The Game Console provides a concise reference on the history of console video games from Magnavox's 1972 Odyssey all the way up to the recently launched Wii. Though not complete, photos of the hardware, retail boxes, controllers and game media do accompany the profiled systems. How can we know where we're going, if we don't know where we've been? Your 10,000 word essays are due Friday by 5pm EST.
The Homebrew and Emulation Scene has seen some great Emulators over the years, Snes9X, Zsnes, Mame (in all its versions), Bleem, Ultrahle, Project64, Chankast.
Those Emulators have brought many thousands to the Homebrew and Emulation Arena, since those emulators have come and gone we havent had the buzz of a killer emulator since then.
That is until the last few months, the might of Sony and Nintendo have jumped into the Emulation Scene with their own emulators for the PSP and Nintendo Wii.
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Sonys PS1 Emulator
-------------------------
Sony who using bullyboy tactics killed of Bleem and VGS have released what is the best emulator easily of the last year. The Playstation Emulator works at full speed with sound and decent controls in a widescreen on the Playstation Portable. The Emulator is being released in a single game format with PSX Games on the PS Network Shop. Luckily for the Homebrew Scene, Dark Alex released a custom firmware that opened up the emulator and now thousands of PSP Homebrew fans are enjoying all their favourite PSOne games in both NTSC and PAL format. Just about every game is perfect.
So well done Sony, for a company who hates emulators you have made the best one so far.
Nintendo`s Emulators for Wii
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The Nintendo Wii is an amazing console, not as powerful as the PS3 and Xbox360 but so unique it is gathering fans from all over the globe.
The Virtual Console is an awesome way to buy your favourite classic games and relive the best years of gaming.
For this Nintendo has written some excellent emulators for the Wii, So far we have Snes, Nes, PC Engine, Sega Genesis, Nintendo 64 and within the next few months NeoGeo and MSX.
Nintendo have done what most homebrew coders take years to do and thats get fullspeed emulators for the consoles mentioned above and with that in mind have dealt the homebrew community a major blow. Most Homebrewers love Emulators and with Nintendo covering most of the best systems already the need to write emulators for the Wii lessens.
Conclusion
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It feels strange as a fan of Homebrew and Emulators for over 12 years to be thanking Sony and Nintendo. But this year they deserve all the thanks from all corners of the emulation scene for the best emulators released in the last year.
Thanks Again Sony and Nintendo
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Do you agree or disagree with this article, answer via comments.
Nintendo DS™:
Asonde Igo ga Tsuyoku naru!! Ginsei Igo DS JPN US$ 48.90
Asonde Shogi ga Tsuyoku Naru !! Ginsei Shogi DS JPN US$ 48.90
Bakegyamon: Ayakashi Fighting JPN US$ 48.90
Super Robot Taisen W JPN US$ 58.90
Unou no Tatsujin: Soukai! Machigai Museum JPN US$ 39.90
Magazines, Toys & Misc:
Animal Crossing Character Bottle Phone Strap Gashapon (Theater Version) JPN US$ 2.49
Animal Crossing Houses, Figures or Accessories Gashapon (Theater Version) JPN US$ 3.99
Arcadia Magazine [April 2007] JPN US$ 12.90
Dragon Quest Monster Mascot Collection 2 - Minisize Mobile Mascot US$ 3.49
FA4 Fate/Hollow Ataraxia Collection Figure US$ 6.99
Fairy Musketeers Konami Figure Collection Vol.2 JPN US$ 4.49
Famitsu Wave DVD [April 2007] JPN US$ 16.50
Fate/Hollow Ataraxia 1/7 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Saber With Beach Ball (Bikini Version) US$ 47.90
Final Fantasy XII Play Arts Action Figure - Ashe US$ 38.90
Final Fantasy XII Play Arts Action Figure - Balthier N/A
Final Fantasy XII Play Arts Action Figure - Judge Maser Gabranth N/A
Final Fantasy XII Play Arts Action Figure - Vaan US$ 38.90
Neon Genesis Evangelion Pre-painted PVC Metamo Figure: Soryu Asuka Langley US$ 36.90
New Super Mario Bros. Pouch JPN US$ 2.99
Pia Carrot G.O. Pre-painted PVC Figure: Ayano Kunugi (Swimsuit Ver.) JPN US$ 46.90
Premium Heroines SNK Beach Volley JPN US$ 7.99
Zero no Tsukaima 1/8 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Louise US$ 49.90
Video Game related Soundtracks:
Neo Angelique - Romantic Gift - JPN US$ 36.90
Reijo Tantei -Office Love Jikenbo- Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 27.90
Spica - Kokoro ga Tsumugu Okurimono - Ar tonelico hymmnos musical JPN US$ 29.90
Super Eurobeat Presents Initial D Fourth Stage Non-Stop Mega Mix With Battle Digest [2CD+DVD] JPN US$ 34.90
Not sure if any of you entered it but the prizes were very decent and even i had to enter it.
Heres the latest update:
The Lucky Lunar New Year Sale has officially ended. Winners of the draw will be announced during next week (between March 5th to March 11th). We thank all customers for the big support brought forward during this sale.
on the official website that BioShock will be hitting the US in the August 21st, and it should hit European shelves on 24th August.
They also announced a screenshot contest:
Welcome to our first screenshot scenario contest! For this scenario, you will be fighting a grenadier in the Medical Pavilion of Rapture. You are armed with your trusty wrench and a shotgun, but unfortunately the shotgun has only one cartridge left. You also have the electro bolt plasmid, and the telekinesis plasmid.
The grenadier is armed with handmade grenades which he is throwing at you.
Happy submissions! Click the link below to email your 1000-word-or-less solution to me.
Remember: There is no "right answer" for this contest -- We have counted at least six different ways to take down this grenadier.
We'll be posting the text of all the possible solutions we receive, and I will choose one of the most creative options to film and post in two weeks time.
In a surprising turn of events, the PSP has beaten off the Wii and PS3, selling more than both consoles in Japan last week.
The latest weekly sales figures for Japan reveal that Sony's portable placed second in the hardware sales chart for the week ending 25 February, with unit sales of 96,750.
This falls short only of the still storming DS, which sold 146,250 units according to figures on vgcharts.org.
However the PSP beat even the might DS in the software sales chart in the same period, selling 808,750 games compared with 618,250 for the DS.
The surge could be put down to the recent release of Capcom's Monster Hunter Freedom 2, a co-op-enabled monster catching/battling game, which topped the software charts with a colossal 755,500 copies sold. Second down was Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Matsuri, with 90,500 sales.
Warner Music and Microsoft have penned a deal that will see a greater emphasis places on pushing videogame soundtracks in your face.
Under terms of the deal Warner Music will claim, administer and license music compositions owned and controlled by Microsoft. Some of these will obviously include scores for Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Age of Empires, Fable, Kameo: Elements of Power.
Ed Pierson, Warner's legal chap, explains: "We're confident we can develop and identify some exciting and unique new licensing opportunities for these well-known game compositions."
So a Halo 3 pop single for the charts? Sung by the Scissor Sisters? We'll let you know.
Gamers from England have the most capacity for evil of all the world's videogame enthusiasts, according to Lionhead's Peter Molyneux, quoting statistics from a study of people who played his Xbox RPG, Fable.
The research also showed that most American gamers found it difficult to make evil choices during the game's freeform adventure, with roughly 90% of gamers in the US roleplaying as good characters.
"There was a disappointing number of people that tended towards good," Molyneux told US mag GamePro, "but it is also very interesting that the percentage of good players versus evil players varies very strongly by nationality".
For example, "the English are probably the most evil of all," but Molyneux reckons that 70% of the Americans researched played good characters, while 20% "didn't have the moral fibre to keep going down the evil path" and eventually turned to good.
Molyneux also revealed that in Fable 2 the divide between good and evil will be far bigger than before, explaining that gamers who wish to be either pure good or pure evil will be forced to make some sacrifices - and not just the bloody kind.
Although Molyneux has focused so hard on evil actions that, during a recent meeting at Lionhead, one staffer exploded that he would "never play a game" that had all the nasty things in it that Molyneux had suggested. We would, mind.
A port of Raiden IV for the Xbox 360 is apparently in alpha stage and is scheduled to be released in the US at some unspecified point in the distant future. This news comes from an interview with one of UFO Interactive's managers recently conducted by Team Fremont. (And don't forget, UFO is also bringing to the US the PS2 port of Raiden III later this month.)
This is all very surprising, especially considering that it's going to be a while before Raiden IV is even released in Japanese arcades (it's currently slated for July). Moreover, no news of a Japanese 360 port has emerged through any of the usual sources. What has me worried the most is that UFO is considering releasing this on XBLA, which could very well mean a shoddy port in unsuitable resolution and with no option for tate. On the other hand, even if this is a regular disc release it could turn out ugly. By Royal decree all Xbox 360 games have to be 720p minimum and Raiden IV is a 640x480 game -- which is not even a widescreen resolution. G.rev faced the same problem when porting Senko no Ronde, but then again their game was in yoko so things were much simpler. It will be interesting to see how this gets handled.
Japanese game site Eg has the the country's software sales data (via Media Crate) for the week of February 19th to February 25th. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd did better than originally thought. Way better.
1.) Monster Hunter Portable 2nd (PSP) Capcom — 705281 (Last Week) 705281 (Total)
2). Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (PS2) Alchemist — 80002 (Last Week) 80002 (Total)
3). Fire Emblem: Akatsuki no Megami (Wii) Nintendo — 75359 (Last Week) 75359 (Total)
4). Sim City DS (NDS) Electronic Arts — 50826 (Last Week) 50826 (Total)
5. Professor Layton and the Mysterious Town (NDS) Level 5 — 49979 (Last Week) 186716 (Total)
6). Wii Sports (Wii) Nintendo — 47053 (Last Week) 1090736 (Total)
7). Naruto Shippuden: Gekitou Ninja Taisen EX (Wii) Takara Tomy — 45792 (Last Week) 45792 (Total)
8). Dragon Quest Monsters Joker (NDS) Square-Enix — 40507 (Last Week) 1174576 (Total)
9). Hajimete no Wii Pack (Wii) Nintendo — 35811 (Last Week) 944586 (Total)
10). Picross DS (NDS) Nintendo — 26693 (Last Week) 183357 (Total)
Hardware hackers have developed a technique to hack Microsoft's Xbox 360 gaming console so that it might be possible to run alternative operating systems on the hardware.
The approach, which only works given physical access to the hardware and is strictly for fun, relies on a taking advantage of a vulnerability in the Xbox 360 hypervisor. Properly exploited, the bug allows tinkerers to run arbitrary code (even an alternative OS) with full privileges and full hardware access.
The hypervisor on Xbox 360 machines controls access to memory and provides encryption and decryption services. The approach means that all games and other applications running on the Xbox 360, in theory at least, need to be cryptographically signed with Microsoft's private key and run in non-privileged read-only mode.
Unprivileged code cannot change executable code, but flaws in the way unprivileged code interacts with the hypervisor via the syscall instruction laid the groundwork to the hack.
Full details on the ingenious exploit, including proof of concept code, were published on BugTraq on Wednesday. The anonymous hackers tipped Microsoft off about the issue last month and "following cordial discussions" the software giant quickly produced a patch. The hack has been possible since since the bug was introduced in late October.
The video portion of Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace continues to swell, thanks largely to an animated group of troublemakers from South Park, Colorado.
Microsoft's director of Xbox Live programming, Major Nelson (real name Larry Hryb), updated his blog with a list of new content coming to Video Marketplace this week, and fans of South Park will have plenty to watch.
I have no idea what's going on right now.
Seasons 5 through 8 of the program, which includes the classics "Cripple Fight," "Scott Tenorman Must Die," and "Good Times With Weapons," will be available for download exclusively over Xbox Live. The Academy Award-nominated South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut feature film is also due on XBL this week.
Other TV shows new to the Video Marketplace include teen dramas The OC, Laguna Beach, and One Tree Hill, season two of Robot Chicken, and new UFC brawls. New content from beyond the boob tube includes the geriatric romp Grumpy Old Men and trailers for Transformers, Bee Movie, and Blades of Glory. A complete list of this week's content is below.
Television Shows
South Park (Seasons 5-8)
The OC
Laguna Beach (Seasons 1, 2)
All of Us (Season 4)
New UFC Fights
Robot Chicken (Season 2)
Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job (Season 1)
One Tree Hill (Season 4)
Movies
South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut
Grumpy Old Men
Theatrical Trailers
Blades of Glory
Pathfinder
Bee Movie
Simpsons Movie
Fred Clause
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix
Transformers
Following Xbox360 Hypervisor Vulnerability released on Tuesday, Crawler360 just released the first Xbox 360 homebrew app (non XNA). It uses the shader hack found in King Kong and requires kernel 4532 or 4548. This will not work on newer kernel versions and downgrading is no longer possible due to the effuse being blown in the latest kernel update. The source file must be compiled before use, read the readme file for directions.
The readme file
Xbox 360 Hypervisor/King Kong Exploit
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks to Anonymous Hacker's great work, I' m now able to publish my own
little implementation of the exploit.
I've used the full version of the King Kong game, as it has been shown to
work by these anonymous people at 22C3, and it was the first one I found
with editable shaders. Most games have these - KK was just the first one
I've checked.
So you need a KK full (USA or PAL doesn't matter, they are the same) DVD
image (including video partition), and obviously a hacked drive firmware.
You could also try hotswapping from your (hopefully existing!) KK original
to the modified copy. Then you could go with a stock firmware.
Why not using the KK demo? It would work the same (though the shader file
format is different), but requires a firmware hack too, as the possibility
to run it from DVD-R was blacklisted in a very early kernel already, which
doesn't have the vulnerability.
So, how does the hack work? Basically, the bugtraq post
(http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/461489 in case you haven't read it
yet) explains it all. All I did was to convert the series of memory writes
into a shader, and writing a small serial loader stub.
You need to connect the serial port to use this hack. Ready Speedy22's
fine "Xbox 360 Motherboards and Headers" documentation, it's on J2B1.
NOTE: It's LVTTL. Do not even think about connecting to an RS232 port
directly.
RS232 is +-12V, LVTTL is 3V. Think about what's happening when you connect
your 110V equipment to 220V. You don't want to happen that on your
southbridge.
For example, use a MAX3232, or just use any of these USB serial port
adapters which already output 3.3V.
Speed is hardcoded to 115200/8N1.
To modify your existing game image, start the "patcher" tool. It will patch
your game image to include the loader. It is a bit lame, but works. The
tool will also remove the three startup videos for a faster boot.
When you launch the modified game, it will directly go to the main screen.
Press start on a controller. It should display "LOADING", and then freeze
while displaying "Acessing Content". If it doesn't freeze, you don't have
the correct kernel version (4532 or 4548, but only 4532 was tested). See
below on how to update.
Now, the serial loader gets active. You should see a "Xe>" on the serial
port. Now, upload your binary code (just as a binary blob). To terminate
your upload, send 16x 'x'. It will be loaded to 0x01300000, and executed.
Be warned, only CPU #0 is trapped. The other threads/cores are still
happily executing, so you need to catch them.
If you have 4552, you are screwed. Sorry.
If you have 4532 or 4548, it has to work. If it doesn' t work, something
else is wrong, but please don't try to update.
If you have pre-4532:
New 360 game that works on both US and PAL (UK etc) Xbox 360s:
features
Brilliant experience from a legendary game designer. From Dave Jones, the creative mastermind behind “Grand Theft Auto” and “Lemmings,” comes “Crackdown,” an explosive masterpiece set to define open-world, free-form next-generation gaming.
True next-generation visuals. Harnessing the power of Xbox 360, “Crackdown” players enforce justice against the backdrop of a crime-ridden metropolis that is massive in scale, monstrous in scope and meticulous in detail. The unique presentation style employs a highly stylized rendering technique that turns the game into a living graphical novel.
Cooperative gameplay for double the mayhem. From the game’s initial concept to final design, Real Time Worlds focused on delivering dynamic, engaging cooperative gameplay for double the carnage, action and intensity.
3-D free-form gameplay. For the first time ever, an urban playground has been created to encourage players to explore and exploit the full width, depth and height of a city. Players wage war on the crime syndicates by taking part in high-octane chases on foot and on wheels while using any appropriate route along, around, across, over, under or through the environment. Freedom abounds because it is up to the player to determine how best to complete the nonlinear objectives in a myriad of wild and creative ways.
Over-the-top action. All strategies and tactics are acceptable, provided players reclaim the streets by unleashing the awesome abilities inside each agent. As players develop and hone their gameplay skills, their agent’s genetic tendencies will increase, allowing players to realize their agent’s full potential. Players will be able to run at dazzling speeds, take death-defying leaps, handle the most incredible weapons, perform impossible vehicular maneuvers, move massive objects and deliver bone-crushing blows.
Music as environment. More than 100 licensed tracks, spanning a wide range of styles and genres, give audio identities to characters and locations in “Crackdown.” The music coupled with a next-generation use of 5.1 surround sound will let gamers know just from the music and sound effects they hear which crime syndicate is headed their way.
The environment as a weapon. Is a character low on ammo? No problem. Thanks to an amazing amount of props and a deep physics system, players can use whatever they can get their hands on as weapons — trash cans, vehicles, even people — to clean the streets of crime. In “Crackdown,” the effects of the players’ actions stay in place much longer than in other open-environment titles, giving gamers a far greater range of options when setting the scene for mass destruction. If players gather vehicles to create a barricade, they will be there when the they return with more. Gamers can create an arrangement of explosives and come back later to set the explosion. “Crackdown” remembers, and reacts, to the players’ actions within the game world.
Limited Time Offer - Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta
description
Crackdown™ pushes the action-driving hybrid genre into the next generation with the first ever truly 3-D playground. Enforce justice by any means necessary in a crime-ridden urban center built to encourage the exploration of the full width, depth, and height of the city. Coupled with highly innovative co-op gameplay, a first for the genre, and an interactive world where nearly anything can be used as a weapon, create a volatile cocktail of action as you clean up the streets.
Crackdown is developed by Scotland's Real Time Worlds exclusively for Microsoft Game Studios and Xbox 360™. Real Time Worlds is led by Dave Jones, the creative mastermind behind some of the most innovative and best-selling video games including the global blockbuster Grand Theft Auto and the legendary hit Lemmings.
It's a whole new ballgame! Major League Baseball 2K7 redefines the pure baseball video game experience with true, Next-Gen details, all-new throwing mechanics and a revolutionary presentation system. Featuring stunning, lifelike player models, Signature Style animations, Inside Edge data and more, Major League Baseball 2K7 delivers the most authentic baseball action to date.
After many delays, Worms will be available for download beginning Wednesday, March 7 at 0800 GMT (1 a.m. PST), and will be available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points ($10.00/£6.80/€9.30)
GAME FEATURES
* A mix of strategy and arcade action that, although simple to understand, contains real depth and massive replayability
* Turn-based multiplayer action for up to four players locally or over Xbox Live
* An assortment of game options:
o Landscape on which to do battle
o Turn and round times
o Starting weapon arsenal for each team
* Three detailed tutorials to introduce the mechanics to first-time players
* Twenty increasingly difficult single-player challenges
* Three graphical themes for play
* A random landscape generator to ensure that no two landscapes are ever the same
* Twenty-two weapons and utilities to deploy against your enemies
* Many customizable elements, including what worms and teams are named, what worms say, and which gravestone they have when they die
* High-definition visuals and many graphical improvements throughout the game
* Twelve achievements
* Weekly, monthly and overall leaderboards
Originally announced back in 2005 as Shrek 3, the now renamed Shrek the Third is a totally new quest with a plot running parallel to that of the movie.
As you work through the comedy fairytale, you will get to play as Shrek, Donkey, Puss-in-Boots, Fiona, Arthur and Sleeping Beauty.
All the usual stuff will feature - various collectibles, boss battles and a number of multiplayer mini games.
