. Inertial sensors in the headset allowed the system to track and react to the movements of the user’s head.”
The company claimed the project was stopped because the VR was so real users would move while wearing the headset and injure themselves. The limited processing power of the system makes this claim unlikely, although there were reports of testers developing headaches and motion sickness
SNES CD
What some of you may not know is that Nintendo actually had contacted Sony to develop this accessory, but in the end, the talks fell through.
Ultimately, negotiations with both Sony and Philips fell through, and the two companies went on to develop their own consoles based on their initial dealings with Nintendo (the PlayStation and the CD-i respectively), Philips also gaining the right to release a series of CD-i titles based on popular Nintendo franchises
Games consoles such as Nintendo Wii require players to use body movements to control the action.
A study by Liverpool John Moores University found regular use could help shift 27lb (12.25kg) a year.
The study was carried out to establish whether computer games can contribute to the daily activity recommendations for children.
Parents should encourage other physical activities and outdoor pursuits in order for their children to lead well-balanced live
The researchers compared activity levels during gaming using the Wii with those achieved using traditional seated joypad-controlled consoles.
They found more active forms of gaming increased energy expenditure to a level which could help lose weight.
Heart rate
Lead researcher Professor Tim Cable said: "Through our testing it is clear that the motion sensor-controlled console can make an impact on a child's heart rate, energy expenditure and the amount of calories burned.
"Research from GameVision's Consumer Intelligence Report shows that, on average, gamers in the UK currently spend around 12.2 hours a week playing computer games.
"Therefore, it is important to promote as much activity as possible during this time."
Professor Cable said active consoles such as the Wii could provide a means of motivating children who are less active.
But he added: "Parents should encourage other physical activities and outdoor pursuits in order for their children to lead well-balanced lives."
Children do play these computer games because they find them fascinating, and so it would be best if the games they play include an element of physical activity
The study measured the impact on five girls and seven boys, aged between 13 and 15, of playing both an active and inactive console.
During 15 minutes of play using a traditional joypad operated console, energy expenditure increased above resting values by an average 60%.
In comparison, when using the Wii console, the participants' energy expenditure increased 156% above resting.
Based on the average gaming week of 12.2 hours, this translates to a potential 1,830 calories burned per week when using Wii - 40% more than when using a traditional format console.
In both conditions the energy expenditure of boys was greater than that observed for girls.
Heart rates were also much greater when using the active console, reaching values of 130 beats per minute, compared with 85 beats per minute for the traditional console.
Dr Ian Campbell, medical director of the charity Weight Concern, said children should be encouraged to play outside, and that parents should limit the amount of time they played computer games.
However, he said: "Children do play these computer games because they find them fascinating, and so it would be best if the games they play include an element of physical activity."
Heres the top10 games in the UK for the week ending feb17th:
FIFA 07 (EA)
Need for Speed: Carbon (EA)
Pro Evolution Soccer 6 (Konami)
Supreme Commander (THQ)
Avatar: The Legend of Aang (THQ)
The Sims 2: Pets (EA)
Battlestations: Midway (Eidos)
Lost Planet (Capcom)
New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo)
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (LucasArts)
Mario bros still in the charts after all this time ?
Over at The Pensive Gamer I've put a new article up that takes a closer look at the benefits for Developers and Gamers for Microsoft's XNA approach to indie and homebrew development. Article is also below.
==========================
As I was writing the final article for the 'Here Comes Homebrew' series, it become clear how important XNA really is for Microsoft's gaming future. If I were to hazard a guess I would say Microsoft is going to heavily evangelize the next release of XNA and XNA Game Studio Professional as much as possible, particularly to Xbox Live Arcade developers.
Before I go into the details, let me try to give some important technical background.
What is the XNA/.NET Framework CLR?
XNA uses what is called the Common Language Runtime (CLR). The CLR is what is called a virtual machine. Essentially you can think of the CLR as the software equivalent of a CPU. When developers create programs typically they create it for a particular CPU family, like say x86 processors (what Windows PCs and new Macs use) or PowerPC processors (what old Macs used and all current consoles use). Problem is when you create a program for the PowerPC it won't run on the Intel CPUs without some rather impressive feats of software engineering.
Having a 'software-based CPU' changes that. Developers don't have to worry about, say, Windows or Mac. Instead they create a single version which will run on both, assuming the CLR exists for both.
So, as a I was saying, I'm guessing Microsoft is going to try to sell developers on the idea of XNA. There are definitely tangible benefits for all parties.
Multiple Platform Support
This is the obvious one, particularly since XNA targets Windows and Xbox 360. However, this gets interesting when you consider things like Zune or mobile phones. Developers can easily and cheaply target multiple electronic devices and therefore expand their potential market.
For consumers, the idea of buying a single version of a game that works on different devices becomes a possibility. You could even imagine being able to send games between devices, including Windows, 360 and Zune.
Side note: There are even efforts by third parties to get XNA working on platforms such as the Mac and Linux.
Backward Compatibility
Future Microsoft consoles can change hardware and not need to worry about compatibility issues with XNA-based games. Microsoft simply needs to build a CLR to support the new hardware. But this is A LOT easier than having to do software-based emulation like they are doing now for Xbox games on the 360.
Backward compatibility is also great news for XNA homebrew. Presuming XNA homebrew succeeds, there will be a lot more XNA based games and applications than Xbox Live Arcade and disc based games. The homebrew community of games would not be abandoned.
If we are lucky, backward compatibility may also mean XNA-based Xbox Live Arcade titles wouldn't need to be purchased again on a future Microsoft console.
Lowering the Barrier to Entry
The barrier to entry for writing commercial games just dropped through the floor. Microsoft has said there will be an XNA Game Studio Professional. I would hazard a guess that the biggest change is going to be an expanded set of APIs and better tools. But the amazing thing is, if it is the same as XNA Game Studio Express, the only thing you need to build an application for the 360 is a copy of XNA Game Studio Professional and a retail Xbox 360. Development kits would no longer be required. That would be a significant costs savings for developers and tend to draw more developers to the platform.
What does this mean?
Since XNA is a recent development and not yet complete, the benefits need to be proven. But it definitely shows Microsoft is thinking very strategically and it underscores their statements that their gaming and console plans are for the long haul. As a customer I find the backward compatibility and multiple platform ideas compelling.
Selling Live Arcade developers on XNA shouldn't be too hard particularly as developers consider costs, the risks of backward compatibility and the ability to expand their own market. Shortly after XNA Game Studio Professional is released I expect to see a growing list of XNA games.
Given the number of fronts being attacked by XNA, if I was Nintendo or Sony I would certainly be at least a little concerned even if the impact isn't immediate.
Bethesda confirmed at a recent press event that Shivering Isles will be one of the first games to make use of the extra 250 achievement points available for downloadable expansion packs.
The Oblivion add-on for 360 will also feature new shader technology that should bring the game up to the graphical standard of the PS3 copy, adding to recent comments from Bethesda spokesperson Pete Hines that the two versions will look virtually identical.
