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.