Shrek the Third will launch for... *deep breath*... Wii, Xbox 360, PS2, PC, PSP, DS and GBA in May.
The industry is currently gearing up in preparation of the Game Developers Conference 2007, to be held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, March 5 - 9.
The event kicks off on Monday, with a focus on mobile entertainment and a keynote from industry veteran Trip Hawkins, who will be discussing Making Mobile Phones the Ultimate Game Platform.
Other mobile focused highlights include founding chairman of GDC Mobile Robert Tercek's keynote on The First Decade of Mobile Games, highlighting the key titles, turning points and pitfalls of the industry so far.
Also sure to cause a buzz in the mobile sector will be Nokia's unveiling of the new N-Gage platform, with numerous speaker session covering the SDK, publishing partners, software and hardware specifications.
Phil Harrison's keynote will be the must-attend event of Wednesday, with the worldwide studios boss expected to reveal the next stage in Sony's intention to dominate the digital home.
Also scheduled for Wednesday is Katie Perez's session on how to develop and pitch a successful Xbox Live game submission, and Warren Spector's speech on The Future of Next-Generation Game Development.
Thursday again kicks off with a heavyweight keynote, this time from legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto, who will be revealing how a singular creative vision guides his work.
Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux is also due to reveal more about his RPG sequel in Innovations in Fable 2 on Thursday, while Rare's Michael Boulton will take attendees on a detailed tour of the look and style of Viva Pinata.
One of Friday's highlights is likely to be id Software's Todd Hollenshead's frank session on The Videogame Piracy Problem, with insight from his experiences battling piracy over the past ten years. Also scheduled for Friday is Scott Kirkland's session looking at the physics of stand-out PlayStation 3 title Motorstorm.
It's is well-established that the science supporting a connection between video game violence and real-world violence is tenuous. A new article at Ars Technica examines why society finds a gaming-violence connection so comforting. From the article: 'Sternheimer suggests that gaming is simply the latest in a long series of media influences to take the blame. "Over the past century, politicians have complained that cars, radio, movies, rock music, and even comic books caused youth immorality and crime, calling for control and sometimes censorship." She terms the targets of such efforts folk devils, items branded dangerous and immoral that serve to focus blame and fear
features
Pages: 224
Coverage of every option in every dashboard blade to maximize performance.
Detailed instructions to use every multimedia facet, including Windows® Media Center, Windows XP, music, TV shows, etc.
Learn how to build your own library of music to listen to while you game!
Coverage on expanding usage beyond the Xbox 360, including Xbox.com, and more details on HD-DVD, Xbox Live® Vision Camera, and the Microsoft® Zune™.
Information on XNA™ compatibility and use with the Xbox 360. Learn how to turn your Xbox 360 into your very own video game development kit!
In depth look at the evolution of the Xbox 360 from concept design to bringing it home.
Foreword from Paolo “WildChicken” Malabuyo, Lead Design Program Manager for the Xbox Platform Experience.
description
Get the most out of your Xbox 360™!
In your hands is everything you need to know to turn your premier gaming system into the nexus of your home entertainment system and maximize its gaming potential.
http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/ has a count down to the GTA IV trailer, which ends later this month. Finally we get some more info on this much awaited game.
More than a third of young drivers are more likely to go faster on the roads after playing on-screen driving games, a survey suggests.
And 27% of motorists aged 16 to 24 admitted more risk-taking on the road after a gaming session.
A thousand drivers were questioned on behalf of driving school BSM.
BSM's road safety consultant Robin Cummins said the results showed an 'indisputable' link between gaming and dangerous driving.
A quarter of drivers even said they imagine they are in a driving simulation game while driving for real - men are the worst offenders for this.
The poll also found that 34% of the 1,000 young drivers questioned think computer games can improve real-life driving ability, with two in five reckoning the games can help their reflexes.
The guy in front, the music on the stereo...those are the things that make you speed up
David Perry
The survey revealed that just over half of frequent game-players pass their driving test first time, compared with only 45% of those who only play games infrequently.
Mr Cummins said: "With more than 200 young people killed each year due to speeding alone, it's crucial that they learn to 'keep it real' on the road."
But the survey's findings have been rejected by the US-based games designer David Perry.
The multi-millionaire from Belfast, who is currently designing a driving video game, said behaviour was affected by how drivers felt while behind the wheel, not before they got in their car.
"Anything that affects your emotions will affect how you drive. The guy in front, the music on the stereo...those are the things that make you speed up, not a game you played an hour ago."
Breathe a sigh of relief. As you can see from the list of games below, publishers are beginning to feel the warmth of spring approaching and are keen to hit stores with stock prior to the frenzy that will be PlayStation 3. Ket game releases listed right here.
It certainly beats last week's release schedule which was about as tempting as a meal in an Indian restaurant while you're sat next to Jade Goody.
Of particular note are two excellent DS releases in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin and Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis. There's also relief to be had on Xbox 360 with the intriguing Bullet Witch and the solid Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2.
Sure, it's not a week that will go down in the annals of videogaming history but if you have a spare £40 (and it was pay day this week) there are definitely a few quality titles to encourage the money out of your purse.
The complete list of games released in the UK this coming Friday (09/03/07):
Bullet Witch, 360, Atari
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, DS, Konami
CSI 3 Dimension of Murder, PS2, Ubisoft
Garfield's Nightmare, DS, The Game Factory
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2, 360, Ubisoft
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, PS2, Rockstar
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, PS2/PSP, EA
Lionel Trains, DS, Zoo Digital
M.A.C.H., PSP, Vivendi
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, DS, Nintendo
Trash Talker for Xbox 360 is the ultimate weapon to flame, taunt and ridicule your buddies over Xbox Live. Sitting between your game controller and your plug-in headset, Trash Talker gives you a bank of buttons which activate pre-recorded sound clips, letting you assemble your own messages and activate them at will.
You can record your own taunts and insults if you wish, but Trash Talker’s capable of much more. Why not slip in a soundbite from your favourite film or TV show, to activate during the game? If you’re injured, you could utter “I ain’t got time to bleed” in Jessie Ventura’s sepulchral growl from Predator. If you’re killed, play Arnie’s catchline, “I’ll be back!”. If a talkative opponent is getting on your nerves, play him BA from The A-Team saying, “Shut up, you crazy fool”. The possibilities are endless…
Trash Talker for Xbox 360 contains everything you need. There’s the Trash Talker unit, a USB cable to connect it to your PC and a PC application with which to manage your sounds. You can store up to 16 samples at a time, and the device has a total storage capacity of one minute.
Taunt, strategise and control…
Easy to use.
Soundbites and recordings at the push of a button.
Stores up to 16 samples.
Crackdown microsofts newest hit is one that deserves being the best selling game for xbox 360 on EB games. Crackdown is like the game that everyone loves, GrandTheftAuto, except that this time your the good guy and not the bad guy. You take a roll as a new supercop that is just like a human but better. Through out the game you will progress your skills to jumping rooftop to rooftop,bring able to thorw deceased boddies and cars, and being able to use super cars. The theme of crackdown is that you are a supercop with the mission to kill Gang members and there leaders. With this unique idea to turn GTA into a super GTA no wonder the game is selling like crazy. If you want this game get it as soon as you can so that you can ensure your spot in the halo 3 online beta for free because it is first come first serve on this offer.
Microsoft and Viacom have teamed up to offer Xbox Live subscribers the first ever high definition episode of South Park.
According to Wired News, Xbox Live members in the US will be able to download the episode, Good Times With Weapons, for free from March 6 exclusively on Marketplace. Good news if you've got a US Xbox 360 but we're still waiting for this whole TV download service to kick in over here.
It looks like MS is pushing its HD DVD player too across the pond too, as US retailers are offering special deals on the 360 add-on. Best Buy will give away a free HD-DVD disc featuring the South Park episode with any purchase of Xbox 360 or the HD-DVD add-on for two weeks at the end of March.
Microsoft has finally revealed more details on its XNA contest dubbed Dream-Build-Play at the Game Developers Conference, which is quite appropriate when you think about it.
Four bedroom developers will each bag themselves $10,000 for their winning XNA games. It'snot been made official, but each winner will get the opportunity to have their game published Xbox Live Arcade.
The contest ends July 2 and the winners will be announced on August 13 at Microsoft's Gamefest 2007 event held in Seattle.
A rumour has appeared in the latest issue of EGM suggesting that Capcom will release a co-op mode for its hit zombie game (that's got nothing to do with Dawn of the Dead) Dead Rising.
The co-op mode is rumoured to be released in two different forms. The first will be with a platinum edition of the Xbox 360 game and the second as a download via Xbox Live, presumably for those that already own the game and don't want a co-op mode enough to pay out for the game again.
Capcom has yet to comment on the rumours so take this one with a pinch of flesh for the time being.
The first trailer from THQ's recently announced MotoGP '07 on Xbox 360 is now spitting exhaust fumes in our video player on the right. Take a gander.
Expected to release in September 2007, the sequel features the likes of brand new bikes, tracks and enhanced customisation options, and beefs up the Extreme mode of play that lets you race crotch-rockets around city streets.
Bungie has explained the confusion surrounding last week's rumours that there could be two separate Halo 3 betas.
The rumour suggested that people who scored codes via its website would be on a separate beta program to those that will gain access through Crackdown. This isn't the case as Bungie's community voice Frank O'Connor told CVG it's the "same beta. Different way to get in."
Speaking to Next Gen, O'Connor explained, "Like, we have time to be working on two separate betas? No, people have confused the issue. Bungie's going to have a friends and family program which is basically a tiny alternative to the Crackdown Beta program. We're going to get a bunch of beta invites sent to people in the Bungie community as well as those people who have bought Crackdown. Some people have decided that it was this whole separate beta but it's the same beta, we're just giving out our own tokens."
Late spring is the latest date Bungie has given for the Halo 3 beta.
Entertainment - that of Lumines Live! And Every Extend Extra fame - is to reveal a new Xbox Live Arcade game at this week's GDC in San Francisco.
The company previously released the much-anticipated Lumines Live! onto the service, which was greeted with a reception of controversy due to its pricey 'package' structure.
The exact identity of the new title is shrouded in mystery at the moment, though persistent rumour is expectedly bellowing claims that cult-classic music-shooter Rez is up for an Arcade re-jiggering - which would admittedly make us whet our pants.
But for all we know it could be a totally original piece of work, despite how good Every Extend Extra Arcade would look on our HD telly in the office.
A new 512MB Memory Unit has been confirmed by Microsoft for launch in April.
The original 64MB Memory Unit will now drop in price from $39.99 (£20) to $29.99 (£15). All this has been done because Microsoft has officially upped the size limit for its Xbox Live Arcade games from 50 MB to 150 MB.
The new 512MB Memory Unit will go for $49.99 (£29.99) and be available worldwide from April 3. The new MU will also come pre-loaded with the awesome XBLA title Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved from developer Bizarre Creations for a limited time.
Kicking off the Independent Game Summit at this year's GDC, veteran game coder and camel fanatic Jeff Minter has given a fresh showcase of his new XBLA game Space Giraffe, which he insists "is not Tempest 4000".
"Space Girafe is not Tempest. It may look like Tempest but that's basically because I wanted to have some kind of continuity with Tempest 2000," he told the keynote audience. "Plus I don't want to have to always worry about who owns the rights to the name Tempest," he notes as one of the reasons for ditching the shooter IP.
Minter demoed several levels of the psychedelic 360 blaster (including our favourites 'Stargate: Basingstoke' and 'Another Day in the Orifice') which shares technology with the Xbox 360's own visualization software, which Minter developed for Microsoft.
As for when Space Giraffe will hit Live Arcade, Minter says it will be ready for the submission process in "maybe March", after which it will take "maybe six weeks" to get through
The size limit for games distributed using Microsoft's popular Xbox Live Arcade service is to be tripled to 150MB, effective immediately - with the firm launching a new 512MB memory unit for the Xbox 360 to allow Core System owners to take advantage of the new games.
Previously, all software distributed on Xbox Live Arcade had to fit inside a 50MB file - which also meant that all software was compatible with the Xbox 360 Core System, which uses 64MB memory cards for data storage rather than the much larger hard drive in the "full" Xbox 360 system. However, Microsoft has made exceptions to that rule - notably for Konami's Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, which it admitted at the start of this year would not fit inside 50MB.
Now developers will be free to develop games up to a size limit of 150MB - a size which hits a sweet spot between giving flexibility to developers and maintaining accessibility for consumers, according to Xbox Live Arcade product manager Chris Early.
"The new size limit offers developers increased flexibility and continued opportunities for innovative game development, while also ensuring that the millions of gamers on Xbox LIVE can continue to easily access, download and play all Xbox LIVE Arcade games on Xbox 360," Early explained in a statement on the size limit changes.
"If you take a look at current games like 'Roboblitz' and 'Small Arms,' it's clear that our developers deliver amazing game experiences within a compact size limit," he continued. "Our focus is on continuing to provide developers with an environment that allows for the creation of cost-efficient games and that nurtures an artistic and creative approach to game development."
The 512MB memory unit for the Xbox 360 will launch on April 3rd, and is expected to retail at $49.99 in North America when it launches - with the existing 64MB memory unit set to drop in price from $39.99 to $29.99 at the same time. For a limited period, each 512MB unit sold will also come with a full copy of popular Xbox Live Arcade title Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved.
The announcements concerning the size limit change and the launch of the new memory unit came ahead of Microsoft's planned Xbox Live Arcade showcase at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco this week, where the firm plans to show off a range of Xbox Live Arcade titles including Boom Boom Rocket (EA / Bizarre Creations), 3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures (Sierra Online / Wanako Games), Eets: Chowdown (Klei Entertainment), Jetpac Refuelled (Rare) and Pinball FX (ZEN Studios).
As a medium, video games have been blamed for a whole host of society's ills. Violence, obesity, and educational underachievement are just some of the high profile problems that have been laid on gaming's doorstep at one time or another. But now, video games are being portrayed as the cause of a much graver threat; namely, the decline in Australian pet ownership.
As Australian Veterinary Association President Kersti Seksel told the Sydney Morning Herald (and any other outlet that would listen) today's kids "interact more by playing computer games and less by going out there and throwing the ball to a dog." Why is this a problem, exactly? According to Seksel, "We need to learn people skills, physical skills, and sitting in the lounge room with a computer doesn't teach you that."
Leaving aside for a second the idea of learning "people skills" from playing with an animal, implying that game playing and pet ownership are somehow mutually exclusive is a little ridiculous. You might as well argue that reading books and talking on the phone are dangerous pastimes because they take away from time with poor, neglected Fido.
Pet ownership usually takes up only a small part of a child's day, and singling out video games for distracting from that time strikes us as a little opportunistic. And while "you can't hug a computer," as the SMH article points out in the lede, you also don't have to take a computer out for walks. Man's best friend, indeed.
Nielsen Media Research, best know for its TV ratings, has released an outline the American video game landscape in the form of "The State of the Console" report. Among the more interesting findings:
45.7 million U.S. households have at least one game system, out of 111.4 million that have TVs (41.1%). This number has risen from 38.6 million (35.2%) in late 2004.
148.4 million Americans have access to a console in their home, out of 283.5 million that have access to TVs (52.4%). Of those, 93.8 million Americans (33.3% of the TV population) actually used a console in the 4th quarter of 2006.
The top 20% of gamers are responsible for 75% of the console time, averaging 5 hours and 45 minutes of use per day.
Those last two factoids are pretty interesting, as they show console games are still appealing primarily to a very small niche of the potential market, and that a small slice of that niche is responsible for most of the actual playing time. If game makers can somehow attract these uninterested console owners, they'll have tapped into a much larger market than they might be used to.
Speaking from years of experience, we know how hard it can be to get your girlfriend interested in playing video games. Granted, it might be impossible to drag her into play-til-dawn Halo 2 sessions online, but dropping into casual gaming with a Wario Ware: Smooth Moves round or two is entirely doable. Need some tips? Wikihow has an entry up on how to get your girlfriend to play video games, which offers up some gender stereotypes like this:
"Don't get games that involve things like strippers, prostitutes, and sex. Unless she has a really good sense of humor about such things, she probably won't like it."
Well, where's the fun in that? Oh, we keed, we keed. True, most of the article is common sense, and it might actually be helpful to some of you out there who have had a hard time getting your significant others interested in jumping into the game with you. However, some of it is just plain whacked, like explaining to your girlfriend how to stretch and uncramp her hands. If your girlfriend doesn't know how to do this already, then you've got more serious problems.
For those of you who need a girlfriend in order to find this article useful, check out Wikihow's hilarious "How to get a girlfriend if you're a nerd" entry. We're not sure whether to laugh or cry. For all of you female gamers out there, let us know how they could improve this entry, and don't worry about being gentle ... blast away.
Battlestations: Midway blends intense 3rd-person action with epic, large-scale naval combat and brings to life the great Pacific battles of World War II. From the chaos of Pearl Harbor, through the Philippines, Java and the Coral Sea all the way to the epic Battle of Midway. Players can relive classic battles with realistic locations and accurate historical detail and take part in huge multi-unit online battles with up to eight players controlling over 60 units. Players can take direct control of over 60 different warships, planes and submarines, many of which are based on actual historical vehicles, from a 3rd-person perspective. Single Player mode features 11 large-scale campaigns with 12 bonus challenge missions while the online multi-player combat offers an entirely new online battle experience and features head-to-head and co-operative battles featuring over 60 Allied and Japanese units.
features
Over 65 new songs, including songs and dance remixes exclusive for the Xbox 360™, licensed songs, and popular hits!
New HOW TO PLAY, TRIAL and SUPER EASY modes aimed at first-time players and beginners
All-new nonstop megamixes now offer "DJ continuous mixes" of multiple songs just like a real dance club
New Relay mode lets friends and family play DDR like a marathon race, allowing players to switch off to other teammates and keep the dance party going all night long
Enhancements to the common modes and features from the original DDR series, including Workout Mode, Edit Mode, Quest Mode, Party Mode and more!
Xbox Live enabled online competitions, download new songs and dance steps, upload content, compete head-to-head, view internet ranking, instant messaging/email, talk live and more!
New Xbox 360™ exclusive downloadable song packs
Includes one (1) Konami Dance Dance Revolution Controller inside
description
The hottest revolution and bestselling video game in the music game category continues its long tradition of innovation and creativity with an entirely new game for the next-generation! Dance Dance Revolution UNIVERSE, exclusively designed for the Xbox 360™, takes dancing to a whole new dance floor - offering features and options not possible until now. Dance Dance Revolution UNIVERSE is designed to be a "universal" DDR - a game that everyone can play and enjoy, including anyone with two left feet.
features
Transfer files between your PC and your Xbox360 hard drive and memory cards.
Unique ‘docking station’ means your Xbox 360 does not need to be near your PC.
Includes Xbox1 memory card adapter so you can access saves stored on Xbox 1 memory cards for use on your Xbox 360.
Transfer gamesaves from the internet to your Xbox 360 hard drive to boost your achievements!
description
XPORT for Xbox 360 lets you back up your hard drive and your memory cards to your PC’s own drive, preserving valuable data and freeing up space for other projects and protecting valuable data in case of corruption or accidental deletion. Just plug your Xbox 360 hard drive or memory card into the dock unit, and connect it to your PC using a spare USB port.
You can also install files from your PC to your console’s hard drive, and inspect, modify and install files of your own using Datel’s impressive XPORT 360 PC application. Download fan-created files and enhance your games in ways Microsoft never intended…
features
Guns and Magic: Bullet Witch offers an exciting combination of overly offensive spells and massive upgradeable guns. The action sequences are incredibly intense and will challenge you to make clever usage of both firepower and magic power.