Shivering Isles is the first proper expansion pack for the The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It takes place in the wacky realm of Daedra Prince Sheogorath, who looks to you to become his champion and save his world from invasion. You'll be tasked to undergo lots of weird and wonderful quests, picking up new items, spells, and crafting new armour.
It's due for release in spring, via Xbox Live for console owners, and in retail stores for PC pests.
Oblivion is a launch title for PS3 when the console arrives in Europe on 23rd March. There's no word on the inclusion of the expansion pack, though previous downloadable update, The Knights of the Nine, will be included.
When I wanted to play Paperboy on my ZX Spectrum, I went out to the shops and bought a Kempston Interface so that I could plug in a proper joystick. Seems only logical then that I should want the same thing for playing Paperboy on my Xbox 360.
I went over to EB Games and bought an ugly blue GameStop wired controller. It's not as nice as an official Microsoft one, but has the big advantage of being half the price (especially important in case I screw up and break it). As a bonus it has no funny 'Torx-with-a-hole-in' security screws, and has nice big contacts on the directional pad for easy soldering.
Once I'd soldered the leads onto the board, I plugged the controller into my PC and tested the connections' relative voltages looking for a common ground etc. I played around cross-connecting them in different ways using the driver properties dialog to see what inputs the controller was seeing. Unfortunately there was no common ground, which a standard 'Atari' DB-9 joystick uses. Even more unfortunately any cross-connections (e.g. connecting the 'up' +ve to the 'button A' -ve) caused other inputs to be detected. I found an easy place to access the USB +5v and ground, but I needed to keep this isolated from the signals on the pads. I came up with the idea of using a Phototransistor Optocoupler for each signal. It works like a solid state relay. The joystick plugged into the DB-9 connector switches each optocoupler, which simulates the button press. I can add more detail on this if anyone's interested in replicating this.
The Kempston joystick replaces the directional pad, with the 'fire' button mapped to Button A. The standard Atari-style pinout only allows for one joystick button, and the majority of retro arcade titles only need Button A.
Xbox and Epic are inviting Xbox Live gamers across Europe to test their skills playing Gears of War against Epic Games, the developer of the game! From 1900 to 2100 GMT on Saturday 24th February, the Epic team, led by Lead Designer Cliffy B and Vice President Mark Rein, will be taking on gamers from Xbox Live.
The battles will take place on the Old Bones and Raven Down maps, both available now for free download on Xbox Live Marketplace. Gamers who want to take part just have to add any of the GamerTags below to their Friends List (please note that Cliffy B and Mark Rein will be playing in most games), get on Xbox Live between 1900 and 2100 GMT (2000 and 2200 CET) on Saturday 24 February, then wait for the invitation to play the developers of Gears of War!
GamerTags
Mark Rein, Vice President EPICEMEAMR
Cliff Bleszinski, Lead Designer EPICEMEACB
Rod Fergusson, Producer EPICEMEARF
Lee Perry, Lead Level Designer EPICEMEALP
Jim Brown, Level Designer EPICEMEAJB
Dave Nash, Level Designer EPICEMEADN
Ray Davis, Lead Programmer EPICEMEARD
Joe Graf, Programmer EPICEMEAJG
Rob McLaughlin, Programmer EPICEMEARM
Pete Hayes, Artist EPICEMEAPH
Additional Epic Staff EPICEMEA01
EPICEMEA02
EPICEMEA03
EPICEMEA04
EPICEMEA05
Wii beat off Xbox 360 and PS3 over in the US having sold through 436,000 units in January, according figures released by NPD Group Inc.
This puts a gap of well over 100,000 unit sales between Nintendo's console and the second highest-selling machine, Xbox 360, which sold 294,000 units. The PS3 trailed just behind that with sales of 244,000.
While Nintendo of America will no doubt be chinking wine glasses together, getting more units to shelves remains a crucial matter, with the lack of availability still frustrating many gamers.
But if Nintendo and third-party publishers can keep a steady stream of software releasing throughout the year, 2007 will be a great year for Wii.
Things are looking up for the PlayStation 3 in Japan this week, as stellar Sega bruiser instalment Virtua Fighter 5 blasts up the charts to snatch the console's first ever number one.
The fighter beat off Nintendo titles Wii Sports, Wii Play, Brain Age and New Super Mario Brothers for the top slot, selling 48,000 copies since it was released in the country almost two weeks ago.
Despite blitzing the competition in the sales charts though, the Wii continues to dominate Sony's console on the hardware front with 78,550 units shifted this week, compared to the PS3's 32, 175 and the Xbox 360's paltry 4,811.
The fifth fighting instalment hit US shelves just yesterday, and is currently pencilled in for a European debut alongside the PS3 next month.
Console software sales for January in North America were US $549 million (EUR 418m), a rise of 53 per cent compared to the same period last year.
Partly due to there being five weeks in the month during 2007, as opposed to four in 2006, the numbers were still a rise of 22 per cent when the extra days are taken into account.
The figure smashes estimates by analyst Wedbush Morgan which expected a rise of 32 per cent, as software sales of next-generation titles exceeded expectations.
Next-generation software sales reached US $310 million (EUR 236m), compared to a forecast of US $250 million (EUR 190m), while current-generation titles accounted for US $239 million (EUR 181m), ahead of expectations of US $225 million (EUR 171m).
The top three selling titles for Microsoft's Xbox 360 were Capcom's Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, Epic's Gears of War and Ubisoft's Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas.
Warioware: Smooth Moves was the best-selling title for the Nintendo Wii, followed by fan-favourite Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess and Ubisoft's Rayman Raving Rabbids.
The PlayStation 3's high-selling games were Resistance: Fall of Man, Madden NFL 07 and Fight Night Round 3.
Cumulative hardware sales in the US have now reached 4.8 million units for the Xbox 360, 1.5 million for the Wii and 933,000 for the PlayStation 3.
As reported earlier today, Nintendo's Wii sold 436,000 units in January in the region, while the Xbox 360 shifted 294,000, and the PS3 sold 244,000 units.
Consumer gaming website Games Radar has come under fire from Gay.com UK for publishing an article "outing" five game characters.
The article, which is titled 'Are they gay?', begins by noting that God of War's Kratos "'accidentally' killed his wife and daughter. Which probably means he's got a grudge against women. Or something".
It goes on to suggest that Gears of War's Marcus Fenix, Bully's Jimmy Hopkins, Dead Rising's Frank West and Vaan from Final Fantasy XII also "show signs of covert - and not so covert - campness".
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz Hassan Mirza, news editor for Gay.com, said, "While it's reassuring to know that gamers are interested in the sexual orientation of digital superheroes, Matt Cundy's 'Are they gay?' article relies on a series of juvenile stereotypes and clichés.
"I can't imagine any homophobic intentions, but it can be dangerous to suggest that looking "camp" means gay, or worse, that gay men hold violent grudges against women. It's a completely misinformed suggestion."