Intense Visuals: Offering mind-blowing environments and enemies, Bullet Witch is a true next generation title, exclusive only to the Xbox360. The interactive and fully destructible environments are brought to live through an advanced physics system. Cascading explosions, where blowing up one structure or vehicle causes others to explode in turn, causing massive destruction upon destruction.
Unique and Beautiful: Alicia, the Bullet Witch is a strong, sexy heroine with distinctive visual style and personality. As you progress through the story, her past and dark secrets are revealed.
description
Set in 2013, Bullet Witch tells the story of a desperate fight between humanity and an army of demons. Playing as a beautiful witch named Alicia, Bullet Witch is an action adventure game with riveting story sequences intermixed with intense gun fights and incredibly destructive magic.
Japan is divided into 25 warring states and it is up to you to resurrect a nation. A tantalizing blend of strategy and true warrior action. Unleash multi-Musou attacks with up to four officers. Choose from over 400 playable characters to choose, or create your own.
In light of the recent Xbox 360 hypervisor hack and possibility of widespread homebrew in the future, a trusted developer decided to show what he has been working on for some time. He released details and pictures about a port of MAME to Xbox360 and also mentions he has been working on a ScummVM port.
The first ever HD episode of South Park recently released on Xbox Live Marketplace is now available to all us Europeans. For free.
Initially, the episode was only intended for North America, Australia and New Zealand, the Netherlands, Belgium and Asian territories.
Microsoft's informed us that it's "made the episode available for free in ALL European Live territories" due to "a lot of negative feedback from the European community" regards its limited-territory release.
"Well, you made your voice heard and we've listened - the South park episode will now be available in ALL European countries with Live! We want to send our apologies for the disappointment the original announcement caused amongst the European community but hope that making the episode available helps to ease that disappointment", the company has said.
Bizarre Creations' new Xbox Live Arcade game Boom Boom Rocket will cost you 800 Microsoft Points when it hits Arcade this spring.
Boom Boom Rocket's been described as a "hypnotic rhythm music game". It finds players triggering firework rockets to the beats of original music tracks while travelling through a 3D cityscape.
Tetsuya Mizuguchi and Q Entertainment have revealed their new Xbox Live Arcade Game; a new version of PSP music-blaster Every Extend Extra, that looks quite bloody gorgeous.
Every Extend Extra Extreme (or E4 for short) will be arriving later this year with 5.1 surround sound, leaderboards and full online multiplayer via Xbox Live. There's also an option to implement your own music into the game via CD, which will certainly be interesting if Q maêage to pull it off properly.
As always we would've rather of had a HD version of Rez, but by the looks of the screenshots E4 has had a major 360 overhall and we reckon it'll lend itself to television play wonderfully.
A conversion of late 1980s arcade game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is releasing on Xbox Live Arcade this month, according to an IGN report.
It'll cost 400 Microsoft Points and features the original game's seven levels, which are playable on Live in co-op for two to four heroes in a half-shell if you wish to dabble with multiplayer. Alternatively, you could just play it solo and shout cowabunga at the bedroom wall, we guess.
We've contacted Ubisoft, which is responsible for putting TMNT on XBLA, to get a definite release date. We're waiting to hear back.
Minispy, the original kit from Talismoon that allows you to transfer data from your PC to your Xbox 360 (and from your Xbox 360 back to your PC) is now offered at a new rock bottom price of only $8.95. Unbeatable!
If you have ever attempted any repair or improvement of any kind, you know that the right tools can make the difference between a good experience and a bad one. The Access Pro Toolkit by Zoozen has everything you need to get into your console and accessories. It is the only toolkit that includes tools for every console and handheld on the market today. And it includes unique and custom tools that are only available from Zoozen.
This tool kit includes the tools you need for the:
· Microsoft products, including: Original Xbox, Xbox 360 and accessories like the Xbox 360 wired controller, and the Xbox 360 wireless controller. Special tools: the OneSnap, the only one-piece Xbox 360 case separator, and a special long neck tamper resistant Torx bit.
· Nintendo products, including: the Nintendo Wii, GameCube, GBA, DS, DS Lite, and most accessories like Nintendo Cartridges, Gamecube controllers, and power supplies. Special Tools: Triwing bits in two sizes and two sizes of rare Linehead Nut Setters in hardened steel. Also has the correct tools for most of the retired Nintendo game machines (those not currently for sale in the marketplace).
· Sony Products, including: PS3, PS2, PStwo, and PSP and many accessories (for example: Sony controllers).
· The Access Pro Tool Kit also has the correct tools to open most third party products.
The tools are all housed in a convenient plastic case that keeps all the parts just where they belong. And, duplicates of most bits are provided, just in case you drop a bit behind your desk during a critical procedure.
So, Microsoft is officially striking back to halt recent Xbox 360 hack-tivity after having been alerted to recent breach methods of the system's non-privileged memory areas, allowing users to run their own code. With potential homebrews beginning to surface, Microsoft concocted its own brew: a system-wide fix, or as it's officially dubbed, an "online system update," which doesn't mention the vulnerability patch or even what the update is for. The update was unleashed on Xbox Live, can be burned to a DVD or CD from the website, and ships with all games released after February 20. Unsuspecting hax0rz who fall victim to Microsoft's furtive "booyah" will be sent back to the drawing board -- and if they manage to find another loophole, they'd best think twice before installing a patch in update's clothing.
Zee-3's co-creator Ste Pickford believes that digital distribution services like Xbox Live Arcade are still too conservative and inaccessible for independent developers.
"Potentially, for people like us it's brilliant, but at the moment I think the door is closed," he told GamesIndustry.biz in a recent interview. "There are very few people allowed to release games and I think it really comes down to who you know, and whether you're friends with the gatekeeper at Microsoft."
Increased development costs for next-generation titles, he believes, are forcing studios to rely more heavily on publishers' vast coffers, decreasing the amount of independent games being created.
For his UK studio, making his games available for download isn't just another option, it's a necessity.
"For us it's not just the best way of getting a game out, it's the only way. I think it's a great thing and I think it'll replace retail," he added. "The cost of development is just too high to compete as a business any more."
However, there's light at the end of the tunnel and he believes there's room for smaller budget games to co-exist with AAA titles in the next-generation.
"The rise in Internet distribution, indie games and things like XBLA has opened the door again and allowed smaller budget games to exist and succeed."
Final Fantasy XII has held on to the top spot in the UK software charts for a second week, with the hugely anticipated RPG title continuing to hold off the challenge from Real Time Worlds' Microsoft-published action title Crackdown, which remains at number two.
Despite the immense success of the franchise internationally, Final Fantasy titles have traditionally not held on to top positions in the UK chart for long - in fact, only PSone title Final Fantasy IX managed a run longer than Final Fantasy XII's fortnight, staying at number one for three weeks back in February 2001.
The chances of Final Fantasy XII repeating this feat, despite its huge popularity, seem slim - with both Ubisoft's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 and Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories mounting a challenge for the top spot this Friday.
The Xbox Live service has topped six million members worldwide, Microsoft has announced - demonstrating that the service is growing even faster than the company itself predicted.
Last year at E3, Microsoft pledged that it would double the subscriber base of Xbox Live from three million users to six million by the end of June 2007 - a milestone it has now reached four months ahead of schedule.
To mark hitting six million users on the service, Microsoft has released an update on key statistics related to Xbox Live - revealing that as well as the 2.3 biillion hours spent playing games on the service since its launch in 2002, Live is also coming into its own as a communication system, with over 2,000,000 voice and text messages sent between users every day.
Halo 2 remains the most popular game on the service to date, followed by Gears of War in second place and Xbox Live Arcade title Hexic HD in third.
However, while Microsoft revealed a number of statistics related to its Gold (paying) subscribers - such as the fact that on average, a Gold subscriber has 22 friends in his friend list - the company remains silent on the question of how many of its six million Xbox Live users are paying a Gold subscription, and how many are using a free Silver account. Silver users can download patches and content updates, chat with friends and access Xbox Live Marketplace, but cannot play multiplayer games online.
Today's announcement did, however, include an interesting update on the popularity of the Xbox Live Arcade service - and more specifically, on what the most popular games on the service to date have been.
Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting is the most-downloaded game on Arcade (based on downloads of the full version), followed by card title UNO in second, Bankshot Billiards 2 in third, and iconic launch title Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved in fourth.
Other games which have proved successful on the service are Texas Hold 'Em, PAC-MAN, DOOM, Contra and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, which fill out the chart from fifth place through to ninth place respectively. Overall, Xbox Live Arcade has seen 25 million downloads - and Microsoft estimates that almost 70 per cent of users who have connected their console to the network have downloaded from Xbox Live Arcade.
And the crapped-out Xbox 360 frustrated consumer train continues! This time it's an employee at Texas-based Tek Republik, a full-service computer shop that also doubles as a gaming center. According to employee Chris_Tom:
Yes, every Xbox 360 I bought at launch is bricked with the 3 red flashing lights. Microsoft despite the widely reported policy of repairing hosed 360s for free that were manufactured in 2005 refuses to do so. That is pathetic. I have 4 hosed Xbox 360s sitting right here. I would gladly fix them if I could get an Xbox 360 motherboard from Foxconn. Believe me I would. Sorry, Microsoft wants to make even more money by forcing you to only be able to repair with them... Apparently only 4% of Xbox 360s have been faulty. My 100% rate must just be a statistical abberation beyond the mean. I doubt it. I've had statistics, and no other computer component I have ever owned has had that failure rate... This is a manufacturing failure of epic proportions. Perhaps one of the worst in history. This is right up their with the Atari ET game... I would prefer to just be able to buy a replacement board from Foxconn. Anyway, $140 a Xbox, half the cost of a core system to replace it. What a joke.
Just did a search around the Tek Republik's site, and they advertising having two Xbox 360s. If this is true, who's to blame: Microsoft or this dude's rotten luck?
Yes, New Zealand, that means you too. From 3pm this Friday (March 9) until 9:59pm on Sunday (March 11), Australasian Xbox Live Silver subscribers can sit at the big kids table and get Gold priveleges for nothin'. Enjoy it. Just don't mess up the place.
Like the last free weekend, which coincided with the release of Gears, this act of charity is in honour of GRAW 2, which comes out on Thursday. Nice for you if you're picking GRAW, but for most, this is going to be all about the Crackdown.
Japanese homebrew shooters, or doujin shmups, form a subculture of developers and dedicated players in the indie gaming scene. It's a massively confusing (but not-so-multiplayer) world of strange games, websites with squiggly characters, and obscure names that have become the subject of fanboy worship. If you've played Warning Forever, Clean Asia, or even Cave Story creator Pixel's new project Guxt (a work-in-progress demo) you're off to a good start.
The Independent Gaming Source has published a quick guide to the world of doujin shmups. Everything is divided into digestible bits of information that actually makes sense to the doujin n00b. And once you know who Kenta Cho is and why you should put him in your will, an entire universe of free indie shooters is at your disposal.
In collaboration with urban lifestyle powerhouse Def Jam Interactive, EA Chicago-the team behind the critically acclaimed EA SPORTS™ Fight Night series-is integrating hip hop culture and gaming like never before. With the hottest music seamlessly infused into the world around you, the game's environments pulsate, crumble, and explode to life with every bone-jarring beat. Time your attacks to the driving bass and use falling debris and exposed environmental hazards to pound your rivals.
Featuring an all-new single-player story, the game takes you deep into the life of a high-rolling hip hop mogul to build a record label, discover new superstars, and become a hip hop icon.
Infusing hip-hop music, culture and lifestyle into the gameplay, EA Chicago and Def Jam Interactive continue to push the boundaries of game development bringing unique and innovative content to the next generation of gaming, changing the way fighting games are played.
EA's Def Jam Icon for Xbox360™ is in stock today as English language NTSC/J encoded Asia release, shipping at US$ 44.90 only.
The PS3™ release version has been postponed for a few days due to a manufacturing problem. The same applies to NBA Street Homecourt. Both games are now estimated to be released within the next ten days.
Game features:
Music is Your Weapon-Beats trigger interactive hazards around you as your environment comes alive and reacts to the music. From exploding gas pumps to spinning helicopter propellers,
DJ Controls-Use the analog sticks like turntables to add beats, switch songs, and make music your weapon. Take control of the music to control the outcome of the fight!
Become a Hip Hop Icon-The story mode will allow you to build an empire and live the life of a music mogul by signing artists, managing their careers, and releasing their hit songs.
Hip Hop's Hottest Stars-Fight with or against the biggest stars in hip hop. Artists like Big Boi, The Game, Ludacris, Paul Wall, T.I., and more are all instrumental in your building a record label and becoming a hip hop icon.
Online Gameplay - Go head to head with friends across the country for the ultimate hip hop showdown.
Over the last 30 years home video games and consoles have evolved at a dizzying rate.
As have the devices we use to play them - morphing from the humble paddle and joystick of the 1970s to the early game pads of the 1980s and beyond.
There has been a bewildering array of new games with unorthodox games controllers in recent years, with everything from dance pads to plug-in guitars appearing on the market.
One of the biggest hits to make use of non-standard controllers has been the Buzz! series of TV-style quiz games for PS2, which are sold with four buzzers - simple devices that let the players answer multiple choice questions.
Ease of use
David Amor, creative director of Relentless Software, the firm behind Buzz! believes the game owes much of its success to the simplicity of the controllers.
Buzzers work because they form a really easy interface that allows four people to play together straight away, said Mr Amor.
He believes there has been a swing away from complicated games and controllers in the home gaming market.
"The NES [Nintendo Entertainment System] followed by the SNES [Super Nintendo Entertainment System] and N64 and GameCube controllers seem to have got progressively more complicated and progressively alienated more people along the way," says Mr Amor.
"It's fine if you've grown up with them, but most people haven't, so to jump straight in with a controller with 13 buttons is scary."
It is a trend that other games developers and hardware manufacturers are taking heed of.
Nintendo's Wii console is designed to make game control simple and intuitive - the player only has to wave the controller like a wand to affect the onscreen action.
Rob Saunders, spokesman for Nintendo UK, is convinced that the Wii's ease of use has been behind its popular appeal.
"We realised that when people saw a traditional, modern day joypad they said, 'Where do I start? I have no idea!'," said Mr Saunders.
With 4m Wii units shipped in its first year, it is clear that the simplification of gameplay and game controllers has struck a chord with gamers, and perhaps attracted a new demographic to gaming.
Both Sony and Microsoft have elected to keep the standard design of the controllers for the PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles but have added wireless, and in the case of the PS3, replaced the vibration system with motion sensors, giving the controller six axes of manoeuvrability.
Enhanced gaming
But while some manufacturers have been simplifying their products and games to attract new people to gaming, hardcore gamers are being offered ever more peripherals to enhance the gaming experience.
The Novit Falcon feeds in-game gun recoil back to the player
So if you have a deep commitment to gaming and even deeper pockets, there are some interesting "gameware" gadgets emerging on the market.
The Novint Falcon for PC, which goes on sale later this year, touts itself as the first controller to make 3D touch possible for home computer applications.
The Falcon's arms allow the user to move the handle, or grip, in three dimensions, translating into movement on screen.
But the Falcon also pushes back.
Its motorised arms react to events and actions in the game, feeding that force back to the user so that gunfire makes the grip recoil, lifting objects makes the grip feel heavy, and taking fire batters the handle in the corresponding direction.
Xpad's Bodypad for PS1, PS2 and Xbox consoles is designed for "exer-gaming", giving games players a full workout while playing fighting, sport and dance games.
The Bodypad consists of four strap-on body sensors for the arms and legs combined with button controls held in the fists.
The sensors and controllers communicate wirelessly with the Bodypad's receiver which is connected to the console.
The player's movements are replicated by the onscreen character, allowing kicks, punches and combination moves to be made.
Virtual reality
Another device which bridges the gap between physical reality and the in-game world is eMagin's Z800 3DVisor.
The 3DVisor is a virtual reality headset with two microdisplay screens that combine with a headtracking system to give the player a 360-degree view of the game world simply by moving their head.
The simplicity of the Buzz! controllers helped the games sell
Although the Z800 3DVisor is ideal for first-person shooter games on PC, its $1000 (£500) price tag probably puts it out of reach of all but the most dedicated gamer.
Gamers with an interest in virtual reality, but who cannot afford the Z800, may find what they are looking for with the next generation of games that make use of the Eye Toy for PS3 and the Live Vision Camera for Xbox 360.
"In the next couple of years we are going to see some really interesting applications using Eye Toy technology," said Brian Crecente, editor of Kotaku gaming website.
The Eye of Judgement board game, unveiled by Sony at the E3 games expo in Los Angeles, is an interesting example, said Mr Crecente.
The prototype strategy game uses real cards which come to life as mythical creatures on screen thanks to a camera attached to the PS3.
Although some commentators doubted the appeal of The Eye of Judgement's gameplay, it succeeded in demonstrating the potential for blending reality and the in-game world for the home gaming market.
Flagship Xbox 360 RPG Blue Dragon has finally been confirmed for European release this September, and will be fully localized in to five different languages.
The Mistwalker RPG will come to Europe in French, Italian, German, Spanish and English, and two of the Japanese version's title songs will be translated into English.
We managed to get a preview of the English-voiced game this afternoon and the voice actors have done a great job of capturing the Japanese game's character.
Microsoft Game Studios also outlined some of the RPG's upcoming download content, telling CVG that the next update will bring a new option for re-arranged dungeons. Good news for Far-Eastern gamers who blitzed it over Christmas, then.
The new size-cap increase for Xbox Live Arcade games could affect the price of titles on the service, Microsoft Casual Games manager Bryan Trussel has told CVG.
Speaking at the Game Developers Conference, Trussel said: "I think as you find that people make a very, very robust game with a lot of levels, a lot of art or a lot of music associated with it, you might see a correlation between some of the pricing."
"There won't be any direct 'this size equals this price' but I think you might see correlations along those lines."
The size increase of XBLA titles was officially announced earlier this week, and brings the total size of download titles to 150MB from 50MB. The first title to break the cap is expected to be Konami's Castlevania: Symphony of the Night which will arrive at 96MB.
"We really want to make the canvas size for this type of game an area where a three-person garage developer can make games that stand side by side with EA in a cost effective way," Trussel says. "And that has to do with size and pricing."
The most expensive titles on the 360 download service are currently 1200 Microsoft points (£10.20). Would you hand over more cash for deeper, more complex XBLA titles? Share your opinion in the comments below.
Following a new demo at the Game Developers Conference, Bioware has released a fresh batch of Mass Effect screenshots - and as usual it's looking gorgeous.
This afternoon we were able to sit through the first hour of the stellar 360 RPG, and as promised there's certainly some tense cinematic moments in there and a plethora of sci-fi laser action scattered in between.
Look for a more detailed run down of what we saw in San Francisco in the next few days, and for now stare at these screenshots and contemplate just how fantastic Bioware's latest could be.
Microsoft has released first screenshots from Schizoid, an Xbox Live Arcade title developed by Torpex Games using XNA Game Studio Express.
It'll be the first XNA-developed game to hit XBLA, and is expected later in the year.
Schizoid is a co-op action game "in which teamwork matters like never before, as gamers and their friend or AI ally protect each other from barrages of glowing enemies", Microsoft has explained.
Forget the screenshots - you can now see Rare's debut XBLA game Jetpac Refueled in action on the CVG video player. It's looking rather nice, isn't it?
In case you're not familiar with the game, Refueled is a remake of Rare's first ZX Spectrum blaster Jetpac, which has you zipping a spaceman around the screen collecting scattered ship parts and blasting tentacled beasties.
Ubisoft's latest Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 video developer diary can now be viewed via our video player.
Running for just over five minutes and chock-full of gameplay, the diary provides an in-depth look at GRAW 2 multiplayer. Numerous topics are covered, including the co-op campaign, gameplay, missions and the new dynamic objective system, adversarial play, the clan system, the new respawn and healing systems and weaponry. Phew.
The Xbox Live Arcade port of 1980s side-scrolling beat-'em-up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles may only release in North America.