Mirza also criticised the part of the article which states: "[Frank West] enjoys dressing in woman's clothes. And children's clothes. Probably not gay per se, but definitely a bit kinky and not one to shy away from carnal 'experimentation'."
According to Mirza, "Cundy's facetious tone, dismissive of an impressionable audience, justifies making jokes about the LGBT community."
The Games Radar article has been featured on gay news site PinkNews.co.uk, which poses the question, "What is the point of "outing" characters? Is this yet another bunch of childish "str8" boys laughing at gay people?"
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, online editor Tony Grew said he was not offended by the piece but did question its objectives.
"I didn't really know what to make of it. I know a lot of gay people play games and feel they're under-represented, and it's interesting that the macho world of games is taking this kind of approach," he observed.
"I'm not insulted by it, but I would question what it's trying to achieve. It will be interesting to see what our readers think of it."
Last year a bill proposing gaming regulations in the state of Indiana stalled before it could be voted on by legislators. Lawmakers are trying again, however, as last month state Senators David C. Ford (Republican) and Vi Simpson (Democrat) introduced a bill that would ban the sale of games rated M for Mature or AO for Adults Only to children.
The bill passed its first test this week, as the Senate Committee on Economic Development and Technology (which Ford chairs) voted 5-2 to recommend it be passed by the full Senate. According to an Associated Press article, the committee members were shown a video of objectionable material in games, including characters "urinating on victims and setting them on fire" and "gunning down people in a church." Another clip showed a game that rewarded players' achievements with footage of strippers.
A representative with the Entertainment Software Association argued before the committee that the law was unconstitutional like those struck down in other states, the Associated Press reported. Ford responded by saying he would continue to work on the bill to make it constitutional.
According to a German gaming website, MS has provided a software update for debug Xbox360 boxes which reduces the speed of the Xbox360 DVD drive. This is in order to reduce the noise that the console makes when reading a disc at high speed. Rumor mill for now, but the update will reach end 360 users soon supposedly.
Vicious Cycle Software, today announced that the Vicious Engine, its middleware solution for cross-platform development, is now approved for the Xbox 360Tools and Middleware Program.
"The Vicious Engine’s entry into the Xbox 360 Tools and Middleware Program reflects our continued dedication to providing developers with the tools they need to create great games for the latest video game systems," said Eric Peterson, president at Vicious Cycle Software. "Using the Vicious Engine, developers can focus on creativity and innovation rather than worrying over technical details."
Released in 2005, the Vicious Engine is currently a newcomer to the game engine arena. However, it has been noted that it is one of the first game engines offering complete support for the PSP and Wii platforms.
The engine is currently being use in game like 300: March to Glory, Alien Syndrome and Dead Head Fred
An updated ratings page on the Entertainment Software Rating Board web site has revealed new Xbox Live Arcade games.
Empire Interactive plans to release on Xbox Live Marketplace "Double Dragon," which we heard will get a nice makeover for this version.
The ESRB ratings page also reveals that EA plans to release "Wing Commander Arena" on Xbox 360. Since the game is listed as an Xbox 360 exclusive, we are pretty sure this is an Xbox Live Arcade release and not a next-generation Wing Commander.
We can expect these games to launch soon considering their recent appearance on ESRB records.
Microsoft will showcase IPTV on Xbox 360 for the first time in Europe at The Connected Home show to be held in Olympia, London on 5-7 March, 2007. Ed Graczyk, Worldwide Director of Marketing and Communications for Microsoft TV, will demonstrate IPTV on Xbox 360 during his keynote at the conference, entitled "Future of Connected Entertainment".
IPTV on Xbox 360 is expected to be available through select service providers as early as the holiday season in 2007. Some of the world's largest telecommunications service providers have chosen Microsoft IPTV Edition as their IPTV software solution, with scaled commercial deployments currently under way with AT&T, BT Group PLC, Deutsche Telekom, T-Online in France and Swisscom.
Let's keep it simple. There's a job posting over at the Telltale Games website. Said job posting is looking for a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed Xbox 360 programmer. Said programmer is desired to move an existing engine and art assets to the Xbox 360. Finally, said programmer must have a "love of adventure games." Put it all together and you get Sam & Max on the Xbox 360. We'll note (as did Joystiq's lovable Ludwig Kietzmann) that Telltale's current Sam & Max adventures are episodic, making them a good fit for Xbox Live Arcade.
Granted, it's all speculation at this point -- many things are these days -- but it seems like good speculation so far. If nothing else, at least this points to some adventure games coming to the Xbox 360, an idea with which we are thrilled.
Hi all got home today and its been a rough day, flat tyre on car this morning, dead umd drive on my PSP and worse of all my Cable Modem is dead, NTL say it will be monday before they inspect my modem even though i say its DEAD.
So if anyone can post news or submit news then please do and help out the staff until i get back online.
Microsoft announced that the next round of titles in the Xbox 360 Platinum Hits library will be available March 16 in North America, Latin America, Japan and the Asia Pacific region.
Next month’s Platinum Hits release, starting at an estimated retail price of $29.99 (U.S.), will include the following titles in the Americas:
· “Battlefield 2: Modern Combat™” (Electronic Arts)
Gamers throughout Europe are able to pick up the following new Platinum Hits titles, launched earlier this month, for an estimated retail price of 29.99 euros:
· “Call of Duty 2” (Activision)
· “Dead or Alive 4” (TECMO)
· “Project Gotham Racing 3” (Microsoft Game Studios)
· “Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis” (Rockstar Games)
Overview : The XFPS 360 is an innovative keyboard and mouse adapter for the Xbox 360 which begins an unrivalled First Person Shooter (FPS) experience to the next-generation gaming console. Not only is the XFPS 360 compatible with all standard PS/2 input devices but also modern USB keyboards and mice. But wait, there's more! The XFPS 360 even makes traditional PS2 DualShock2 controllers compatible on the Xbox 360, as well as a plethora of peripherals. This exquiste device even manages to bring auto fire functionality to the Xbox 360, now that tops off what promises to be the must have peripheral for years to come!
Features :
Compatible with most PS/2 or USB keyboard and mouse combinations, those expensive FPS set-ups have not gone to waste!
Instant plug and play technology
Ideal for use with all FPS titles such as Call of Duty and Halo series
Highly durable modern ‘black’ coloured shell
Brings all new auto fire functionality to the Xbox 360
Allows gamers to use PS2’s Dual-Shock 2™ controller on the Xbox 360 ™
Enjoy enhanced performance on titles such as Pro Evolution Soccer 6, which originally debuted on the Playstation™.
XFPS 360 is also compatible with:
PS 2 Light Gun
PS 2 Racing Wheel - The XBOX 360 steering controller is very expensive, but you can use the PS 2 steering wheel for it now
PS 2 Dancing mat
PS 2 Guitar
etc.
Quality/Usability : The XFPS 360 is fairly small shelled in a black hard plastic. On the front, there are two USB ports, two PS/2 ports for older mouses and keyboards that dont use USB and the center is where you plug your PlayStation peripherals into.
Setting it up is fairly easy. Take the cord that is attached to the XFPS and plug it into the USB port on the Xbox360. The XFPS requires a wired controller connected in one of the USB ports on the adapter along with mouse and keyboard in order for the adapter to be recognized. Once the Xbox360 recognizes the XFPS, you can remove the wired controller as it is no longer needed unless you are going to re-map the mouse/keyboard buttons. The cable on the adapter is not long and does not have a quick disconnect.
Once you're all connected, it should be smooth sailing. Using the mouse and keyboard is like using a PC. Its easy. If you're playing a first person shooter, its just a matter of point and click. Unfortunately, the XFPS sometimes does not recognize small movements but in some games, you can adjust the sensitivity but even sometimes that doesnt work and the mouse can be finicky especially during those crucial moments when you're going for that headshot! So its pretty much a hit or miss. There were no problems with the use of the keyboard.
What's great about the XFPS 360 is that it is programmable which allows you to re-map buttons to your likings. To re-map the buttons you simply set the switch to SET, push the "P" button, select the buttons on the wired controller you wish to re-map and select the keyboard/mouse button you with to re-assign. An example would be using the left mouse button to shoot: press the "P" button, pull the right trigger on your controller, and click the left mouse button. Now, your left mouse button will do the shooting.
Plugging a PlayStation controller is simple as well. Once it is plugged it, the PlayStation controller mimics the Xbox360 controller without the function of the jewel.
Conclusion : Overall, the XFPS 360 is great for gamers who are use to PC FPS games. The downsides of the adapter is the mouse aiming can be screwy especially during those crucial gameplay moments, MUST need a wired controller in order for the Xbox360 to recognize the adapter and lack of support for headset. Although this may improve gameplay some look down on it. Why? While someone is using a controller to play, someone on the other ends is using a point and click which to some is considered cheating. For the price tag of $80 , its a bit steep if you're a hardcore FPS gamer or on play on a team.
This Great article Comes Via the nice Folks at ,1UP, Weirdest Science Showcases what the hardest of the hardcore Gamer can do when they'er feeling a little bit creative.
On with the show.
Great games can make you think, sure, but sometimes great thinkers can make games, too--especially if your idea of games is a pee-powered gear-shifting simulator and a version of Tetris that builds your biceps. So, for the third year in a row, we travel the globe in search of scientists and students who clearly have too much time on their hands. Pee in a pod
Here
Here's a game where the strategy tip, straight from the designer, is to drink a lot of beer before playing. "Liquids aren't used much in today's interfaces and I found it an interesting idea," says John van Terheijden, a Leiden University grad student in the Netherlands (where else?). "One thing led to another and the idea of using pee came to mind."
His concoction is TopsPEEd (the pun kinda hits you like a bucket of warm liquid, huh?), a game where you urinate on four tiny seesaws in an enclosed urinal to shift gears on a racecar, which appears on an overhead monitor and shows rpm and mph. The faster you switch gears, the more the car accelerates. There's even an engine sound that roars louder as you race but, thankfully, there's no force feedback.
Block party Here
Two Milan, Italy, grad-school guys with names like Victor Szilagyi and Tristam Sparks must be quirky cool, right? Their xBlocks 3D project is like the ******* child of Tetris and Super Mario Bros, projected on a large 3D sculpture and controlled with standard console joypads. The interconnected blocks form a maze in physical space crawling with flickery blue monsters. "There are two ways to win," says Szilagyi, "either by getting to your opponent's base, or by catching them in the maze." Power-ups increase your speed or upgrade your weapon. But if you wander the maze too long, the monsters will eat you for lunch.
Kicking the habit Here
The Wild Horses Center in the Netherlands (yes, those guys again) is like a detox facility for addicted gamers. The recovery program lasts up to six weeks and treats afflictions of mostly the PC variety. "The most addictive games are World OF Warcraft, any role-playing game, Counter Strike, and Quake," says Keith Bakker, director of the center, which opened just last year. "The symptoms of addiction are loss of friends, bad grades in school, loss of self-control, and mounting debt from all the online-gaming fees." Bakker plans to build an online game-addiction center soon and wants to hear from players with stories to tell about their own game addictions. Just send an e-mail to danielle@smithandjones.nl. And if you don't get help at Wild Horses, please, get help somewhere.
Seven-block biceps Here
While benching the bulky Playstation 3 may seem like a sensible workout for your average muscle-nerd, Tim Tucker blasts his lats old-school. To cap off his Master's of Science in Human-Computer Interaction at Indiana University, he rigged up an "exploration in the area of entertainment fitness"--basically, a sweaty version of Tetris. After spending 650 bucks and a few months tinkering with a computer, some pulleys, remote controllers, and weighted buckets, Tucker had his phys-ed killer app--and the muscles to prove it. He realized that the simple mechanic of lifting weights to shift the onscreen pieces made people forget they were working out at all. Just take care to lift that extra-heavy straight piece with your legs.
Lean, mean grillin' PS3 Here
Who says your PlaySttation 3 has to collect dust once you've beaten best-of-the-batch launch game Resistance Fall Of Man? Not Aussie 17-year-olds James Kingham and Brendan Foley, who noticed something very as-seenon- TV about the system's concave casing. "Ever since the final design of the PS3 was announced, people have been joking that it looks like a George Foreman grill," says Kingham. One long Sunday afternoon later (not to mention $1,000 blown on grillin' parts and an imported PS3), the duo had completed their 2,000-watt, meat-heatin' masterpiece. It's roomy enough for two bloody T-bones, four kosher wieners, and a few whiskey-lathered memory cards.
Ghost buster Here
We think students at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology in Japan must have played too much Luigi's Mansion. Their Shadow Chaser game is part ghostsucking gun, part psychological experiment. As you race around capturing the projected virtual ghosts--which look like tiny Pokemon--with a special vacuum cleaner, your backpack fills up with their "weight" and the gun's barrel gets clogged. You can hear the goblins' footsteps through a headset as they try to evade your capture. "The purpose of the project is to give users another way to perceive the existence of objects," says student Yoshinobu Nakano. Sounds deep and fun. Ehhh, we think.
Head game Here
To quote one famously tongue-twisted former vice president: "Not to have a mind is being very wasteful." Enterprising engineers at Washington University in St. Louis are picking up what Dan Quayle put down. They hooked up an Atari 2600 to the brain of a teenager with epilepsy, allowing him to control Space Invaders with nothing but thought patterns. Amazingly, the system provides precise back-and-forth control in fine increments. "The patient's electrode array on the surface of their brain is wired directly to a biosignal amplifier," explains Tim Blakely, who helped design the interface. "The computer detects a specific pattern of neuron firings." Blakely found Atari electrical circuit maps on the Internet to get the thought-reading matrix working, and he has expanded the system's compatibility to include simple online games. Here's a thought: Will Nintendo pick up this technology for its Wii successor?