In the wake of yesterday's news stating the game would be out this month, Ubisoft, which is responsible for putting TMNT on XBLA, has now told us it's "unsure if this is coming out in Europe."
A representative for the publisher added that solid information on this should be available shortly. We'll let you know as soon as we get anything concrete.
Sega is running a poll on its website asking what game or character would you most like to see return.
The choices you're given are:
Nights
Streets of Rage
Samba de Amigo
Virtua Cop
Flicky
At the moment it's Nights that's leading the way in what the public wants to see next. Does this mean that there could be a new Nights game in the pipeline?
Hit this link and get voting - for Nights! Or would you rather see a new Streets of Rage game created? The choice could actually be yours...
Mistwalker's RPG appears to be coming along very nicely indeed as Microsoft gives out one lonely but new screen.
The Xbox 360 community has high hopes for Lost Odyssey, especially in Japan. If it can build on the success of Mistwalker's debut 360 RPG Blue Dragon, Japan's perception of the console could change for the better.
Blue Dragon was a step in the right direction, and that momentum looks to carry on with Lost Odyssey.
Stay tuned for more on Lost Odyssey direct from Microsoft's camp at GDC.
Shadowrun is Microsoft's game that's spearheading its cross-platform multiplayer gaming initiative. New screens have been released.
The first-person shooter is based on the pen and paper RPG of the same name, plonking players into a near-future world where they have access to magic and kick-ass tech and weaponry. You get to fight for global mega-corporation RNA or the spell-loving Lineage and blast things to kingdom come.
Jeez, we can't wait for this game, and Microsoft isn't making the wait any easier by drip-feeding us these awesome-looking screens - these ones straight out of GDC.
Earlier we got snaps of a Lexus and a new VW Golf in action - not the most desirable cars in the world. But now we've got action shots of an awesome Enzo, a Porsche and a shiny yellow Lamborghini. That's better.
Forza 2 will be out in May, and we fully expect it to leave tyre marks all over the face of PGR 3's online racing.
In a San Francisco hotel room yesterday, Lionhead's ever-talkative top man Peter Molyneux finally removed the veal from his Fable 2 sequel, revealing its new "unexpected" gameplay feature.
But as it turned out the big surprise wasn't that new afterall. As CVG reported back in 2005, each player will have their own dog in Fable 2, which is really just Molyneux's way of trying to get players to feel "genuine love" in the action RPG.
"If I could get you to feel genuine love," he said, "That would be an innovation, that would be drama.You would walk away from that game feeling different, it would stay with you like a great movie or a great book."
The dog is but one of three innovations in Fable 2, Molyneux says, but the other pair are under tight leach for now.
The dog itself looks very impressive on screen, with super-smooth animation and no clumsy AI to speak of. "The dog is all based on simulation", Molyneux points out. As reported earlier, your dog in Fable 2 also mimics your appearance, adopting a fluffy sheepdog guise if you're good or morphing into a rock-hard attack dog if you're bad.
But your mutt also provides less-obvious benefits; he runs ahead just like a real dog, helping guide you through the forest without the use or clutter of a mini map. Molyneux is visually thrilled to get rid of the mini map, which he says has taken away from real exploration of his worlds.
Your four-legged companion also has a place in combat but with no instruction buttons to speak of a new system of attack orders has been created. In Fable 2, your dog picks out the your biggest threat automatically; if you unsheathe your sword he'll go for the enemey with the gun, if you unsheathe your gun, he'll go for the guy with the sword.
It all seemed to work very well, and you can see it in action for yourself when we upload the first videos later on.
The Xeno Top Gear for Xbox 360 is a light version of the Team Xecuter Blaster device. With its low price tag, it is a good alternative to Blaster.
- After the easy one time only installation, flash your Xbox360 without
the need to open it ever again.
- Works with all Xbox360 drives that can be firmware-upgraded.
- High Quality digital Sata exchange switching
- No soldering required at all = no chance to brick your drive from bad
soldering.
- Installation is done in just a few minutes
- Built in eject button, 360/PC switch, HDD/PC switch.
- High quality Sata Ports
- Can transfer all data from the Xbox360 HD to your PC
- Superior quality design.of casemodding accessories.
- LED version will be available for crystal, smoke colors of Xeno Top Gear
- Comes with 360 opening tool for opening the console
- No need for external power supply, Xeno Top Gear is fully powered by the console.
Rare has told GamesIndustry.biz that consumers can expect more Viva Piñata in the future - with the developer promising to support the Xbox 360 franchise for at least another two or three years.
Microsoft has targeted Viva Piñata at the family audience and with a tie-in animated series hopes to capture a younger market not currently associated with its next-gen home console.
"We're pleased with the overall support that it's got and there's more to come within that franchise," said Lee Schuneman, head of production at Rare.
"We'd obviously like more sales, but we were happy with the game and critically it's gone down very well."
The game was released at the beginning of December but failed to break into the top forty in the UK All Formats charts.
Yet despite the lacklustre sales performance Schuneman remains optimistic of its shelf life.
"If the sales were there to match that we'd be over the moon, but they're not. Although that doesn't mean we don't believe in the franchise," he added.
With the 4 Kids produced animated series doing well in North America, and just this week launching in Europe, the strength of the cartoon could help reignite sales of a title so far under appreciated by the consumer.
"The TV show has been doing well in North America and it's got pretty good figures," commented Schuneman.
"It launched in the UK this week on Nicktoons and it's due in the rest of Europe later this year. It's a two or three year push, and if after that it's a terrible failure then we'll say fair enough," he concluded.
It was barely two months ago that word first arrived of Bethesda Softworks' Shivering Isles expansion for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and the company hasn't said much about the project in the meantime, but this week it spilled its guts in the game's official forums. Responding to questions pulled from the forum community, the game's developers revealed a number of details about the expansion, from storyline minutiae to a release date and price.
Shivering Isles will be available "everywhere" for the PC and downloadable through Xbox Live on March 27, according to executive producer Todd Howard. The PC edition of the expansion can be purchased at retailers for $30, while Xbox 360 players will have to download it from the Xbox Live Marketplace for 2400 Microsoft Points ($30).
When asked about The Elder Scrolls V, Howard replied, "I wouldn't expect TESV any time soon, I can tell you that. We're very focused on Fallout 3 right now." He also said another download might be in the cards for Oblivion, but added the team has no plans to make another full expansion like Shivering Isles. The interview contained no mention of the PlayStation 3 version of Oblivion (confirmed for a March 20 release) and when--or if--it would receive the Shivering Isles expansion.
While Blue Dragon, Fable 2, and Mass Effect are three strikingly distinct games in style, setting, and execution, they are all considered role-playing games. Microsoft today gathered the men behind these games--Mistwalker's Hironobu Sakaguchi, Lionhead Studios' Peter Molyneux, and BioWare's Raz Muzyka, respectively--to discuss "The Evolution of RPG Development" in a 40-minute panel moderated by GameHead host Geoff Keighley.
With the lines between RPGs and other genres becoming increasingly muddied, Keighley asked each member of the panel what makes a game an RPG. Muyzka broke down the BioWare approach to RPGs as a game resting on four activity pillars: great stories and characters, a sense of exploration and awe, addictive character progression, and combat that evokes feelings like fear--all of which feed into one another.
In just one of many moments of mutual admiration that dotted the panel, Molyneux said he agreed with absolutely everything Muzyka said, adding that he was "completely, 100 percent correct." However, Molyneux's definition of a role-playing game focused less on the mechanics and more on the tone of the game.
"For me, it comes back to this one simple phrase," Molyneux said. "'Role-playing game.' You are playing a role. What I want to experiment with is to say, 'What should it feel like to be a hero? To start off as nothing and end up being a hero? That is an emotional journey you're going through, and that's my real focus."
Speaking through a translator, Sakaguchi said what he is trying to accomplish with his RPGs is "to tell a great storyline and [offer] characters and a world view that players can relate to." He also brought up a sense of exploration and accomplishment as key factors for RPGs.
All three developers brought up telling a story and creating an emotional connection with the player as primary goals, but their approaches to achieve those goals differ in a number of key areas. Sakaguchi's Blue Dragon is a traditional Japanese RPG with turn-based combat, but the developer said he is working on a few other projects (Cry On for the Xbox 360 as well as a pair of unannounced RPGs) that were "based on new, different ideas," suggesting he will be venturing outside of the turn-based realm in the future.
Molyneux said Lionhead committed to real-time combat with Fable simply because the team felt it made for a more immersive experience. Muzyka, meanwhile, said Mass Effect and previous BioWare titles have crafted a flexible merger of turn-based and real-time combat in order to accommodate the individual player's tastes.
Following up on that subject, Keighley asked the developers what the future holds for customizable characters and other player-controlled gameplay experiences. Sakaguchi admitted such customization was fun and expects the trend to continue, but he expressed little interest in using it in his own games. He said that movies can tell great stories and reflect a creator's worldview specifically because their characters and story are set in stone.
Molyneux and Muzyka were both warmer to the idea of player customization and characters that evolve uniquely for each gamer, but the two diverged on the idea of branching storylines. Molyneux said he likes the idea, but had a good deal of concern that players would always worry they had made the wrong choice or missed something because of the path they took through the game. Muzyka countered that it was instead a good thing if two players had several different paths through a game, since that would make them feel as if their choices actually mattered and would make the game more replayable.
Keighley's last question to the panel centered on the incorporation of online multiplayer gameplay into the RPG genre. Sakaguchi said he was fond of the idea, noting his work on Final Fantasy XI, and then said he hoped to do another one with the approval of Microsoft Game Studios Genreal Manager Shane Kim. With Kim watching the panel from the back of the room, Sakaguchi had the opportunity to put him on the spot.
"Please Shane, I want to make it," Sakaguchi said in English.
"Whatever you want," Kim responded as the audience laughed.
Ever the opportunist, Molyneux followed suit, asking, "Could I do one as well, Shane?"
One more "whatever you want" later, Molyneux said he found the potential of online role-playing games enormously exciting and "would love to talk about that in great, enormous detail, but I have been gagged by lots of people."
Muzyka also weighed in on the issue, giving a little insight into a future BioWare offering.
"We're very excited [about] where massively multiplayer games are going, because the story that develops between players--the social interaction--is a different kind of story, something you can't achieve in a single-player game. So what if you fused the concepts that great RPGs have built in terms of a great storyline and the emotional impact on players, and you put that into an MMO? That's what we're building at BioWare Austin."
During a short Q&A session following the main panel, the participants were asked if they thought there was a place for modern-day RPGs that dealt with more intimate (mundane, some would say) issues than the ordinary fare. Muzyka downplayed the idea, calling RPGs "aspirational fantasies," saying players wanted to be anything but mundane, a hero or an antihero.
"Either way, you want to be someone you can't be in real life, I think," Muzyka said, adding, "For me the exciting thing is to be able to do things I can't do every day."
Molyneux similarly stressed the player's need to feel important or to be a hero, but noted that it was possible to set that sort of story in today's world. He referenced an idea for a game he calls Dmitri--which he said he can't talk about--which is based on the premise of being a hero in today's world. Molyneux also pointed to TV shows like 24 and Lost as possible models of contemporary stories featuring larger-than-life heroes.
Sakaguchi diverged from his fellow panelists on the issue of more mundane RPGs, saying he'd spent the last decade kicking around an idea for such a game. The hypothetical game involved a schoolboy's attempts to get back together with his ex-girlfriend, but Sakaguchi said "it's pretty tough." When pressed for an explanation of why it's so tough, Sakaguchi and his translator huddled for nearly a minute before emerging with a terse, "We'll do it someday."
CVG got to check out the Xbox 360 version of Mercenaries 2 yesterday, and guess what? We took the shaky-cam with us.
The build of the game we got to see was looking fantastic, with plenty of QTE-style enemy fights and a tank section which had the game's hero demolishing an entire village in a barrage of explosions.
The sequel is due out at the end of the year on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. Enjoy the screens and movies.
Latest news following the announcement of Peter Jackson's involvement with the Halo universe at X06 last year has revealed that the movie director's project will be episodic.
The revelation has come from Microsoft Game Studios corporate VP Shane Kim, who's stated at this week's GDC that Jackson is actually "developing two episodic series" for Xbox 360.
Quite what the second episodic series is though remains a mystery.
Here's hoping that Jackson's film directing talents will translate well over to videogame production.
Deus Ex creator Warren Spector believes improvement in design and delivery of game narrative and story is vital to the future of the videogame industry, and necessary to pull in a much-needed new wave of games players.
"I don't know about you, but my budgets are going up. We need to sell a lot more copies or we're not going to be able to make games for much longer. I think stories can be key to reaching nongamers, but we have to start creating more emotionally satisfying and interactive stuff," Spector said during an address at this week's GDC.
He went on to voice concerns that the power of new hardware could be detrimental to development of narrative, character involvement and character interactions in videogames, due to developer's being now able to ramp up visual quality and because "players expect a certain level of graphical quality".
"People who want to tell stories in an interactive manner, I think their job is about to get a lot harder," Spector opined.
Speaking further on the topic and addressing the games development industry at large, he said that games players should be "let off the rails" and that devs should "work with players" to tell their stories, as opposed to leading them around on a leash.
But Spector was also quick to point out that gameplay shouldn't suffer at the hands of a new approach to, and focus on, story and narrative.
"If you think that story has no place in games, you're crazy. If you think story is everything in games, you're just as crazy", he said. "It's all about balance."
Lightsaber-loving Star Wars fan looking forward to the impressive physics-based Star Wars: Force Unleashed will have longer to wait than expected.
Despite being officially confirmed for a November 2007 release, the game's website now deems the game's availability as "TBD", with it now expected to arrive in 2008.
This delay is a huge disappointment, coming so soon after LucasArts showed of an impressive tech demo demonstrating the stunning technology being put into the game. Still, better it be delayed and be as good as we all hope rather than be rushed out unfinished.
It's speculated, off the back of a little comment from BioWare, that its hotly anticipated Xbox 360 sci-fi RPG Mass Effect will be out before mid-July.
Speaking to IGN at GDC, the developer's CEO Ray Muzyka indicated that the role-playing game wouldn't be present at this year's E3, which runs from July 11 to July 13 in California.
BioWare is known to be in the final stages of production on Mass Effect - a July release would give it around three months to conduct the last bit of spit and polish on the title. Would that be long enough?
Obviously, the cryptic nature of Muzyka's comment makes it impossible to do anything other than speculate on a release date - but we'll do some digging and see what we can discover.
For your download, you get to compete in a warm-up one-day match of three overs between England and Australia, taken from the ICC Champions Trophy 2006 in India.
Epic's Gears of War was won three categories including Best Game in the seventh annual Game Developers Choice Awards, closely followed by Wii Sports and Okami, which have won two awards each.
Winners of the Choice Awards, the awards program where honours are bestowed on developers by developers, have just been announced at GDC in San Francisco.
As well as scooping Best Game, Gears of War won in the Technology and Visual Arts categories. Wii Sports won in Game Design and Innovation, while Okami also won in Innovation in addition to the Character Design category.
The full list of categories and winners in each is below. The list of nominees in each category can be found on the Game Developers Choice Awards website.
Best Game
Gears of War (Epic Games / Microsoft Game Studios)
- Cliff Bleszinski, Michael Capps, Rod Fergusson
Audio
Guitar Hero II (Harmonix Music Systems / RedOctane)
- Jeff Allen, Eric Brosius, Izzy Maxwell
Character Design
Ōkami (Clover Studio / Capcom Entertainment)
- Mari Shimazaki, Sawaki Takeyasu, Kenichirou Yoshimura
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has spoken out in support of Britain's creative industries, including the games industry, in a speech at London's Tate Modern gallery.
Addressing members of various different creative sectors, Blair described the UK as the world's "creative capital" and acknowledged that many different sectors, including videogames, have "contributed to the renaissance of British culture".
British videogames publisher trade body ELSPA welcomed Blair's remarks, pointing out that the videogames industry is a net contributor to the UK's balance of trade, and has achieved global success without any of the direct financial support or subsidy from government which have been enjoyed by other sectors.
"It is good to hear the Prime Minister's speech and the government's recognition of the creative industries in Britain and their contribution to the culture and essence of the country," commented ELSPA director general Paul Jackson after the speech.
"The games industry is a proud member of these industries. The talent and creativity that our industry houses and nurtures is what makes the games industry a part of Britain's cultural heritage, and more specifically, an important asset in Britain's creative and cultural future."
The British games industry is consistently noted for "punching above its weight", with massive international franchises including Grand Theft Auto, Tomb Raider and Project Gotham Racing all having their roots in the UK. According to figures cited by Eidos creative director Ian Livingstone, 25,000 people are employed in the games industry in the UK, with over GBP 2 billion per annum being contributed to the economy by the sector.
Welcome to this week's Games & Toys update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
It's been a fantastic release week, with more than 30 Japanese and a number of interesting Asian & US version game releases. Next gen console highlights have been Sega's tennis arcade hit Power Smash 3 / Virtua Tennis 3 (Japanese / Asia) for PS3™, Bomberman Land Wii and Eyeshield 21: Field no Saikyou Senshi Tachi for Nintendo Wii™ as well as the Asia release version of Def Jam Icon for Xbox360™.
The PlayStation2™ continues to be strong in the market with releases such as Spike's Kenka Banchou 2: Full Throttle, the Sega Ages Monster World Complete Collection and Konami's GuitarFreaks & DrumMania Masterpiece Gold.
Popular handheld game releases have been Seiken Densetsu: Heroes of Mana and Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja (US version) for Nintendo DS™ as well as Marvel Trading Card Game for PSP™.
Last but not least, Milestone's arcade shooter Karous is marking an end of the Dreamcast™ era. Due to Sega's GD-ROM production stop, this game is expected to be the last commercial Dreamcast™ GD-ROM release ever.
For years videogame watchers have complained that there is no mainstream channel for independently produced games. Sure, you can hunt down great indie titles online, but until recently, the only way casual users could experience these hidden gems would be through a mainstream publisher picking them up for retail distribution.
Xbox Live Arcade and now the PlayStation 3's E-Distribution Initiative have shifted the industry mindset, with Microsoft and Sony actively courting the indie development scene. Sony has gone one step further with PS3, allowing users to install alternative operating systems to start their own programming projects. At last year's E3 event, Sony's head of the software platform division, Izumi Kawanishi, openly invited bedroom coders to start producing games and other apps for PS3.
But this is also happening without their permission. For years there's been a large homebrew development community, a determined band of coders who hack into the firmware of games consoles, to seize control of the silicon and persuade the machine to run their own applications.
But homebrew is quietly being legitimised. Online communities like Dcemu.co.uk provide a hub of homebrew development, offering clear instructions and helpful forums to non-techie uses wishing to run indie software on their consoles. The PSP scene is the liveliest. There are hundreds of apps, from emulations of classic consoles and home computer games to text versions of the Bible and guitar tuition.
Hardware manufacturers are getting in on the act. UK company Datel recently released a Games 'n' Music for the Nintendo DS - just slot it in and you can run homebrew games and apps, as well as watch videos and play MP3s. It even comes with 25 homebrew games.
Even more accessibly, the flash game site Wiicade.com released an API allowing developers to support the motion sensing capabilities of the Wiimote controller. Soon, then, Wii owners will be able to play independently produced titles that use the physical controls in entirely new ways, Or, just as likely, you'll get 100 versions of Tetris that let you manipulate shapes by twisting your wrist. But hey, that still sounds like fun.
This is, of course, all part of the breakdown in digital barriers between the consumer and the content provider. In courting the MySpace generation, console manufacturers have had to loosen their obsessions with control and security. And it's been liberating. Xbox Live Arcade is a success, and by embracing independent thought, Sony could turn round the PS3 naysayers. If indie gaming can do that, it can do anything.