Space clamp Here
Forget driving wheels: The Control Freak lets you use any physical object as a game controller, including bus seats, recliners, tree limbs--anything you don't mind clamping it onto. "I had the idea of a device that could turn objects into controllers by sensing movement," says Haiyan Zhang, a graduate student at the Interaction Design Institute in Ivrea, Italy. "I'd like to eventually add a gyroscope for more precision in the sensing." The clamp prototype uses something called an accelerometer and transmits movement coordinates over a wireless signal. What's next? Home-console controllers that sense movement? That'll be the day...
Ah nothing like a transparent console casing mod. to make one appreciate a wide verity of color just a little bit more.
none the less this X-box 360 case mod from X-box central looks quite nice, it sports a slightly smoked look to hide the raw ugly of bare circuitry while maintaining just enough transparency to allow any LED mod fan to have a field day. Here's what the nice people over at xbox-central had to say.
" Remember the crystal Xbox that the whole Xbox gaming world was so in love with? Remember how you used to spend hours on end, fixing lights and neon's to shine through the textured matted surfaces for that glowy effect in the living room? We're announcing that it's back! Only right now, with a different name - Xenon360 Diamondback. Packed with crystal faceplates and side amours, this baby is sure to take your breath away with its sheer elegance and presence that will adorn your living rooms like a work of art. Click on the picture below to see more hi-res pix on our Flickr.com picturehouse. Enjoy! (To be released for pre-order soon!)"
With no ending in sight to Microsoft's denials of any future Xbox 360 price cut, retailers from the United Kingdom decided to take matters into their own hands and offer their customers what Microsoft wouldn't: cheaper Xbox 360s. Way cheaper! As reported by several websites over the last couple of days, including Gamasutra, some UK retailers have initiated an unexpected, unseasonal, and unofficial series of price cuts for the Xbox 360, as well as for the old PlayStation 2.
In particular, the "Core" package of Microsoft's next-gen console is currently enjoying the most consistent promotions, with price cuts of up to £50 (€75 / $98). So instead of the suggested retail price of £199.99 ($390), the Core Xbox 360 is now being sold for £149.99 ($292) in some places. As a side-effect, this means that Microsoft's console is now actually cheaper than Nintendo's Wii, priced at £179.99 ($351), despite it packing way more computing power.
The "Premium" bundle, however, remains at pretty much the same price point, with negligible reductions observed so far. The reason for these marketing manoeuvres is not yet clear, but there are some speculations floating around already, involving the previously-rumoured hardware upgrade for the Xbox 360 (with a larger hard drive and HDMI port). But until Microsoft responds to any of these issues, speculation is all we have.
At the same time, Gamasutra reports on another major price cut for the PlayStation 2, ahead of the European release of Square's Final Fantasy XII today:
"At the same time as the Xbox 360 price cut, Wal-Mart owned supermarket chain Asda, the second largest in the UK, has cut the price of the PlayStation 2 from £69.99 ($136) to just £50 ($98) for a limited period. As with the Xbox 360, the price cut is not official, the only apparent reason for the move being the recent release of prominent exclusives Okami and Final Fantasy XII in the UK."
I've had my Xbox 360 since day one and have never had an issue with hardware failure. I must be one of the lucky ones, because across Xbox forums and over Xbox live we've all heard numerous reports from frustrated gamers who've had to send their consoles in for repair due to overheating issues and freezing problems after the comprehensive Autumn update.
The huge Fall update, which consisted of 85 new features and enhancements,was released on October 31st adding a host of system upgrades including HD 1080p video mode support over VGA and component cables and Xbox 360 Wireless Headset support. Every since the update, the Microsoft help-desk was apparently inundated with callers who have been experiencing problems with their consoles. The console problems weren't exclusively related to the update and there are still reports of consoles failing that were produced in one of the first 2005 batches.
I know plenty of people who've sent their consoles back, but normally they've been returned in full working order and they haven't experienced any further problems. But, if you think you've had it bad, spare a thought for Rob and Mindy Cassingham who despite considering themselves to be loyal 'fan boys' of the console are now at the end of their tether with the numerous problems and the failure from Microsoft customer services to replace their machines; instead they've been refurbishing them and sending the same console back.
The couple bought 4 Xbox 360's from the Zero Hour launch event in the US, where Microsoft debuted the console and afterwards bought a further two consoles from their local store. After a short period, the four consoles that were bought at Zero Hour died and were sent back to Microsoft to be refurbished. Nearly a year and a half later and the couple have now had to send back their seventh unit. Talking to Mercury News, Rob Cassingham said, "When it comes back, I'm going to sell it. I have 12,000 achievement points (rewards for exploits in games). That's a hard thing to give up. I gave up cigarette smoking, so I've been through worse. I've had game systems since the Coleco machine. Intellivision. The first machine I had was the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972. I have never had to send any of them back. The gaming experience has been wonderful. And Xbox Live is great. But the reliability of this thing . . .Why spend money for rims on a car that spends 90 percent of its time in the shop?''
The Cassinghams were urged to contact Peter Moore, the Corporate Vice President, who sped up the complaint and as a result the couple have finally been promised a brand new Xbox 360. "A new 360 was all I really wanted in the first place, but after two failed attempts dealing with Microsoft's overseas call centers, I am very annoyed that it took an e-mail directly to P. Moore to get results -- assuming that they do, in fact, ship me a new 360," said Rob.
He continued by saying, "How do I feel it is turning out? Frankly, I'm conflicted. I am just so gun-shy about the reliability issue. One part of me wishes, when my 360 arrives(?), to immediately sell it and all of my 360-related schwag and put the money into a gaming PC. Another part of me wants to keep the 360 (and absolutely get the extended warranty) and I don't want to turn my back on my LIVE arcade titles I've purchased. I still feel like a chump.''
So, the bottom line is, if you're having no luck with Xbox customer services, email Peter Moore..oh and don't buy a console from the unlucky Cassinghams if you can help it.
Microsoft still claim that the Xbox 360 failures are within industry averages and Peter Moore maintains that he shouldn't be contacted for Xbox 360 issues, phone Xbox support instead!
Microsoft Xbox 360 will roll out its signature campaign ‘Good Luck India’ to wish luck to the Indian cricket team for the biggest extravaganza in cricket- World Cup 2007. Under this campaign, a larger than life Xbox 360 console will be taken across the country for cricket fans and enthusiasts to sign their good luck messages. This campaign is a critical element of run-up to the soon-to-be launched Xbox 360 exclusive gaming title for India, ‘Yuvraj Singh International Cricket 2007’. The campaign is all set to roll out from 23 February, 2007 to 02 March, 2007 covering New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Pune.
Elated about the campaign, Ashim Mathur, Marketing Head, Entertainment and Devices Division, Microsoft India said, “For a country like India which is so passionate about cricket, the ‘Good Luck India’ campaign will serve as an ideal opportunity for cricket lovers to wish the Indian team for the world cup. These signed Xbox 360 consoles will be handed over to the Indian cricket team in West Indies before the start of the tournament”.
The exclusive gaming title ‘Yuvraj Singh International Cricket 2007’ is the most awaited game on Xbox 360 and to extend the euphoria around the same, this mega console would cover historical landmarks like Victoria Memorial in Kolkatta, Necklace in Hyderabad, Palace Grounds in Bangalore, Marina Beach in Chennai, India gate in Delhi, Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gateway of India in Mumbai and Shanivar Peth in Pune.
A demo for EA Sports UEFA Champions League is expected to hit the Xbox Live Marketplace in the near future. 360monster.com reports that the demo will feature an in-game video that details the Ultimate Team Mode.
From the description it doesn't sound like a playable demo but more along the lines of a tutorial, however we'll see when it makes its way out for soon.
UEFA Champions League 2006-2007 is currently to be released on March 20th for the Xbox 360, PS2, and PSP.
Wing Commander Arena is a fast-paced space combat game where players can team up to attack other teams of ships. The game introduces the classic franchise to an arcade-style experience that allows up to 16 players online in battle at once. Players can propel their customized ship through space, fire torpedoes and unleash deadly gravity bombs as they try to climb the leader board. Online players will compete for Frag count, high score and dueling stats.
“We’re really excited to deliver unparalleled multi-player arcade action,” said Chip Lange, EA Vice President. “The design for Wing Commander will appeal to both long-time fans of the franchise and immediately engage anyone who wants the melee style action of an arcade shooter.”
Wing Commander Arena will feature four styles of play: single player, multi-team, multi-player free for all and multi-player duel. Within the game there are eight game maps that include team maps, free for all maps and dueling maps, so Wing Commander Arena offers a gameplay experience for every Arcade gamer, whether they want a quick ten minutes of action or a longer more immersive game.
Wing Commander Arena is produced and published by Electronic Arts and cooperatively developed with Gaia Industries. This is the second EA title for Xbox LIVE Arcade with EA’s first title Boom Boom Rocket set to launch this Spring.
* Players must have an Xbox LIVE marketplace account to play Wing Commander Arena
The department of trade and industry is to award trading standards officers more authority and a GBP 5 million Government grant in a bid to boost the campaign against videogame piracy.
As announced by DTI minister Malcom Wicks at the Intellectual Property Crime Group in London, trading standards and other UK agencies will be given new powers under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act.
From April 6, officers will be able to make test purchases, enter premises and inspect and seize goods and documents. Customs, benefit fraud teams, police, trading standards and industry investigators will co-ordinate their activities on an ongoing basis.
According to Wicks, "There will be an additional 4,500 pairs of Trading Standards eyes watching counterfeiters and pirates. This will mean more surprise raids at markets and car boot sales, more intelligence, more prosecutions and more criminals locked up.
"IP criminals should know that the UK is not a safe place. The risk of 10 years' imprisonment and unlimited fines is very real and, from this date forward, a markedly higher risk."
Wicks quoted figures which say that piracy costs the UK film, music and game industries up to GBP 9 billion per year, adding, "The taxpayer is also losing out to the tune of £300 million. It's a serious offence, whether committed by small-scale hawkers or international crime organisations."
The new initiative has been welcomed by ELSPA director general Paul Jackson, who said, "The fight against IP theft remains a massive problem for not only the games business but film, music and branded goods.
"The DTI’s commitment to give new powers to TSOs around the country, plus a further £5 million in funding is a clear sign that the DTI understands that Trading Standards needs more help in the battle."
Ars Technica looks at recent failures to pass laws regulating the sales of violent video games. They ask whether politicians are finally wising up to First Amendment issues and the costs associated with lawsuits resulting from the laws. Recent attempts to pass video game legislation in Mississippi, Utah, and Indiana have either failed or been put on indefinite hold. 'Now, state lawmakers are more cognizant of the constitutionality issues at stake. The judicial landscape is littered with the charred husks of laws passed by Illinois, Washington, Michigan, California, Louisiana, and others. All of them tried in some way or another to regulate the sale of violent video games to children, and all of them were struck down on First Amendment grounds.
Fire Emblem: Akatsuki no Megami JPN US$ 64.90
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The latest charts are in from Japan and whilst the Nintendo consoles see a drop in sales they still keep their places.
Heres the numbers
Nintendo DS Lite - 136,846
Wii - 63,618
PSP - 34,505
PLAYSTATION 3 - 20,676
PlayStation 2 - 16,192
Xbox 360 - 5,210
Game Boy micro - 953
Game Boy Advance SP - 843
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced that the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix™ videogame is in development. The game is scheduled for a July 2007 release to coincide with the Warner Bros. Pictures film based on J.K. Rowling's fifth book of the same title.
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the first in the franchise that we have developed for the next generation consoles," said Harvey Elliott, Executive Producer at EA UK. "Together with current generation versions, we are creating an immersive and, above all, faithful Harry Potter experience that will both accurately reflect the world showcased in the film and also delight fans of all ages."
"Working with EA, we look forward to offering fans the most authentic Harry Potter game to date, one which captures the compelling story of the fiction and high visual quality of the movie," said Jason Hall, Senior Vice President of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. "After reading the book and seeing the film, fans will be able to take advantage of the complete interactive experience with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix game."
The close and synergistic relationship between book, film and videogame is more defined in the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix videogame than ever before. Players will be able to explore the many key locations within Hogwarts in minute detail, each one a visual match to its film equivalent, while being engrossed in the thrilling adventures outlined in the rich narrative of the book.
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry returns for his fifth year of study at Hogwarts and discovers that much of the wizarding community has been denied the truth about the teenager’s recent encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort. Fearing that Hogwarts’ venerable Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is lying about Voldemort’s return in order to undermine his power and take his job, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, appoints a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to keep watch over Dumbledore and the Hogwarts students. But Professor Dolores Umbridge’s Ministry-approved course of defensive magic leaves the young wizards woefully unprepared to defend themselves against the dark forces threatening them and the entire wizarding community, so at the prompting of his friends Hermione and Ron, Harry takes matters into his own hands. Meeting secretly with a small group of students who name themselves “Dumbledore’s Army,” Harry teaches them how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts, preparing the courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle that lies ahead.
With the ability to play multiple characters, including Harry Potter, Dumbledore and Sirius Black, the videogame of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix offers fans the opportunity to wield a wand, explore all around Hogwarts, and experience one of the most exciting and dangerous years in the life of the Boy Who Lived.
Under development by EA's UK Studio, the team behind the worldwide success of the Harry Potter library of games, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is scheduled for release for the Nintendo Wii™, PLAYSTATION®3, Xbox 360™, PlayStation®2, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), Nintendo DS™, Game Boy® Advance, and Windows PC.