Nice to see mainstream news sites taking notice of our homebrew community here at DCEmu UK
The award-winning original next-generation killer app returns with Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter™ 2. The Ghosts are back!
It's 2014, and the soldier of the future returns to encounter a new and more imminent threat along the recently completed wall on the U.S./Mexico border. The Ghosts are more powerful, with an upgraded Integrated Warfighter System (IWS) but will have only 72 hours to assess the threat and stop the rebels from reaching U.S. soil. With a border that's 1,900 miles long and an enemy that doesn't play by the rules, this is a job for the U.S. military's most elite fighting unit. This is a job for the Ghosts.
A small shipment of Ubisoft's Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 for Xbox360™ has arrived today, shipping at US$ 49.90 only. As expected, the game is region free and can be played on any Xbox360™ console.
We are also expecting limited supply of a Collector's Edition (incl. T-Shirt, Badge and Map) to be in stock later this month. Due to its limited availability and yet unconfirmed quantities, the item will only go on sale upon stock arrival.
Please notice that general supply of this Asian release version has been kept low by Ubisoft, our preorder has been cut down to roughly 10% of what we have initially tried to preorder. We have some spare quantities in stock while those news are written, but estimate the game to be on backorder within less than a day. Another restock batch is likely to follow within two weeks earliest.
Game features:
Groundbreaking Visual Experience: The original Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter set the visual standard for next-gen consoles; Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 will take that achievement to a whole new level.
All-New Battlegrounds: For the first time ever, the Ghosts will defend U.S. soil from a cross-border attack, taking the fight to all-new locations.
Vastly Improved AI: AI is more challenging than ever.
Improved Cross-Com: The revolutionary Cross-Com feature has been upgraded for Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2.
Multiplayer Returns: The game that dominated the Xbox Live® online gaming service is back and it’s bigger and better than ever before. Additional details to follow…
Following Sony's much-discussed PlayStation Home announcement earlier this week, Microsoft's Chris Satchell has talked down the service saying that it's "not a very game-centric approach".
The general manager of Microsoft's Game Developer Group told CVG this afternoon: "I think they've definitely taken some concepts that we originated like achievements, but I think they're pushing in a different direction and we've sort of fundamentally got two different approaches going on here."
"I think theres is very much a vision that people see it and it looks cool but it's fundamentally separate from the games - or at least what they've shown so far."
he continues: "It's a cool world but it's like a little game by itself. Our approach is the other way around; it's that games are the center and that's the star of the show, that's what people buy the console for."
As for how Microsoft is going to answer Sony's user-generated content drive, Satchell says that Forza Motorsport 2 is already prepped to get 360 gamers creating: "You're able to take a car out, completely paint it, completely mod it, tune it and you're able to auction it online, take the funds from that and reimburse them in the game to do whatever you want," he says. "That's great user-generated content. It's not building a world but if you're into racing games it's just as meaningful."
But even Microsoft can't resist Little Big Planet's wool-coated charm: "I think Little Big Planet is very cool," he says. " but I can't see a big portfolio of games at the moment that do this. I don't think there's a whole load to catch up."
With the free food eaten, appointments done and our backs almost broken from a week of ferrying gadgets between meetings, GDC 2007 has almost come to a close.
To help you reflect on this week of teasing announcements, behind closed door antics and developer bitching, we've consolidated a bunch of our bestest show floor pics so that you can pretend you're at the event long after we've come home and consumed legal alcohol in the pub.
The best part so far? Locating the only place in San Francisco that sells chicken nuggets - and they were wonderfully filthy.
Microsoft has popped the hood on the American production cars featuring in forthcoming Xbox 360 racing title Forza 2, the 55-vehicle list including new interpretations of muscle cars, old classics and sporty motors.
The list follows in the wake of new screenshots and fun footage that's emerged from GDC this week.
You can view the full list below, but before scrolling down we need to inform you that beans have also been spilled on "very exciting new feature" the beefed up version of the Livery Editor which, Microsoft explains, gives the Forza community "the freedom to truly build their dream vehicle using any of the 300+ cars in the game."
"With the new and improved livery editor, gamers can put their own personal touch on every vehicle in their garage using unique paint schemes, personalized decals and logos, as well as their own art creations", the company has elaborated.
The Livery Editor is tied in with the Xbox Live Auction House in the game, and players can put up their designs for virtual sale. Real money isn't used in the auction house. A post on official Forza forums explains that "You're encouraged to use the auction house to further your in-game 'credits' so you can buy nicer, faster, and more expensive cars (and parts for them)." And car livery.
Anyway, below is the list of American production cars that have been revealed. Vehicles from other parts of the world featuring in Forza 2 are to be revealed as follows - Asian Production Cars (March 22), Tuner and Aftermarket Cars (April 5), Race Class Cars (April 19). The game releases in May.
1997 Acura NSX
2001 Acura Integra Type-R
2002 Acura RSX Type-S
2005 Acura NSX
2006 Acura RL A-Spec
1987 Buick Regal GNX
2004 Cadillac CTS-V
1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 427
1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS Coupe
1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
2002 Chevrolet Camaro SS
2002 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS-454
1970 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1
1996 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
2002 Chevrolet Camaro 35th Anniversary SS
2005 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Coupe
2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
1998 Chrysler Eagle Talon TSi Turbo
2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser GT
2005 Chrysler ME Four-Twelve Concept
1968 Chrysler Plymouth Barracuda Formula-S
2006 Chrysler Crossfire SRT6
1996 Dodge Stealth R/T Turbo
1999 Dodge Viper GTS ACR
2003 Dodge SRT4
2003 Dodge Viper Competition Coupe
2003 Dodge Viper SRT10
1969 Dodge Charger R/T-SE
2006 Dodge Charger SRT8
1966 Ford GT40 MkII
1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429
2000 Ford Mustang Cobra R
2003 Ford Focus SVT
2005 Ford Ford GT
2005 Ford Mustang GT
2006 Ford Focus ST
2003 Infiniti G35 Coupe
2002 Lexus SC430
2003 Lexus IS300
2006 Lexus IS350
2005 Panoz Esperante GTLM
1968 Pontiac GTO Hardtop
2004 Pontiac GTO
2006 Pontiac Solstice
2000 Saleen S281
2004 Saleen S7
2006 Saleen S281 E
2006 Saturn ION Red Line
2005 Scion tC
1965 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C
1968 Shelby Mustang GT-500KR
1999 Shelby Series 1
2007 Shelby GT500
In a San Francisco hotel room yesterday, Lionhead's ever-talkative top man Peter Molyneux finally removed the veil from his Fable 2 sequel, revealing its new "unexpected" gameplay feature.
But as it turned out the big surprise wasn't that new after all. As CVG reported back in 2005, each player will have their own dog in Fable 2, which is really just Molyneux's way of trying to get players to feel "genuine love" in the action RPG.
"If I could get you to feel genuine love," he said, "That would be an innovation, that would be drama.You would walk away from that game feeling different, it would stay with you like a great movie or a great book."
The dog is but one of three innovations in Fable 2, Molyneux says, but the other pair are under tight leash for now.
The dog itself looks very impressive on screen, with super-smooth animation and no clumsy AI to speak of. "The dog is all based on simulation", Molyneux points out. As reported earlier, your dog in Fable 2 also mimics your appearance, adopting a fluffy sheepdog guise if you're good or morphing into a rock-hard attack dog if you're bad.
But your mutt also provides less-obvious benefits; he runs ahead just like a real dog, helping guide you through the forest without the use or clutter of a mini map. Molyneux is visually thrilled to get rid of the mini map, which he says has taken away from real exploration of his worlds.
Your four-legged companion also has a place in combat but with no instruction buttons to speak of a new system of attack orders has been created. In Fable 2, your dog picks out the your biggest threat automatically; if you unsheathe your sword he'll go for the enemey with the gun, if you unsheathe your gun, he'll go for the guy with the sword.
Molyneux also spoke briefly on his plans for family in the sequel; apparently you can chose to have either protected or unprotected nookie with your missus, with a chance of having a kid if you choose the latter. As Mr. M points out, this will be the first game to let you play as a pregnant women who slays dragons. Ahem.
The dog stuff seemed to work very well, and you can see it in action for yourself in the first video
below. Oh and yes - we left the tripod at home.
Blue Dragon will be released across Europe this Autumn, Microsoft has confirmed this afternoon, with September looking the likely month of launch.
Developed by Mistwalker and Artoon, the Japanese RPG epic is based around a boy named Shu and his friends, who possess the power to control phantoms that mirror the actions of their masters.
It's a typically lavish romp presented in a very impressive cartoon-inspired style. You'll also be able to create your own original attack methods whilst choosing to focus your approach on various different areas, as your dragon-like shadow levels up and gains new abilities.
The game was released in Japan last December, and met with huge critical acclaim. A US release date for the game has been set for August.
Software Association has begun sending out 'save the date' invitations for this year's E3, which will take place between July 11 - 13.
The invite states that E3 will offer "the opportunity to engage in one-on-one meetings with leading game company executives in an intimate setting, as well as network, socialise, and test pilot major company offerings".
All of this will take place in "an environment designed to ensure that you can get your business done efficiently and effectively".
Remember when you were little, and that kid who stole your Grimlock figure tried to run away, but you caught him and beat his face in until he wept for mercy? And your parents made you say sorry, but the first time you said it you were all "...sorry...", and even though he snorted through his busted teeth "dath okay" they just looked at you sternly and said "now say it like you mean it"? And you did?
That's what Microsoft are doing. Sorry, just took me a while to get there. After their Old Spice/Xbox Rewards extravaganza got off to a shaky start and some people got messed around, they came out and said "sorry". Good, but not good enough it seems. They could do better, like sending everyone who experienced "difficulties" logging into the competition two free XBLA games (Joust and Robotron) along with a very polite letter apologising for the errors.
Awfully good of you, Microsoft. Now run along, and make sure it doesn't happen again.
The latest numbers are in and a massive improvement for PSP and PS3:
DS Lite: 111, 814 units
PSP: 66, 156 units
Wii: 57,972 units
PS3: 44,000 units
PS2: 15,364 units
Xbox 360: 3,379 units
Game Boy Micro: 805 units
Game Boy Advance SP: 738 units
GameCube: 303 units
DS: 112 units
Game Boy Advance: 25 units
Microsoft plans to decrease focus on backwards compatibility in favor of concentrating on future Xbox 360 titles
It doesn't seem to be a good time for backwards compatibility, if one takes into account what Sony and Microsoft have had to say about the matter. While the downgrading of backwards compatibility on the PS3's European model made headlines across the world, very little has been stated recently on the progress to make more original Xbox games compatible with the Xbox 360.
Kotaku recently spoke with Microsoft rep Chris Satchell at the Microsoft Blogger Breakfast yesterday, and asked him about the status of future backwards compatibility updates. But, what he stated in response doesn't bode well for owners of Xbox games:
"At some point we're going to focus less on it. When you get to the end of this year there will be a reduced focus on backwards compatibility. There are so many 360 games out there. I don't know if it's important anymore."
It looks like backwards compatibility on next-gen consoles is turning out to be what it's supposed to be in the first place: a thing of the past.
Capcom's Keiji Inafune doesn't buy into the whole "video games are an art form" spiel. The creative force behind such games as Lost Planet and the Mega Man series believes strongly that video games are first and foremost a business, and the level of success a game receives is proportional only to the number of copies it sells at the end of the day.
So with that mindset intact, Inafune didn't have many kind words to relay to the former producers at Clover, Capcom's now-defunct development studio previously responsible for Okami and Viewtiful Joe. In a session at GDC hosted by Newsweek's N'Gai Croal, he spoke candidly about Clover's inability to produce a successful bottom line in spite of rave critical reviews:
Perhaps I might get into trouble if I say this in front of people from the mass media. Games are not a work of art. It's actually a product. If we think of it as a work of art, then... when we think about Picasso and Van Gogh's paintings, the end result is beauty, so it doesn't matter if you sell it or not. However for games, it's a product. It is a commodity. The producer has to think about that.
Okami and Viewtiful Joe, I think, are wonderful games and because they are wonderful games I think, the job of the director was fantastic. But the producer didn't do his work. The producers work is to make the team make good games and then sell those games. The producer has to do the promotion. They have to think about the promotion. The producer has to take those good games and think about how to deliver it to as many users as possible. Certainly to get good reviews is part of his job. However, the producer has to make sure the game sells [on par with the review]. I think the producer dropped the ball there. Capcom said they would do it, but Clover said "Oh, we'll do it ourselves." And I think this was a failure.
Great directors may exist in great numbers, however, if you don't have a good producer it won't lead to sales. And I think this Clover Studios example is a really good example of that.
Consistent with other remarks made in the past (although not nearly as vocal), the Lost Planet team has made something of a name for themselves by evangelizing to Japanese development teams about the importance of broadening their global audience. Producer Jun Takeuchi himself had stated in a previous interview that most Japanese developers are in danger of isolating themselves by concentrating exclusively on Japanese niche markets.
No, this isn't another rampant portable Xbox 360 rumor, but the somewhat indirect linkage is indeed notable. Reportedly, AMD is planning to bring "Xbox 360 quality graphics to handheld devices" by utilizing the company's next-generation mobile graphics technologies. Although no real specifics were handed out, AMD is purportedly "working with content developers now in preparation for the arrival of phones" powered by the forthcoming set, and should be made available to handset manufacturers through "discrete media processors as well as through IP licensing agreements with semiconductor suppliers." Already released is a developers toolkit that includes support for both the OpenVG 1.0 and OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics standards, and it will incorporate the same Unified Shader Architecture that's behind the scenes in your Xbox 360. Sadly, we've absolutely no idea which companies (if any) are already on board with this promising technology, but we just have to wonder if Dell won't reconsider its handheld gaming system considering the already amicable relationship with AMD.
Bethesda's Todd Howard has confirmed that The Elder Scrolls IV: The Shivering Isles will be available on March 27 for PC ($29.99 at retail) and Xbox 360 (downloadable for 2400 points). While not unreasonably priced for an expansion -- especially for one that claims roughly 30 hours of gameplay -- Shivering Isles nevertheless will enter Xbox Live Marketplace with an unprecedented price tag. (Good thing Bethesda is no stranger to testing the limits of consumer practice.) No doubt the expansion's price will be met with skepticism when the content arrives on Xbox Live.
Xbox 360 Fanboy reports that Shivering Isles might also be included in a future retail edition of Oblivion, providing Xbox 360 owners without Xbox Live access to the expansion. According to statements made by senior game designer Bruce Nesmith during an interview with Gamertag Radio, if sold at retail, the expansion would have to be included with the full game, forcing many fans to re-purchase Oblivion. This is "not really an ideal situation," admitted Nesmith, explaining that current Microsoft limitations do not offer an alternative. Nesmith also confirmed that at least one more piece of downloadable content is being produced for Oblivion. "A fighter stronghold kind of thing", said Nesmith. "It's the one character class that we haven't really dealt with yet, so it'll be something for those guys who are into the heavy armor and the big, big sticks."
Bethesda has also confirmed that the PS3 version of Oblivion will release March 20 (Shivering Isles not included).
Prof. Dmitri Williams, one of the leading academics in the gaming space, who was an expert witness at the U.S. Senate on the constitutionality of game banning laws, held a roundtable on game addiction at GDC. Williams referenced Carnegie Mellon University A. Fleming Seay's research on addiction in an MMO context.
The addiction, defined as "problematic use" by Seay, is when an entertainment product dominates and displaces other behavior,
causes conflict and not playing causes anxiety. Seay found that self regulation (self monitoring, self evaluation and self consequence) was difficult for certain people. This seems obvious, but like anything in academia, if somebody hasn't done the research it isn't legitimate. The other thing Seay found was people's affinity for a game caused their problematic use -- but the interesting part was that those with "problematic use" were those who didn't like the game they were playing. They would do the same actions over and over again, didn't find pleasure in their actions and got stuck in a rut.
Williams thinks now is a the time to start looking into the ideas of "gaming addiction" and "problematic use" before it gains traction. He says, "Coming up with a solution to that, is better than sitting in front of Congress in ten years."
Designed for both Xbox 360 and the original Xbox, Kontrolfreak is a small plastic attachment that gives you better grip on the analog sticks on your controllers. It's essentially two wings that ensures your thumbs don't slide off and go flying, which honestly hasn't been a problem for us as far as we can remember. But we don't really go ape shit when we play games, despite what Kotaku says.
The price is 2 for $9.95 (enough for one controller), and will be available around late April or May.
Experience has taught me that oftentimes, gamers are better off taking projected release dates with a grain of salt, but I can't help but feel like 2007 is going to be one of the best years in gaming history. There are enough high profile titles on the way to drown a fish, and they all look outstanding. I had trouble limiting it to only 10 of them - so I didn't. Here are my most anticipated games of the coming year:
(+1) Halo 3
Now I know somebody out there doesn't care about this game, but the rest of the gaming world is salivating in anticipation. The third installment of the critically acclaimed franchise is set to be huge, with high-def visuals and enhanced online gameplay, not to mention the climax of the series' story. The near-universal love of the series is clear, as Halo 2 remains the most-played game on Xbox Live to date. With the online beta of Halo 3 just around the corner, there is a lot to be excited about.
10) Blue Dragon
This one has already been released in Japan, and is responsible for selling more Xbox 360s there than any other game can claim. This RPG is the craft of a dream team who, when last working together, created one of the most lauded RPGs of all time - Chrono Trigger. A game that tweaks its genre just right, Blue Dragon does away with random battles, putting enemies on screen at all times. It also features a unique system for GETTING INTO battles, allowing players to string together fights, building momentum as they go, as well as drawing rival creatures into the same bloody fray - where they will attack EACH OTHER. Other points of awesomeness are the party of five characters, which all fight in every encounter, and the deep class system. It sounds like an RPGer's dream.
9) Grand Theft Auto IV
Just one image. That's enough. Heck, ZERO images would be enough for this game. We don't know where it takes place, what time period it spans, or who the main character might be, but it doesn't matter - we know it will be good. As of this posting, 19 days remain until the first trailer of GTA IV is shown at http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/.
8) Mass Effect
"BioWare presents..." Those words alone are enough to gamers excited. The company's track record is indeed a sight to behold - they are responsible for Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire. Mass Effect's gameplay is reminiscent of prior games, but with a few huge improvements. The branching dialog in this game is done completely in real-time. This will allow the player to interject as he pleases and give these interactions a much less-scripted feel. The combat has also been improved, with all-new tactical control over party members' actions and equipment. Lastly, let's not forget that the voice acting is excellent and the graphics are some of the best around.
7) Super Mario Galaxy
This is the Mario game we're supposed to be excited about...and I am. It's Mario in full 3D again, and with a slew of Wii-centric controls, Super Mario Galaxy aims to take gamers on a ride unlike any previous Mario adventure. My only reservation was that game might focus too much on a single theme, quickly wearing out it's initial appeal (a la Super Mario Sunshine). Considering the variety of locales seen in this latest video, I'm not terribly worried, and can't wait to try it out.
6) White Night Story
From the developers of the recent hit RPGs Rogue Galaxy and Dragon Quest VIII, as well as the Dark Cloud Series, White Knight Story appears to be the game that could coax me into buying a PS3. Not only does it LOOK amazing, but it features a battle system unlike any other. Encounters are rendered in accurately choreographed sequences, where successful strikes on the enemy are mixed amongst a barrage of attacks that are either blocked or parried, before tasting the sweet reward of steel on flesh. As seen in the trailer, the protagonist is also capable of transforming into a hulking white knight, which is ALL KINDS of cool.
5) Metal Gear Solid 4
Metal Gear Solid is an incredible series, and MGS4 is sure to be an incredible game. Snake has grown old and battle-weary, but remains in the heat of combat, aided once again by his old friend Otacon. The jump to the newest console generation has done wonders for the graphical presentation of the game, and will propel the already stellar cinematography of the series to new heights. The story promises to be just as interesting as previous games, and will surely have plenty of underlying messages to deliver to eager gamers. This game will definitely be an experience.