Boy, the guys at Bizarre Creations sure do know a thing or two about crafting flashy, addictive casual games, huh? While the company is best known as the developer of the stellar Project Gotham Racing series, we’d be willing to bet that more people have played their “other” title, a little game called Geometry Wars. Although it could be unlocked in PGR3, the game was still one of the most downloaded Xbox Live Arcade titles, developing a rabid following of fans. Now the Liverpool-based team is hard at work on their follow-up, which will be published by Electronic Arts and should be hitting XBLA sometime this spring.
Boom Boom Rocket is a rhythm game that tasks players with setting off fireworks in time to the beat of a song. Like so many rhythm games before it (most notably Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero), you’ll have to hit your cues at the right time to earn points. The fireworks will move upward from the bottom of the screen, and each of them will be colored to correspond with one of the four face buttons. All you’ve got to do is hit that button just as the cue hits the line near the top of the screen, at which point your performance will be rated and you’ll earn some points.
Sounds pretty simple, huh? At first glance, the gameplay looks fairly straightforward, but there are a number of elements that will force you to strategize a bit. When the action kicks off, the points you score will only be multiplied by one, but the more you score the higher your multiplier becomes. This is reflected in the gauge on the top of the screen, and you’ll notice it start to sparkle once you fill it up for the fourth time (the gauge also acts as a life bar of sorts, since the game ends once it is empty). At that point, you can hit one of the triggers to enter the bonus mode, during which any points you score will be multiplied by sixteen. However, it pays to think before you enter the bonus mode, as it’ll run out quickly, particularly if there’s a lull in the music.
Boom Boom Rocket features some very interesting musical selections, each of which is based on a famous classical tune. They’ve all been remixed with a hip techno beat, but you’ll likely instantly recognize many of them. This makes playing the game quite a bit easier, and the game’s producer said that they wanted to make it accessible to just about anyone. The titles have been changed a bit, too, sporting names like “1812 Overdrive,” “Hall of the Mountain Dude,” and “Rave New World.” Alas, you won’t be able to add your own tunes, but there will be some downloadable content available sometime after the game is released.
In addition to the straight-up single player mode, there are quite a few other gametypes to keep you busy. Endurance finds the same song playing over and over, and you’ve got to complete the requisite number of “laps” in order to survive. Naturally, the music speeds up from one lap to the next, so you’ll be furiously hitting buttons by the end. There are also a few head-to-head multiplayer games which are a lot of fun, although we were a bit saddened to hear that they won’t be playable over Xbox Live. The game will also ship with a visualizer of some sort, as well as a mode that allows anyone to just hit buttons and set off as many fireworks as they want. Perfect for the kiddies!
We had a great time playing Boom Boom Rocket, even on the hardest difficulty level (trust me, it’s frustratingly tough). The game adeptly combines beautiful visuals, interesting music, and accessible gameplay to create one of the year’s most intriguing Xbox Live Arcade titles. It’s a blast to play with friends, and the fact that they’ve included a number of cool extras helps to make it one game you won’t want to miss. We’ll be bringing you more information on Boom Boom Rocket in the coming months!
Its now nearly March 2007 and time for a new State of the Homebrew Scene for 2007.
Because we are the only dedicated Homebrew Network on the web covering just about all scenes (and if not then we will ) i feel its a good time to give a low down on each scene and some pointers about where they are going from my point of view.
First off though lets remind all that Homebrew is not the same as warez.
Also I would like to point out that each scene owes its life to the many hardware and software hackers who discover the exploits we come to enjoy so much today, they are then followed by the many worldwide coders who make the homebrew scene a free and enjoyable place to hang out and make friends etc.
The Xbox360 has been the Next gen console thats been out the longest and while there has been advances we still have not seen any Homebrew breakthroughs for this System, Microsofts XNA platform is at the moment the only "Homebrew" but paying to use XNA doesnt appeal to me, the hackers have done a heck of a lot to this system but sadly that killer breakthrough hasnt arrived, the future should be fantastic once its broken, i predict PS2, Dreamcast and even Xbox Emulation should be possible on the Xbox 360.
The most powerful console of the next generation is a console that you can install Linux on and that opens the doors to a flood of homebrew, we are still awaiting a method to have homebrew without linux or some type of loader with a linux boot involved but out of all next gen consoles this looks to be the easiest and most powerful for homebrew in the future, as with the Xbox 360 i predict PS2, Dreamcast and Xbox emulators on this console.
Nintendos Wii console is already an emulation fans dream, the ability to play N64, Snes, Nes, Gamecube, Megadrive and PC Engine on this console make it a killer buy and recently Neogeo and MSX games have been announced to be arriving soon on the Virtual Console.
The Wii can play Gamecube Homebrew without a problem using the SD Load Option, that brings Snes, GBA, Genesis and more to the Wii, whilst theres no true Wii Homebrew breakthroughas of yet, the release of Nintendo Wii Modchips should hopefully speed along an homebrew breakthrough, but is it needed if Nintendo keep adding new systems to their Virtual Console.
The PSP Homebrew Scene is the one still getting the most attention at the moment and rightly so, the ease of getting homebrew to run on this up to the latest 2 firmware releases means millions worldwide can enjoy Games and Emulators for the price of a Memory Card and a copy of Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories (Original Unpatched Version) depending on what firmware is on the PSP, recently the releases of Dark Alexs Custom Firmware that basically lets you use Sonys Full Speed PSX Emulator on your PSP have been a major new addition to the PSP Homebrew Scene, we have also had full speed GBA emulation and a host of emulators for retro consoles and arcade systems like CPS1 and CPS2, on the application front Deniska`s Map This is now using Sonys Official GPS Adapter and continues to amaze even though sadly Sony have yet to release outside of Japan. The future of the PSP Scene is a very strong one with hackers that seemingly wont let Sony get the upper hand. Infact recently within hours we have seen decrypted firmware of Sonys latest efforts to stop homebrew on their handheld console. For the future we look to the likes of Nintendo 64 emulation at a playable speed and yet more Custom Firmware that opens the doors that Sony should have opened. Sonys handheld may not be the killer console in the handheld market but on the Homebrew arena its way out in front.
The GP2X is a console that was made for homebrew fans and coders, it has a worldwide base of people coding Emulators and Games for it and with 2x200mhz cpus and 64megs ram it sure can deliver the goods. The GP2X has a fantastic amount of emulators and games both original and ports, emulators for Snes and Megadrive and Neogeo are extremely advanced and recently the system was the first to have Sega Mega CD Emulation on a Console, a groundbreaking first for any handheld. Just lately the GP2X scene has slowed most likely due to the fact that most emulators have been ported and that possibly coders have become annoyed with Gamepark and the lateness of the Breakout Board a device that turns the GP2X into a computer of sorts. Theres still a long way to go on the GP2X interms of emulation and i feel that decent speed PSX, GBA and Nintendo 64 emulators are reachable in time.