4) God of War 2
If you've played God of War, then you MUST BE excited for God of War II. The first game was...well, awesome. It was fierce action combined with fun platforming and a top-notch story. If that game, and this trailer are any indicator, then God of War II is shaping up to be one of the best games the PS2 has to offer. We'll find out this Tuesday if the term "swan song" is applicable here.
3) Spore
When Will Wright creates something, people take notice. The legendary designer is hard at work on an ambitious new game, entitled Spore. Borrowing elements from games ranging from Pac-Man to The Sims, E.V.O. to Cubivore, it is what one might call a "life sim," where players guide the evolution of of an organism up through the generations, and at the same time through multiple game genres. The game features a huge amount of procedurally generated content, from the creatures that populate the game world, to the very world itself. Furthermore, Wright has dubbed Spore a massively single player game, because as players progress, their creations will begin to show up in other users' worlds. There, they become AI-controlled parts of that other player's game, and are tagged with their creator's information. From protist to intergalactic conquerer, there is just TOO much to Spore NOT to be excited.
2) Super Paper Mario
As a huge fan of the old 2D Super Mario Bros games, as well as the stylish Paper Mario games, there is no describing how exciting Super Paper Mario is to me. Not only that, but when Super Mario Sunshine promised an "incredible new feature," all I hoped for was a game that transitioned between classic 2D platforming and 3D exploration. It's finally here. This game introduces a myriad of new character abilities and gameplay opportunities to gamers, and combines 2D side-scrolling, 3D platforming, and role-playing elements all into a single bundle of AWESOME.
1) Assassin's Creed
I am in love with this game. Besides the ability to navigate your surroundings based purely on the physics and structure of the game world, it is everything I could ever want in an action game. Free-roaming exploration, acrobatics, stealth, swordplay, horseback riding, assassinations, and BEAUTIFUL visuals. Additionally, there have been rumblings of a very unexpected and intriguing plotline. All this from the people who brought us Prince of Persia. *swoon*
There you have it - a complete year of gaming goodness.
Mark Rein has responded to reports that Gears designer Cliff Bleszinski confirmed a Gears sequel is in development, saying there are wrong.
On the back of GDC, Gamespot posted an article (quickly followed-up by IGN) proclaiming that Bleszinski has confirmed Gears of War 2 is in development. Hardly a suprise really.
But Epic VP Mark Rein was quick off the mark over the weekend to shoot down the stories saying, "The Gamespot article is wrong. Cliff didn't confirm anything of the sort."
Of course a Gears sequel will be in the pipeline, especially on the back of the success of the original. Just don't expect anything official until Microsoft says so though.
Juárez Mayor Héctor Murguía has condemned Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 which is set in El Paso and Juárez, reports the El Paso Times.
Ubisoft's tactical shooter launched last Friday here in the UK, which features fictional battles between the US Ghosts and Mexican rebels. Keyword there being 'fictional'. But the Mayor of Juárez (one of the locations featured in the game) isn't impressed.
He said, "Violent video games instill values which are upside down, and these actions are despicable because they attempt to divide the good will of the residents of American and Mexican cities."
Murguía sais that GRAW 2 exposes children and teens to ideas that are xenophobic and warlike and that generate violence. He went as far as asking Mexican federal authorities to band the game from reaching children. On the flipside, El Paso Mayor John Cook said he had no problem with the game.
In a trickling update on its official website, RTS veteran Ensemble has released a new Halo Wars image, but don't get too excited; it's only more concept art.
But while it's not in-game, the pic does reveal a new vehicle that will likely crop up as a controllable unit in Wars; a sort of Command & Conquer Orca with a big laser gun on the bottom.
Going by the swarming, wasp-like appearance of the 'copter and lack of UT-style redeemer launchers, we're guessing that this is some sort of scouting unit available early in the game - though that's just our educated guess.
Actual gameplay details on Halo Wars have been scarce since the game was unveiled last year, though an assortment of random MS execs apparently had a good time during recent internal playtests, where a "fairly polished" version of the 360 RTS was up and running at Ensemble.
After a poor E3 showing and a stupidly-long stretch of delays (it was originally due on PSone), it looks like Silicon Knight's 360 action RPG Too Human has slipped again to 2008.
The word comes from a recent interview with Microsoft Game Studios VP Shane Kim, in which he suggests yet another delay for the first entry in the sci-fi trilogy.
"The game is coming along," Kim tells IGN. "It's coming along. We recently saw it. We'll have more to show on it soon. We did it an injustice last year at E3. We showed it too early.
"Some games take longer than others to develop, and since we have so many great games coming already, it's OK for some to develop slower than others. We already have a lot of games this year."
It doesn't sound hopeful for fans expecting Too Human this year then. But with all the massive titles flooding into the shops in 2007, we're actually quite pleased that Silicon Knights is giving its latest a little more polishing time, and hopefully it'll find a nice gap in the market in the post-Halo 3/GTA IV madness.
id Software's CEO Todd Hollenshead has revealed that videogame piracy "has pushed id as being multiplatform."
In a lecture on videogame piracy during last week's GDC, he explained that the Doom and Quake developer started to eye console platforms as a method to battle the financial loss piracy incurs.
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars was given as an example of id's multiplatform direction. Originally in development for PC at the hands of Splash Damage and id Software, the multiplayer-focussed action game is now additionally heading to Xbox 360 and PS3.
In related news, the topic of videogame piracy was brought up in during a panel discussion focussing on the future of PC gaming at GDC last week.
In the discussion, Soren Johsnon - designer/lead programmer, Sid Meier's Civilization III & IV - said "game design on the PC is going to bend toward persistence" as in MMOGs. Massively multiplayer online games succeed because "You cannot pirate an MMO. Period", said Johsnon
A popular video game could provide doctors with a way of diagnosing depression.
With some illnesses, such as diabetes, a simple test can usually quantify how severe a person's condition is, but depression is more complicated. The condition has been linked to a shrunken hippocampus, a part of the brain that also plays a role in spatial memory, so Neda Gould at the US National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and her colleagues wondered whether a video game that tests spatial memory could help measure the severity of the illness.
To test their idea the researchers developed a game based on some scenes from Duke Nukem, a game in which players navigate around a virtual town. The participants, who were already familiar with the town, were asked to find their way to as many landmarks as possible within a set amount of time.
Depressed people found their way to an average of 2.4 locations compared with 3.8 locations for healthy controls. Indeed, the more depressed a person was, the lower the score (The American Journal of Psychiatry, vol 164, p 516). Gould hopes the test may eventually provide a quantifiable measure of depression.
Microsoft challenged four community developer teams to create four games in four days at this year's GDC, in an effort to show how simple it was to use the XNA Game Studio Express tool.
Well, they all rose to the challenge and produced a handful of gems for you to try out, providing you have a copy of the free XNA program for your PC installed, which you can grab from the official place (you'll need C# 2005 Express Edition installed to run it).
The line-up begins with DungeonQuest, created by German team Benjamin Nitschke and Cristoph Reinaecker; a 3D action RPG that lets you crawl through various dungeons in a two-player co-op team.
Then there's Simian Escape from American chaps Jonathon Stevens and Patrick Glanville, which is a 2D run-and-jump romp in a prehistoric setting. They've craftily utilised the help of the Torque X tools, available in the paid-for version of XNA.
The United Kingdom creation Damage Control came from Josh Butterworth and Maher Al-Samkari, and is a four-player siege game that challenges you with seeing off hordes of aliens that are advancing on your base.
Last but not least is AbduX from Brazillian Andre Furtado, which puts you in the space boots of a wide-eyed alien, and lets you plough through the counrtyside in your flying saucer whilst abducting scores of unsuspecting humanoids. Particularly impressive in this little chestnut is the voice recognition controls that let you command different functions of the spacecraft.
It's all part of promoting Microsoft's Dream-Build-Play competition, which is designed to create awareness of its XNA development tools. Simply make a great game using the software, win US$ 1000, and get your creation on Xbox Live Arcade.
XNA Game Studio Express is a free download that lets hobbyists, students, and independent developers create and share games for Windows. It was released last December along with the Creators Club, which is available for a yearly EUR 99 subscription and enables you to develop and play games on Xbox 360.
Microsoft today announced the latest release in its Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays program, the 1989 coin-op beat-'em-up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Originally produced by Konami, the game is being offered on Live Arcade through an agreement with Ubisoft, the brand's current rights holder and publisher of its own line of movie-based TMNT games.
Developed by Digital Eclipse (the studio behind Live Arcade ports of Contra, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game will feature voice chat capability and online or offline cooperative multiplayer for up to four gamers.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is set to go live on XBLA this Wednesday at 2 a.m. PDT and will be available for 400 Microsoft Points ($5).
You could forgive us for speculating about a rise in Xbox Live Arcade pricing. Especially following the somewhat ambiguous proclamation made by Microsoft Casual Games manager Bryan Trussel, stating that we'd "see a correlation between some of the pricing" of games now that the maximum downloadable file size has increased from 50MB to 150MB.
Frugal gamers can put away their torches and pitchforks, because Microsoft shot back at us with a resounding "Nu-uh!" assuring us that a price increase will not be the case. Behold, the official statement from Trussel himself:
"There are currently no plans to offer Xbox Live Arcade games for more than 1200 points. My comments were meant to imply that a larger game may lead to a price that is at the high end of the current pricing range, not eclipse that range as suggested in the reporting."
That slight gust of wind you're feeling? The collective sigh of relief from all those who couldn't muster the balls to beg their boss for a raise just to play Root Beer Tapper.
Henry Lowood, the curator of the Stanford University History of Science and Technology Collections, announced this past week a list of the 10 Most Important Video Games of All Time. This game canon has been created to preserve to cultural and historical significance of gaming. The list is a result of a collaboration between Lowood, Warren Spector, Steve Meretzky, academic researcher Matteo Bittani and gaming journalist Christopher Grant from Joystiq, and represents the games we must protect at all costs...our cultural artifacts.
Spacewar! (1962)
Star Raiders (1979)
Zork (1980)
Tetris (1985)
SimCity (1989)
Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990)
Civilization I / II (1991)
Doom (1993)
Warcraft (Series) (1994)
Sensible World of Soccer (1994)
The games all represent firsts for lasting genres, such as adventure games, multiplayer, FPS, story-driven RTS, et cetera. Each gamer is required to save these titles to a microchip embedded in the base of their skull in order to preserve our gaming heritage.
First off a Quick thanks to Soully and Martin whos site design and skills with Vbulletin make the network what it is and also thanks to Malksta for making the new logo for the site.
DCEmu Blog Site is our Offtopic and Chat news site where anything from jokes to non gaming news will be posted.
The running of the site will now be handed to Guntimms who im sure will turn it into a great part of our Network of Sites and build upon the community we have here.
Talk about getting ahead of yourself. In an interview from EGM, Peter Moore has said that the production team behind the creation of Xbox 360 is already working on the next Xbox.
Moore even went as far as saying that Xbox 360's successor could launch around 2012, as the team of tech-heads are looking into what kind of computing power would be available around that time frame. The Olympic Games don't strand a chance against a new Xbox.
In other 360 news, we're getting word that Microsoft could soon ditch the Xbox 360 Core version. That's the one without the hard drive and wireless pads that currently goes for around two hundred quid.
We think it makes perfect sense to drop the cheaper model, as the Premium System is a bargain in its own right. By now everyone that has a 360 should be online (or close to it) and for that you need a hard drive. We've put the call into Microsoft who kindly told us that they don't comment on rumours.
It wouldn't surprise us too if Sony's lite PS3 model never made it to the shops over here either. You'd only end up spending more in the long run anyway.
We'll keep you posted. In the meantime let us know what you think in the comments section below.
We reported yesterday that Xbox 360 exclusive action title Too Human may have been delayed until 2008. Not good news, considering this game was originally in development on PSone.
Suggesting that Microsoft's comments aren't 100 percent accurate, Silicon Knight president Dennis Dyack hit the Neogaf forums and had a few things to say: "I am sorry to see not much has changed here on the GAF. There should be no question as to why many developers do not post here. Thanks to those who were positive and made some logical comments."
A brave man indeed. He then added, "In time these comments will be bearers of fruit. Unfortunately for many here, they are going to be very bitter."
Silicon Knights and Too Human may be on the ropes at the moment, but don't write either off just yet.
Ubisoft's tactical shooter, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2, has flown straight into the top of the charts, ending Final Fantasy XII's two-week reign of supremacy.
Here are the latest all format charts for the UK, released this morning:
According to German gaming site Xbox-Archiv, the much rumored black Xbox 360 Premium is in fact coming, despite constant efforts to diffuse its existence and dash gamer hopes.
The site claims a little bird told them the new system is coming this May, at a lower $299 price replacing the useless Core model in the process. Also included are a 120 GB hard drive and HDMI outputs. Spring is the time for price drops, and our golden gut tells us Microsoft will more than likely run with something come this May...
UPDATE: A little clarification - the rumor suggests the current premium will take the place of the Core and its $299 price with the souped up Premium Pro costing $400 or more.
News from Play Asia of the latest Import gaming releases.
Heres the listing
PlayStation2™:
Garouden Break Blow: Fist or Twist JPN US$ 64.90
Sengoku Basara 2 (CapKore) JPN US$ 29.90
Standard Daisenryaku: Dengekisen (Sega the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
Standard Daisenryoku: Shiwareta Shouri (Sega the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
The Nightmare Before Christmas (CapKore) JPN US$ 19.90
Nintendo DS™:
Kotoba no Puzzle: Mojipittan DS JPN US$ 29.90
Theme Park DS JPN US$ 48.90
Tottoko Hamtaro Hai! Ham-Chans no Ham Ham Challenge! Atsumare wa! JPN US$ 48.90
It won't take forever to finish Valve's Portal, reckons level designer Kim Swift, who guided us through a playable demo of the game at last week's Game Developer Conference in San Francisco.
"Currently the game runs about four hours," she told us.
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However, it seems it may take some getting used to, as one of our reporters was reduced to a gibbering wreck as he attempted to get to grips with it. Still, Swift was apologetic and reassuring about the difficulty curve, saying she'd rushed the tutorial to get us to the action.
"In the game we take you very step by step in terms of being able to use your portals," she added.
Portal is a single-player experience fit to tie your brain in knots. You'll use a portal gun to manipulate your environment and objects, and it looks set to have an impact comparable to Half-Life 2's gravity gun.
It's due for release with Half-Life 2: Episode 2 and Team Fortress 2 this winter on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.
Rumour claiming to have details on planned new content for Realtime Worlds' Xbox 360 game Crackdown has surfaced on the 'net.
Reported on website msxbox-world.com, the rumour comes via its forum, where a poster says "An un-named source who I have no doubt in trusting has revealed to me that Crackdown is set for some new content."
The poster goes the content "is possibly going to be free" and will include "things like vehicle impounding (taking marked cars back to agency); street racing vs. AI controlled cars, extra equipment, new agent outfits and a number of new mini games."
"The observant amongst you may have noticed some different activities in the game's training videos which look like rampage missions with weapons and vehicles. If all of this stuff becomes available soon and is free of charge then there is certainly a lot of life left in the game for those who have already beaten it", the poster concludes.
Excited fan wish or actually concrete information? We'll contact Microsoft to see what it says (and if it's anything other than "We do not comment on rumour and speculation", we'll eat our pyjamas).
Bugbear Entertainment's Xbox 360 racer crash-'em-up FlatOut Ultimate Carnage is spitting out exhaust fumes and car debris in new screenshots. Pass mince pies over the action and see what you think.
Previous games in the FlatOut series have provided some excellent physics-laden driving fun, and with the developer building Ultimate Carnage from the ground up for 360 to take full advantage of available horsepower, we can't wait to see it in action.
The as yet unannounced Condemned 2 has been listed on a retailer, even allowing for customers to pre-order their copy.
The brief synopsis for the sequel reads: "A superb sequel of brilliantly brutal bloody hand to hand brawling...", which doesn't reveal much, and doesn't seem to make much sense either.
But play.com is seemingly so sure of its release that it even specifies a date to the day, down as 30 November 2007.
We contacted Sega but were offered "no comment" on the matter.
This isn't the first time that a retailer has let slip about a game they shouldn't have, so we'll be keeping an ear out for that one some time soon.
Another Wednesday, another Xbox Live Arcade release, but this week's is one of our favourites; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1989 (!).
Konami's Turtles game is undoubtedly one of the biggest consumers of our circa-1991 pocket money, which was when we used to blitz the game at a random Haven holiday camp with 3 other hopelessly addicted ten-year-olds.
If you haven't had the pleasure to encounter the Turtle's at their finest we recommend you pick it up for the bargain price of 400 Microsoft points - though it's not quite the same without an over-iced coke and Rory the Tiger.
If that still doesn't convince you to part with the best par tof four quid, stay tuned for our review later this week.
Transformers: The Game was presented to an underwhelmed crowed of journos yesterday, as the giant-robot action failed to meet high expectations set by the movie.
CVG attended the unveiling with high hopes, after having been impressed by the action-packed trailer of the live-action film. Giant robots, guns, rockets, explosions - it's perfect videogame fodder.
We were shown a city-based level that demonstrated destructible scenery by having robots smashing through buildings. We were also shown the combat system as two robots squared up to each other.
But the physics engine lacked impact during combat and failed to portray the extreme force you would imagine a punch from a 30-foot robot to have.
Two robots stood in-front of each other, throwing punches that seemed to have no physical effect until one eventually slowly fell to the floor.
Although the game's still in development, it also lacked the detail and polish we've come to expect from 360 games. The environment looked bland and there was a distinct lack of people and traffic. Fingers crossed this will change though.
As another sandbox-type game, it has a long way to go before it approaches the quality of Microsoft's Crackdown. And there's not long to go - the game is due out in summer.
Microsoft is trying to "bump up the pipeline" on Xbox Live Arcade and wants to see more releases on the service, Casual Games general manager Bryan Trussel has told CVG.
Speaking at the Game Developers Conference last week, Trussel said that Microsoft is "trying to bump up the pipeline quite a bit".
"We have these Wednesdays where we release our games and they come out not every week but most weeks," he said. "We're increasing that pipeline. We want to do a couple of things; we want to have more games come out so that it becomes a new game every Wednesday, and occasionally more than one game coming out every week."
Trussel also talked to CVG about his desires to turn XBLA Wednesdays into an "actual destination time" for gamers to come for both new games, new download content, tournaments and competitions.
Ken Levine, Creative Director of Bioshock, talks exclusively to the free Xbox 360 magazine, 360Zine, about the game and the creative process behind it.
Issue 4 of 360Zine brings a 5 page exclusive extravaganza of one of 2007's most anticipated Xbox 360 games, Bioshock. Winning awards before it has even been released, the eagerly awaited follow up from the creator of System Shock is top of many gamers' most wanted list. The coverage includes a preview and a three page interview with Ken Levine, where he opens up about the impact he hopes the game will have.
"Violence is quite often necessary, but I think it's always important to remember what it means, whether it's necessary or not. It's important to remember the consequences and Bioshock brings people back to the consequences," says Ken Levine in the interview. He also covers the unique gameplay elements and the legacy of System Shock.
Also included in issue 4 are the full reviews of Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 and Bullet Witch among others, plus previews of Frontlines: Fuel of War and Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway. This issue also introduces a new Community section in which Xbxo 360 gamers are encouraged to participate with clan news, podcasts and more.
360Zine is a Gamerzine, published in PDF format. Readers simply require a copy of the free Adobe Reader (version 6 or above) to read the magazines. Each Gamerzine includes more than 30 pages of professionally written games journalism and is enhanced with embedded video and multimedia.
One of the more interesting features debuting later this year is the ability for Vista and Xbox 360 gamers to play online multiplayer sessions together. The first to allow them to do that is Shadowrun, a new first-person shooter from FASA Studio.
Elves have trigger fingers.
Today, Microsoft finally revealed when geeks can settle the age-old "keyboard and mouse or controller" debate. Both the Vista and Xbox 360 versions of Shadowrun will be available in June. Microsoft did not specify when in June Shadowrun would be released.
Online sessions will support up to 16 players, but for Vista owners to play against Xbox 360 gamers, they'll need a Gold-level Games for Windows - Live membership; PC-to-PC online play will be included in the Silver membership. As is the case with all Xbox 360 games, a Gold Xbox Live subscription is required to play multiplayer matches online.
The FPS is based on the Shadowrun universe, which first came to life in the world of pen-and-paper games. The game features various classes, each armed with weapons and magical abilities, such as teleportation.
Reuters informs that gamers born before the first Bush administration aren't all suffering from Peter Pan syndrome -- game systems are growing up with them. 37 percent of adults own a gaming console and 16 percent own a portable gaming device according to Nielson/NetRatings. Of those, 71 percent are married and 66 percent have at least one child.
According to Reuters, analysts predicted the Wii did well because adult gamers wanted to introduce their children to gaming. These "Nintendads" helped sell a lot of units. Oh please, "Nintendads" wanted the Wii for themselves. The kid was just the add-on peripheral excuse that allowed the wife to let them purchase the console.
Beyond Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft are clearly fighting it out for an adult focused media hub. Although neither is succeeding in making that all-in-one unit, we don't really care, as long as they focus on the games. All we know is as this "Nintendad" generation takes control, we'll see a significant decline in silly game legislation.
Peter Moore, who I like to call the Jesus of the Xbox, has announced that Microsoft has already begun work on the next generation Xbox 360 and it won't be available until the 2011, 2012 range.
The 360 production team has begun researching what kinds of processors will be available in five years. The Marty McFly in me wants to suggest that the next-next-gen Xbox will be a 32-core console with multiple terabytes of storage, no media format (everything will be downloaded) and no controllers because everything will be done telepathically.
Any other ideas of what the next-next-gen Xbox will be able to do? Please tell me that it can give foot massages. I love a good foot massage.
The latest in the once glorious but now frankly mediocre Championship Manager series sets out with a host of new features that threaten to push it up the table. The inclusion of Prozone analysis, for one, is inspirational: it’s more comprehensive than ever before and the set-piece editor gives you more control over what you can do with free kicks and corners than you could have imagined possible. But, like the beautiful game itself, it’s no good having the skills and tricks if you can’t pay the bills by getting the basics right. And Champ Manager 2007 remains, at this stage, hampered by some, sadly, fundamental problems.
First up, despite its much-talked-about “revolutionary” control system we found it very easy to end up completely lost in its deep navigation tree. Finding things was often a process of trial and error and with a fat wedge burning a hole in our pocket, getting to the transfer page was like getting out of a maze blindfolded. Crappy and inefficient, the inclusion of a quick “home”-style button, which lets you bring up a comprehensive menu at any time, often bailed us out. The home button is a good thing. The fact that it becomes more of a panic button most definitely isn’t.
And then onto the game engine. There’s a lot here we like, especially the range of camera views and in particular the isometric angles - a great improvement that we suspect, and hope, will soon be aped by market leaders Football Manager. Unfortunately, play still seemed wobbly, with weird throw-ins and absurd goal-keeping positions. If they smooth these problems out (and the attacking play needs to be addressed, especially) it could still succeed, particularly as - again - there’s some neat stuff dovetailing this: on-the-fly tactic changes and individual instructions or pep talks to your overpaid prima donnas from the sidelines being one of them. A mixed bag then with navigation and engine issues, plus an ugly interface at this stage undo a lot of the good. There is a strong chance this won’t come out here, but we’ll keep you posted.
Screenshots in link above. Leave feedback via comments.
Over at The Pensive Gamer I've started a Developer Diary concentrating on exploring XNA.
The first Developer Diary describes how to get started in XNA. Includes useful tools, community sites and blogs related to XNA.
Here is a snippet from the article:
===============================
Each week I like to set aside a few hours to explore software development technologies I haven't tried. This past weekend I started to take a deeper look at XNA.
I'll be documenting my XNA investigation with periodic updates as a Developer Diary. Today's Developer Diary is simple, I documented what I did to get a base understanding of XNA.
===============================
I'm also curious to hear of any other tutorials or tools people have found valuable for XNA development.
Former Take That cheeky-boy Robbie Williams has teamed up with Microsoft to offer some of his choice music videos for download on Xbox Live Marketplace.
His latest warble She's Madonna will be up there, as will A Place To Crash and Lovelight. All will be available for 280 Microsoft points in HD, or 230 in standard definition.
You can also splash your cash on a trendy Robbie Williams Theme for 150 points, which is virtually guaranteed to impress your friends with its four included snaps of the pop hero.
"I love playing Xbox at home and on the road," Robbie chirped. "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2006 kept me company through the tour!"
All three videos are on the service now, so if that's your cup of tea, rude-box your way over and get downloading.
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, one of the most popular games on the Xbox Live Arcade download service, was intended to be a free download.
Bizarre Creations' Ben Ward stated in an interview with IGN: ""Geometry Wars was really intended as a gift to hardcore gamers and we initially wanted to give the game away for free.
""When it became evident that we couldn't do this, we said to Microsoft 'what's the absolute bare minimum we can charge'. They said 400 points, so we went with that."
The original Geometry Wars on Xbox was a hidden extra included in PGR 2.
Bizarre will get their wish in the long run, as Microsoft recently announced it will give away the hit shoot-'em-up game on the new 512Mb memory cards to be launched worldwide on April 3.
MS Corporate VP Shane Kim has hinted at a September release date for Halo 3, telling US site 1UP that Bungie would like to get its shooter out the door before Rockstar's massive fourth GTA arrives in October.
MS Corporate VP Shane Kim has hinted at a September release date for Halo 3, telling US site 1UP that Bungie would like to get its shooter out the door before Rockstar's massive fourth GTA arrives in October.
"If they can get out before GTA4, they probably feel like that's better, sort of like Xbox 360 coming out before PlayStation 3," he said, adding that that decision is apparently not up to Microsoft: "We don't tell Bungie when they have to ship Halo 3".
As for the chances of Microsoft shipping the 360 messiah outside of the traditional November window, Kim points out that it's had success jumping the month before: "What happened in September of 2004? In September of 2004 we released Fable, Fable got big sales and then in November got big sales again," Kim said. "I just believe great titles can get the double bump and I think Halo 3 is going to be that."
When we picked up the phone (as if they'd say anything beyond "we don't comment on rumours") Microsoft was unfortunately unavailable comment on the report, but with Blue Dragon occupying the August slot and GTA IV in October one thing looks certain; Halo 3 will launch in either September or November.
"I have a 40ft hard-on for original IP and that's what Gears of War is", Epic's Cliff Bleszinski told CVG last week, when we quizzed him on the chances of seeing more original properties from the Unreal and Gears studio.
"The fact that [Gears of War] was such a success proves to me that this business is driven by its own internal IPs and not licensed properties," he said.
Following the 3 million-plus sales of its flagship 360 shooter, Epic is now finishing up the third instalment Unreal Tournament and touting the various non-blaster games using Unreal Engine 3, such as Zombies Ate My Neighbours look-alike Monster Madness.
As for what Cliffy's stonking boner for original IP means for his next title, the Epic lead designer says we'll have to wait a while before we get that in our hands: "I think my plate will probably be full the next couple of years working on what I'm working on.
"I'm not really allowed to say anything about what I'm doing but I have about 8 million intellectual properties floating around in my head and I'd love to have a few more developed at some point in the future."
Following up yesterday's batch of screenshots Bugbear entertainment has released even more shots of its 360 crash-em-up FlatOut Ultimate Carnage.
As you can probably see from the pics, the latest series instalment sports bumped-up visuals and over 8,000 dynamic objects per track. Graphics aside, Ultimate Carnage also offers five new single-player and two new multi-player modes over FlatOut 2, and online bouts and downloadable content via Xbox Live.
According to Bugbear, you'll find it in the shops this June.
New Platinum version of the REGION FREE Xbox 360 game released:
features
Next-generation gaming technology: Advanced Warfighter is built from the ground up for the Xbox 360™, maximizing increased power to deliver phenomenal graphics and a host of innovative features.
The soldier of the future: Gain access to the future of military technology. Using a fully integrated combat system with cutting-edge weapons and communication systems, gamers will embody the soldier of the future
Revolutionary feature: Use the revolutionary Cross-Com, a communication device powered by satellite technology. Attached to the soldier's monocle, the Cross-Com provides full situational awareness and command of the battlefield.
Stunning urban environment: One capital, multiple locations. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter takes place entirely in Mexico City, one of the world's largest cities. A stunning, meticulously detailed universe provides complete immersion in the urban war of the future.
Top-notch multiplayer experience: Just like the previous Ghost Recon titles, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter delivers industry-leading multiplayer and cooperative gameplay for Xbox Live®.
description
The face of war has changed in Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter™. Enemy lines blur and there is no longer a clear opponent. New enemies and new threats require a new type of warfare and a new type of soldier. Enter the Ghosts.
In 2013, the U.S. Army will implement the Integrated Warfighter System evolving what we know as the modern soldier. IWS combines advanced weapon systems, satellite communication devices, and enhanced survivability into one fully integrated combat system. The IWS program has been developed to meet these new threats head on. Now, it can be tested on the battlefield.
In this next installment in Ubisoft's award-winning squad-based military shooter series, become the soldier of the future. Equipped with cutting edge weapons and communications systems, you will find yourself immersed in a detailed universe that sets the stage for the urban war of the near future.
New Classic version of the REGION FREE Xbox 360 game:
features
Return to the tombs: A new quest brings Lara to lost ancient realms that guard Secrets of the Past.
Fluid movement: The revamped control system provides intuitive and fluid character movement.
Dynamic animation system: Puts focus on continuous motion, giving Lara the ability to seamlessly handle any obstacle.
Variety of player choice: Intelligently use the environment, technical gear and weapons to overcome challenging situations.
New environments: Physics, Water, and Fire systems bring the perilous environments of Lara’s world alive and challenge the player to improvise solutions to obstacles.
Exotic locales: Visit a vast array of cinematic and exotic locations including ancient tombs, dangerous jungles, snowy mountain ruins and numerous unexpected surprises in between!
Move and shoot: Lara uses her physical prowess to combine gunplay with unique signature moves.
description
Lara Croft, everyone’s favorite dual pistol-wielding adventurer, makes her way back to the lost ancient realms that guard Secrets of the Past. In Lara Croft Tomb Raider™ LEGEND for Xbox 360™, immerse yourself in a stunning environment of hardcore adventure and exploration, as you travel through exquisitely detailed and perilous locales.
Two Worlds has some of epic combat to hit the action RPG genre, but that’s not the only tool you’ll be using to smite your enemies! The new “Sneak Mode” offers the player a chance to get up close and personal with adversaries before deciding their fate. Surgical accuracy with a blade gives “one hit kills” a whole new meaning. Not feeling bloodthirsty at the moment? How about picking a pocket for some useful wares? Not only will sneaking help you with your interpersonal relationships, but Guards and Watchtowers will have a hard time keeping track of your stealthy moves as you slip through the gates.
To keep you well apprised of your sneaky status, there’s a visual indicator above your target’s head. A green eye, half closed will appear – if you’re in danger of being seen the eye will open a bit and turn from green, to yellow, to orange and bright red if you’re seen. Sneaking is an active skill that you’ll upgrade in game; therefore your success rate is directly proportionate to your skill level. Not only that, but common sense should play a role as well. In the depths of a swamp at 3am by the light of the moon and the tendrils of a damp fog swirling about, your odds for success are going to be pretty good. However, if you’re out in the town square at noon doing your slithering act – someone will probably notice that weird guy creeping around. Be smart about it and you’ll be able to pull off some impressive maneuvers.
Two Worlds will his the shelves in May 2007 for Xbox 360 and P.C.
Today, March 16th, is Red Nose Day, the day on the UK calendar when the nation unites to raise money for good causes in the name of comedy. So, eager not to be excluded, Games Press has been keeping an eye out for Red-Nose-related happenings in the world of games.
Yesterday we heard how residents of virtual world Second Life can buy Comic Relief T-shirts and Red Noses using their in-game spare change.
And today comes news of a cheat in Lego Star Wars II that unlocks Red Noses for all the characters, from R2-D2 to Mr Vader himself. No, really. If you don't believe us, see the attached screenshots.
We're not going to tell you what the code is. Instead we'd urge you - and your readers, if you'd care to tip them off with the URL - to head over to the TT Games website (www.ttgames.com) where the cheat can be revealed after donating whatever you can afford to Comic Relief.
First-party players Nintendo and Sony are to attend the E for All expo in October this year, which many are calling the public replacement for the now neutered E3.
The expo was announced by Gamepro publisher IDG last year, and unlike that other Los Angeles game expo is fully open to the general public.
This is all according to Gamasutra, who has published initial details of the event which takes place on October 18-20 in E3's former home the Los Angeles Convention Center.
The arrival of the two companies at the show will no-doubt boost the interest of industry punters and show-goers, but despite the similar name and shared location E for All is set to be a very different beast from the other videogame super-show.
Due to its proximity to the holiday season and the thralls of average punters patrolling the halls, E for All is expected to have a large amount of already-released titles on show and for the same reason game announcements will likely be scarce.
Registration and pricing details for the expo are expected to be released in the next few weeks.
Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie have released a barrage of media showing off the two special editions of Halo 3; Legendary and Collectors Edition.
As previously announced, Legendary Edition will come with a not-quite-full-size Master Chief helmet and two DVDs, while the Collectors edition comes in a tin similar to that of the Halo 2 package of the same name.
While we're sure there are many people out there dieing to get their hands on that plastic helmet we think it's a bit too large (and nerdy) to fit on our games rack, so we're going to go for the classier (and slightly less nerdy) Collectors Edition (or at least asked the nice people at MS to give us one).
Disagree? Sound off in the comments section below and look for more Halo 3 news later on today...
February hardware sales in the US are up by 98 per cent, according to the latest data released by NPD.
Thanks largely to impressive performance from the Nintendo DS and Wii, sales for February 2007 were US $402 million (EUR 301.7m).
Software sales also rose by 28 per cent to US $441 million (EUR 331m), compared to US $345 million (258.9m) during the same period in 2006.
The DS sold 485,000 units during February, while the Wii moved 335,000 units despite Nintendo struggling to maintain a continuous supply of its latest home console.
"We're gratified that the explosive appeal of the Wii, in terms of both new players and new ways to play, has created unprecedented demand, substantially beyond supply," commented Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo in North America.
Sony's PlayStation 3, due in Europe next week, registered disappointing sales figures in comparison. The next-gen home console sold 127,000 units and was outsold by the PlayStation 2 at 295,000 units and the PSP's 176,000 units.
Microsoft's Xbox 360, a console released in November 2005, managed to sell 228,000 units, and even the Game Boy Advance range of handhelds put in a better performance than Sony's next-gen machine, shifting 136,000 units.
Nintendo also enjoyed considerable success in the software sales charts, with the top three sellers all exclusive to the company.
Wii Play sold 371,000 copies, while Diddy Kong Racing for the DS moved 262,000 units and Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess sold 130,000 copies.
Of the US $96 million increase in sales over last year, Nintendo and Microsoft product accounted for US $79 million.
Sales were higher than figures expected from analyst Wedbush Morgan.
"Overall sales were much higher than our US $415 million forecast as next-generation console software sales substantially exceeded our estimates," offered Michael Pachter, senior analyst at the firm.
"Next-generation software sales totalled US $275 million, compared to our US $240 million forecast. The upside was primarily attributable to dramatically higher than expected sales of 360 and Wii games," he said.
"The sales pattern over the last few months had suggested to us that consumers are less concerned about the transition than they have been in prior console cycles. Demand for the PS3 is tracking below our expectations, while demand for the Wii remains strong," added Pachter.
The top three selling titles for each console follow:
Yoshi's Island DS has sold over 303,000 units in its first week of sales in Japan, placing it at the top of the charts according to data from Media Create.
The only other new entry in the Japanese top ten is Spike's Kenka Banchou 2: Full Throttle at number four, selling over 42,000 units.
There are two PlayStation 3 titles in the top 50 - Bandai's Gundam Musou at number seven and Sega's Virtua Tennis 3 at number 19. There are no Xbox 360 games in the top 50.
Hardware sales in the region have also dropped this week, with the DS selling 108,631 units and Sony's PSP shifting 56,175 units.
Nintendo has sold 44,495 Wii consoles in the past week, while Sony's PlayStation 3 has sold 32,115 units. The PlayStation 2 has sold 14,585 units, ahead of Microsoft's Xbox 360, which managed 3333 consoles sold.
The Japanese top ten follows, with weekly sales figures:
1. Yoshi's Island DS / 303,114 DS
2. Monster Hunter Portable 2 / 93,099 PSP
3. Layton Kyoujo no Fushigi na Machi / 45,344 DS
4. Kenka Banchou 2: Full Throttle / 42,131 PS2
5. Super Robot Taisen W / 36,310 DS
6. Wii Sports / 35,298 Wii
7. Gundam Musou / 31,145 PS3
8. Dragon Quest Monsters – Joker / 26,452 DS
9. Wii Play / 26,340 Wii
10. Motto Nou o Kitaeru Otona DS Training / 20,716 DS
Journey Into the Darkness With “Castlevania: Symphony of Night” on Xbox Live Arcade
Celebrate more than two decades of the Castlevania franchise by reliving (or experiencing for the first time) one of the series’ most highly regarded games. The legendary 2D side-scrolling action adventure game from Konami Digital Entertainment, “Castlevania: Symphony of Night,” will be available for download on Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360 beginning Wednesday, March 21 at 0900 GMT (2 a.m. PDT).
The Castlevania franchise is well known for delivering exceptional quality in all elements that make a great game – story, music, level design, character development, gameplay and controls. In “Castlevania: Symphony of Night,” the 12th iteration of the series, gamers take on the role of Alucard, the half-vampire son of the blood-drinker Dracula, as he ventures into his infamous father’s foreboding castle. Along the way, Alucard must collect items, weapons and armor to defeat the powerful boss monsters that block access to key areas of the castle.
“Castlevania: Symphony of Night” is the first full console classic to appear on Xbox Live Arcade and offers dozens of hours of non-linear action RPG gameplay. “Castlevania: Symphony of Night” will be available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points and is rated T for Teen (Animated Blood and Violence).
Game Features
* Play the original version of the game or experience it in enhanced mode with improved graphics and modernized audio and sound effects
* New native widescreen and high-definition support
* Earn up to 12 Achievements and 200 Gamerscore points
GamesRadar's female voice steps up to bring the stereotype down
With the launch of Nintendo’s seemingly more ‘girl friendly’ DS and Wii, and gaming award ceremony’s adding categories like Girls’ Choice Award, women picking up a joypad is apparently becoming more mainstream. But what is this obsession with women being a different gaming species?
Despite the acceptance that more women are playing games there’s still a great divide – one where male gamers fit into many categories and women get just one: girl gamer. The girl gamer is often seen as a casual gamer, dipping in and out of sunny, happy titles where any skill needed is thin on the ground; gameplay kept to a minimum.
As a ‘girl’, a gamer and member of the GamesRadar team I’m here to dispel these myths. I may not be one of the PES regulars in our office every lunchtime but I know what I like when it comes to games. Read on to see just why girl gamers don’t exist.
Microsoft has confirmed that three editions of Halo 3 will be available when the game launches later this year.
First up is the plain old Standard Edition which is comprised of the standalone disc, plus a box and manual we'd wager.