Once you have the hardware above then the DS with its touch screen is a monster in the waiting, already it has over several hundred homebrew releases for it but with the touch screen, microphone and rumble addon you have an excellent base for games and more, not to mention the wifi mode.
As with the commercial games the DS cant match the PSP for pure power but it can easily bypass it in the innovation dept just like the commercial scene. With the DS you can also play the many hundreds of excellent GBA Homebrew Releases.
DS Homebrew has recently seen the release of Quake, Doom and even Duke Nukem 3D is being ported, emulators include Snes and Megadrive are very good now and many more systems have been emulated, i doubt you will ever see a PSX or N64 emu on the DS but the DS will be the home of the best Games on any Homebrew Platform, the touchpad guarentees that.
The Dreamcast is still the only non handheld Console to gain a massive legal scene without the use of modchips, the releases to date stand at over 500 and amongst them many ports of commercial games and awesome emulators, the scene has slowed a lot in the last year or so but it continues to pump out releases. Because of the fact that you dont have to Chip the console it makes the Dreamcast a cheap system to get emulators etc working on.
The future of the Dreamcast scene as i see is still a strong one with releases of a few a month and several dedicated coders and members of a scene who refuse to let it die. I do not envisage any great releases that put the system back into the mainstream but if you have never had a Dreamcast then you are massively missing out.
The GP32 is the younger brother of the GP2X, this console had some commercial releases but the main reason for its success was the hundreds of releases for it, the scene for the GP32 is just about dead with everyone having moved onto the GP2X, the console is still a great source for games and emulators if you can pick up a console cheaply.
The GBA has a console is on its last legs with only very few games being released these days and sadly not many homebrew releases either. The back catalogue though has some of the very best commercial quality homebrew games ever created and those with a DS and a Slot 2 flashcart should try out the many excellent releases.
The Gizmondo whilst being a commercial failure despite being a very powerful handheld is now spawning a decent Homebrew scene, in the last few months we have seen the release of around 50 games and emulators, again like the PSP all you need is a Memory card and your ready to go, because there wasnt many Gizmondos made this will never be a massive scene but it does have the built in GPS and Camera which none of the others do. The Gizmondo is seeing a lot of PocketPC games released either legally or not so on the system and that will keep the scene alive in the short run. In the long term i see the scene slowing to a crawl and with not a big userbase of consoles the long term future isnt good.
The most powerful console for the last generation of consoles has a massive range of full speed emulators and ported games for it, The best way to get homebrew to run is with the fitting of a Xbox Modchip, the shame about the Xbox scene is that 99% of the homebrew released is made with the Official SDK, so that means no sites can legally host the releases, at one time there were multiple releases on a daily basis but now its slowed to a trickle, the Xbox really needs the creation of a Legal SDK so that it entices more coders to release projects on the powerful console. If your after full speed emulation then this is the homebrew console to get.
The homebrew scene for the Nokia seems to have died a death, most likely because Nokia killed the console but it has quite a few decent emulators for it but the longterm future looks very grim, emulation on mobile phones isnt very easy to understand even if you are a pro in the scene.
Heres a console much like the Nintendo DS with its Touch Screen but its also a Pocket PC type device so you get the best of both worlds, the homebrew scene for this console has dried up massively since Tapwave gave up, it does boast some great emulators and games though so if your after a homebrew console and a pocket PC device then this is for you.
To get Homebrew on the Gamecube your gonna need a Modchip or use the SD Load Method, the Gamecube scene is very small compared to most other scenes with only a matter of 30 releases, it does however boast a great N64 and Snes emulator plus if you buy a Gamecube Gameboy player you can play GBA homebrew with a flash cart that way. Long term it doesnt look good for this scene.
The PS2 Homebrew scene despite being a powerful console and the biggest selling non handheld console of recent years has never really thrived, it has around 30 releases for it similiar to the Gamecube, but the long term prospects dont look great. A modchip is the best way to get homebrew working on this console.
The worlds most popular music player in time could be a real contender for mini games and emulation of simple systems, so far it does have some homebrew for it but controls are never going to be easy for it, because of the constant changing of hardware its unlikely to have a strong homebrew following. Best to stick to music
The Sega Saturn is another console for which youll need a modchip for, via a coder named Rockin-B the Saturn has a site with nearly 100 homebrew releases and although its never going to be a massive scene its great to see the console still getting some loving.
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Conclusion
I hope i havent bored you too much but theres some opinions and facts about homebrew across the systems, if your looking for a killer handheld homebrew scene then PSP, Nintendo DS or GP2X should be your focus.
Those looking for a Console based scene then the Dreamcast or maybe the Xbox Should be your port of call.
Out of the Next gen the PS3 should be the king of hombrew but until we see real breakthoughs all bets are off.
Funcom has release a new trailer and screenshots, showing Khemi, the priestly capitol of Stygia in Age of Conan, for their P.C. Windows, Xbox 360 and PS3 game.
The GRAW 2 multiplayer demo that was promised last week is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. Clocking in at around 300 MB, the demo allows up to 16 players on one map called Outpost. It's arguable that this demo is more important than the recently released campaign demo, as players will be spending most of their time in multiplayer. The demo is currently only available to gold members.
In a surprise twist, a much larger MLB 2K7 demo is available as well. Go forth, download, and enjoy.
Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (UU’s)
1 Gears of War
2 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Vegas
3 Crackdown
4 Call Of Duty 3
5 Crackdown (Demo)
6 Madden NFL 07
7 Lost Planet
8 Oblivion
9 Pro Evolution Soccer 6
10 Saints Row
Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions)
1 Paperboy
2 UNO
3 Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
4 Root Beer Tapper
5 Heavy Weapon
6 Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting
7 Contra
8 Texas Hold 'em
9 Geometry Wars Evolved
10 MS.PAC-MAN
Spider-Man 3 is shaping up nicely, as this crisp new in-game trailer demonstrates.
As you will see, Spider-Man's flamboyant fighting skills are back, and his increased agility now sees him sprinting along walls as though he were on the ground.
One cool action scene shows Spidey swinging through a tube tunnel in New York's underground system alongside a speeding train. Then he goes all bad-ass in his dark symbiotic suit and shoves some dudes face into the side of a moving train. Eat that.
The game is set to release on almost every console format known to man on May 4, coinciding with the release of the film.
As a feisty yet adorable alien, gamers must fend off FBI agents to ensure their spaceship stays safe. With unique, hand-drawn characters and weapons, this award-winning title is the epitome of quirky humour and intergalactic fun. Sixteen levels, seven mini-games, and jump-in anytime multiplayer capability adds to the cosmic mayhem.
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. I'm only at level 32 now, plenty of time to make the later levels really hard if I want to, plenty of scope for challenging new enemy types, but I want at least these early levels to be a nice fat slice of sweet gaming cake that *everyone* can sink their teeth into once they get the gist. And I think I've got that. It's really nice.