Then there's the Legendary Edition which will be released "in limited quantities", according to a statement. It will come with a collectable Spartan helmet case, Halo 3 storyboard art and two bonus discs.
The first disc will feature exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, including a Making of Halo 3 documentary, plus a look at early game concepts. It will also include an audio-visual calibration tool "never before seen on a videogame", which has been custom designed by the Halo 3 team and will allow you to enjoy high definition footage and optimised audio.
The second disc, which will only be available with the Legendary Edition, will include remastered cinematic material from Halo 2 and Halo: Combat Evovled, complete with developer commentaries.
You'll also get a featurette about a day in the life at Bungie, plus exclusive content from the Machinima artists who created Red vs. Blue and This Spartan Life.
The Limited Edition version of Halo 3 will come in a shiny metal case. Along with the first bonus disc from the Legendary Edition, you'll get a Halo fiction and art book which features a guide to the game's universe and previously unseen material.
Microsoft also confirmed that Halo 3 will arrive in shops this autumn, though they haven't said exactly when yet.
Last fall, Microsoft tried to woo more Japanese gamers to try the Xbox 360 at the Tokyo Game Show. As part of its effort, the company showed off a number of games that would be released on the Japanese version of Xbox Live arcade.
It's doubtful anyone under 10 would remember a game from the '80s.
While most of the selections were eventually scheduled for a US release, several were not. Other than Rush'n Attack, one of the more notable games without an American ship date was Yie Ar Kung Fu, Konami's classic mid-1980s arcade fighting game.
Luckily, it now appears that Yie Ar Kung Fu will flex its muscles on both sides of the Pacific. The Entertainment Software Ratings Board Web site (pictured) now lists the game as being slated for a US release with an E10+ for Everyone 10 and Up rating. The site does not list release dates or pricing information, and Konami reps had not commented on the listing as of press time.
The ESRB site also revealed a previously unknown 360 title called Aegis Wing. Other than an E rating for "Mild Fantasy Violence," nothing is known about the game. Microsoft Game Studios reps didn't help clarify the situation, declining to comment on either ESRB listing.
Activision has grabbed the nearest microphone and screeched out the official release date for the Xbox 360's Guitar Hero II.
"Pay attention you motherfrackers,
drop the keyboards PC hackers,
Guitar Hero II drops April 3,
get out your wallets these frets ain't free! Woooowrgh!"
You'll likely be able to obtain much better tunes than that lyrical atrocity later on, thanks to this version's ability to download a "consistent stream of new tracks" from Xbox Live. RedOctane's Dusty Welch notes in the press release that the online component "is going to provide an incredible opportunity for our fans to extend the gameplay experience, and we have ambitious ideas to continue to fully support these efforts." Sadly, said ambitious ideas don't include online multiplayer just yet.
Originally rumored to cost a measly $99 US dollars, Microsoft has reevaluated the pricing for the Legendary Edition of Halo 3 putting it more in line with its namesake. The new "estimated" retail price is a legendary one hundred and thirty dollars. Ah, that's better. So, what does the dedicated Halo nerd get for his $130? First, the luxury of owning an item that is promised to be released in "limited quantities" only. Next, two supplemental discs with a "Making of Halo 3" documentary, featurettes, and an AV calibration tool on the first and remastered "cinematic material" from Halo 1 and Halo 2 (a refresher course, if you will) and exclusive Red vs. Blue and This Spartan Life content on the second. Deep breath ... and you get a collection of Halo 3 storyboard art.
If you don't want to spend $130 on a game (you obviously never owned a Neo Geo), then there are two other opportunities to give your money to Microsoft. Similar to games like Gears of War, Halo 3 will come in both Standard and Limited editions. The Limited edition will fetch $70 and include the first disc from the Legendary Edition, as well as a Halo "fiction and art book." We're not sure if this book will be available outside of this offer, but we imagine some Legendary owners won't like getting shorted on it. Don't care about the goodies, just want the game? Try the $60 Standard Edition. You could even get two and still bring it in for less than the Legendary edition.
Is it a console? Yes, we've been complaining about the lack of games over the last few weeks but there's absolutely nothing to bitch about come March 23rd.
You'd expect a long list considering the small matter of Sony's next-gen console hitting the shelves but 63 titles? That's insane. It certainly raises a few questions; like who's going to buy all this stuff, why did THQ decide to release the long-awaited S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl on such a fateful day and why does the PS3 look like a George Foreman grill?
We're covering the launch of the PlayStation 3 extensively over the coming week, which includes a reviews round-up of all the major launch titles and some features to help you get your new console up and running without any problems.
Right here, right now we'll take you through the best of the rest. And, by gum, there are a few corkers if you really don't fancy paying £425 on a new console.
The complete list of games released in the UK this week (23/03/07):
Aces of War, PSP, 505 Games
All Star Fighters, PS2, D3Publisher
Asphalt 2, PSP, Ubisoft
Blazing Angels, PS3, Ubisoft
Bomberman Land Touch, DS, Rising Star
Brian Lara's Cricket 2007, 360/PS2/PC, Codemasters
We were supposed to receive the blaster this week but Xecuter got a super small delay. The new ETA is around the 29-30 march. We will ship all our pre-order as soon as possible.
If you received your tracking already, you will keep the same tracking number. Only the dates will change.
More Info
The Xecuter Blaster360 is an external switching device when, once fitted, allows you to flash your DVD Firmware without ever having to open up your Xbox 360 case ever again. In the era of constant firmware updates (30+ so far) this is an absolutley essential tool saving both time and effort, making the firmware update process a walk in the park. Also transfert to your PC is now a fast and simple process. A perfect ergonomic design maeans there is no soldering and no cutting of the external case - just plug 'n' go. You only ever have to open up your case once! No longer will you have to have your Xbox 360 in pieces all the time, no longer will you have to take the Xbox apart every time you need to update new features and functions or essential bug fixes, no longer do you have to have your Xbox 360 in bits every time you want transfert data to your PC.
It was designed to be as ergonomically sound as the Xbox 360 itself. Its functionally perfect and works so good that Team Xecuter believes all firmware modders will be using this as standard by the end of the year, it just makes life SO MUCH EASIER !
Imagine using this along with the X360 USB - Firmware modding has never been so simple !
Features List:
- Once installed never open up the case again to update firmware
- Works with ALL firmware updateable drives (Hitachi and Samsung)
- High Quality Digital Sata Exchange Switching
- No soldering, no external damage, no problem !
- 5 minute install
- Auto switches to PC mode when Blaster360 is connected to molex PSU
- Auto switches to Xbox 360 default mode when not connected to Molex PSU
- Modeb switch for Hitachi
- Eject Button
- High quality Sata Port (to connect to SATA or X360USB externally)
- Samsung MS28 / Power On-Off Switch
- Molex Power connector (no lugging around the 360 PSU plus electrical safety is ensured)
- Superior quality design - no cheap China manufacturing
- Ergonomically matched to the 360 case
- LED Glow feature
- LED Glow Off / Led Perm On / LED Off switch
Source: Xboxic, which posted sneaky cell-phone pictures of a Blockbuster computer screen showing some new entries into the company database.
The official story: See below.
What we heard: New game information can come from all sorts of sources. Obviously the most concrete information comes straight from the publishers and developers themselves, who time announcements with marketing blitzes.
Some gamers can't wait that long to find out about new titles and do their own sleuthing, as evidenced by a rogue Blockbuster employee who scoured his employer's database for clues. Three pictures of a computer screen taken by a mobile phone appear to show three new games headed to the Xbox 360.
The trio of titles is a grab bag of Namco franchises, with the most interesting being Beautiful Katamari, a new game in the quirky Katamari Damacy franchise. There are also database entries for Warhammer: Mark of Chaos (previously released on the PC) and Ace Combat 6 (subtitle unclear). All are dated for release this fall.
Namco Bandai did not respond to requests for comment as of press time.
Namco has registered a trademark for the name "Beautiful Katamari Damacy," adding legitimacy to the Katamari picture. Porting PC games to the Xbox 360 has so far been proven to be relatively easy--a good sign for Warhammer fans who want to see Mark of Chaos on the 360. As for Ace Combat, a 360 version would be a coup of sorts, as the flight-combat series has almost exclusively taken off from Sony platforms.
It's not uncommon to see some retailers post new listings of expected sequels before an official announcement...but seeing this trio appear on a new platform certainly raises some eyebrows. Barring some crafty Photoshop work, this looks legit.
Bogus or not bogus?: Retailer info is hit and miss, but recently the hits have vastly outweighed the misses. We're going with not bogus
With thanks to diceone for the rather spiffy logo and as usual thanks to Soully and Martin for the webdesign and PHP, im glad to say that Visual Dev our Art and Design News Site for DCEmu is now open. The community of Artists at DCEmu gets bigger all the time and the Homebrew scene needs a decent Art and Design community to help those coding the programs we use everyday.
Now its time for Malksta and others to really push the Art and Design Community at DCEmu.
Tonight 2 more of our sites got revamped with the new network design. Both sites now have a much nicer look about them and with linkable newsposts with news archives and SEO on them (all helps google rankings etc)
Both sites also only carry news about the respective console, so no more network news will go through the sites.
Tetris, perhaps the most popular videogame in history, is evolving on Xbox 360. The classic series makes its debut on 360 this week with Tetris Evolution. Now shipping to stores, Evolution adds custom skins and new modes including "Go Low," "Eraser" and coop "Hotseat." Tetris Evo also enables up to four players to battle on a single 360 or online via Xbox Live.
The next Xbox 360 firmware update will bring more "integration and innovation", says Microsoft's Larry 'Major Nelson' Hryb.
The update details comes in the Major's latest podcast, in which the MS blogger says unlike PlayStation Home the Xbox 360 interface will always have games integrated into the experience.
"Our philosophy is that games are at the center of everything we do," he says. "Think about how Live works; the guide is always integrated, I can always view my messages, see who's online, cross-game invites across all games, leaderboards, achievement - all that kind of stuff.
"The new stuff we're bringing in Spring adds more functionality and integration," he promises. "We know you want to hear about it. Stay tuned".
Expectedly, no concrete details on the update are offered beyond Hryb's vague hint, leaving us to contemplate wildly over Microsoft's plans. Will MS follow in Sony's lead adding more "virtual world"-style interface features? Share your ideas in the comments below.
Mistwalker's Xbox 360 RPG Blue Dragon has been a big hit in Japan and us Europeans get to dive into its full delights this September.
However, we could well be getting to dip a toe a couple of months earlier, Mistwalker's Hironobu Sakaguchi telling GamesSpot in a recent interview that the studio is making a playable Blue Dragon demo "maybe for June or July" release on Xbox Live Marketplace.
It was additionally revealed that, for the US at least, there'll be download content pumped out over a five to six month period following Blue Dragon's release over there in August.
Hees Kyung, Microsoft's global product manager for Blue Dragon, has explained there'll be "a set of three [pieces of] downloadable content, the last of which is going to be a dungeon with a lot of randomized patterns. By randomized patterns, I mean each time you enter into the dungeon, you encounter a different environment, a set of new characters, and monsters.
"So there are eight-plus patterns that have actually been set for the dungeon. So it is a completely new experience, in addition to this great game that we have."
Kyung added that a new difficulty level of 'Impossible' is to be added too. "This is for the gamers who have completed the game, know the game backward and forward, and have their character's levels above 50 points. A lot of other bosses and new items appear in this impossible mode", GameSpot was told.
Konami's 2D action-adventure Castlevania: Symphony of Night is releasing on Xbox Live Arcade this week. All being well, you'll be able to download it as of 9am on March 21 here in Blighty, for 800 Microsoft Points.
In Symphony of Night you play Alucard, half-vampire son of Dracula, as he ventures into his father's castle and, well, goes a-actioning and adventuring - cue slaying monsters and stuff. The XBLA download features the original version of the game along with a visually enhanced edition - with modernized audio and sound effects! - plus there's new native widescreen and high-definition support and the ability to earn up to 12 Achievements and 200 Gamerscore points.
The Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II will be arriving in the States on April 3, with retailers - like this one - pointing to a slightly later release in Europe on April 6.
Considering the 6th is Good Friday, most people might not be able to get their hands on the 360 axe until April 10 when the shops re-open.
The Xbox 360 version of the game sports an entirely re-designed X-Plorer axe and there's also the suggestion of it having the most download content for any game on the console.
We've left an enquiry with the nice chaps at Activison and we'll let you know if they shed some official light on the UK date.
Microsoft has told CVG that it is "very happy with how Xbox 360 is performing in Europe" in response to earlier claims made by Reggie Fils-Aime that the console was underperforming.
Speaking about the Wii's competition, the Nintendo of America boss said: "360 is selling well only in one country: UK. Across the rest of Europe, it is not performing well."
But Microsoft disagrees, telling CVG: "We're very happy with how Xbox 360 is performing in Europe. We do not release figures by country, but we are on target to meet our goal of 12 million consoles sold worldwide by the end of June 2007, have sold more than 10.4 million consoles globally as of December 2006, and have built a global Xbox Live community of more than 6 million people.
After leaving the company to bring his RPG duo Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey to Xbox 360, Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi says that Square Enix should bring Final Fantasy to Microsoft's console.
The Mistwalker boss told Gamespot: "I feel that the Final Fantasy series should come to Xbox 360 as well. This is wise. It makes so much sense to me...it has so much potential in North America and in Europe. So there's a great chance for the series to succeed on 360 as well."
Continuing the chat Sakaguchi-san suggested that Square Enix could port its upcoming PS3 instalment Final Fantasy XIII to 360 fairly simply, because "they made the White Engine open platform".
To date Square Enix's support for the Xbox 360 has been fairly week. A port of the 11th Final Fantasy has so far been the only one of the company's titles to make it over, but with the current trend of cross-platform development we wouldn't rule out the idea of Final Fantasy XII on 360.
Sakaguhci's latest, Blue Dragon, was recently confirmed for European release in September, with talk of a demo in June emanating from the same interview.
Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime has stated that aside from the UK, Microsoft's Xbox 360 is not proving popular amongst European consumers.
Speaking in an interview with the San Jose Mercury News, Fils-Aime stated that the Wii is trouncing sales of its only next-gen rival in European territories.
"360 is selling well only in one country: UK," he said.
"Across the rest of Europe, it is not performing well. Wii on the other hand, is selling exceptionally well all through Europe."
Although Microsoft hasn't revealed specific sales figures for the Xbox 360 in Europe, the company is expecting to meet worldwide sales of around 12 million units by the end of June 2007.
The outspoken Nintendo boss also acknowledged that demand for the Wii has resulted in a lack of stock at retail, echoing similar comments made last week to GamesIndustry.biz by Nintendo's senior marketing director Laurent Fischer.
He also revealed that claims of damage to consumer's TVs from broken Wii straps are of "a remarkably small number".
Just when we thought we couldn't take it anymore .. the thought that the $130 Legendary Edition of Halo 3, -- in addition to being priced competitively with a real suit of MJOLNIR armor -- wouldn't include some content found on the cheaper (albeit still expensive) begins-with-an-ell Limited Edition was enough to make us throw our body off the nearest precipice and watch real life's rag-doll physics engine at work. Thankfully, Bungie's Frankie spotted us just in time and told us, in a calm, controlled, and possibly computerized, voice, "[you] will be pleased to know that [you] will not have to live without that content at all."
"Really?" I sniffled back, clearly eager for any excuse to step away from this impressively rendered ledge.
He nodded. "More on that later (some of the details are still being worked out), but it should be smiles and sunshine."
"You aren't just saying this because the inevitable negative press following our plummet would be crushing to the pre-blockbuster status of Halo 3? You're actually serious? Smiles and sunshine?"
"Seriously," Frankie said.
Phew. We're not sure what he means by any of this of course, we're just happy to hear that our little stunt didn't go unnoticed by the fatcats at Bungie Studios. So, is the Limited Edition's "fiction and art book" going to be included in the Legendary Edition? Maybe. We're gonna stay near the ledge just in case
features
Groundbreaking Visual Experience: The original Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter set the visual standard for next-gen consoles; Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 will take that achievement to a whole new level.
All-New Battlegrounds: For the first time ever, the Ghosts will defend U.S. soil from a cross-border attack, taking the fight to all-new locations.
Vastly Improved AI: AI is more challenging than ever.
Improved Cross-Com: The revolutionary Cross-Com feature has been upgraded for Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2.
Multiplayer Returns: The game that dominated the Xbox Live® online gaming service is back and it’s bigger and better than ever before. Additional details to follow…
description
The award-winning original next-generation killer app returns with Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter™ 2. The Ghosts are back!
It’s 2014, and the soldier of the future returns to encounter a new and more imminent threat along the recently completed wall on the U.S./Mexico border. The Ghosts are more powerful, with an upgraded Integrated Warfighter System (IWS) but will have only 72 hours to assess the threat and stop the rebels from reaching U.S. soil. With a border that’s 1,900 miles long and an enemy that doesn’t play by the rules, this is a job for the U.S. military’s most elite fighting unit. This is a job for the Ghosts.
Capcom has annouced today via this press release, that Devil May Cry will be released on the Xbox 360 as well as the PS3, adding another high profile PS3 "exclusive" the the Xbox 360!
Also they will released simultaneously for the PS3 and Xbox 360.
XeLL is the Xenon Linux Loader. It's a second-stage bootloader and is usually run by an exploit. The method of booting this is not a part of this project. XeLL catches CPU threads, sets them up (basically setting HRMOR to zero), loads an ELF file from either network (tftp) or CDROM, and launches it. It also contains a flat device tree for linux. cdrom.c includes a very simple ISO9660 parser, which tries to boot the file named ""vmlinux".
lwIP (http://www.sics.se/~adam/lwip/) is used for networking. Network config is currently hardcoded in network.c (and main.c). XeLL also contains a HTTP server. It is not really used. XeLL is licensed under the GPL v2, and no other version. Xenon-specific stuff of XeLL was written by Felix Domke , other parts where taken from other free sourcecodes. No non-free hardware documentation was used for developing XeLL. XeLL is in a very early stage, but is (most of the time) fully working
Grab it here- Keep in mind these sources will need to be compiled before they are ran on your xbox360.
Kindly place your wallets, purses, jewellery and all other valuables in the swag bag as Codemasters announces HEI$T – an all-new job pullin', bank robbin' action-driving game set in a gritty San Francisco, circa 1969.
Currently in development at inXile Entertainment (The Bard's Tale, 2004), HEI$T has gamers taking charge of a group of renegade criminals as they rob, steal and shoot their way throughout the city, all the while their sights set on the big score: taking the San Francisco Mint. HEI$T is expected to ship Q4 2007, for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
It's 1969, the summer of love in San Francisco. Enter Johnny Sutton, fresh out of jail and a descendant from a long line of big-time thieves, including his father who was gunned down during a job some years back. Playing as Johnny, and together with his Uncle Sal and reunited crew, players are set pull off dozens of heists that will inevitably make a name for him as the greatest bank robber of all time.
In addition to knocking off banks, each with their own set security precautions, throughout the city, players will be highly motivated to pull off further jobs. These include raiding bars, restaurants, strip clubs, armoured cars, and more in order to acquire the bigger and better tools needed to penetrate the increasingly more difficult banks.
And what great bank robbery is complete without ending in a hot pursuit police chase? After each hit, HEI$T will challenge players to make a quick getaway, speeding and screeching through the streets of San Francisco as the cops trail inches behind. The Fuzz will do everything within their means to prevent the great escape; they will bump and ram, form barricades, and attempt to force PIT maneuvers to spin the getaway vehicle out of control – always trying to keep civilian losses to a minimum of course.
"We designed HEI$T so that players feel like a part of the best robberies and car chases from classic movies," states Maxx Kaufman, Creative Director at inXile Entertainment. "Everything from the different types of jobs to pull and the reckless pursuits by the police through the streets of San Francisco, to the sarcastic banter back and forth between the members of the crew, gives HEI$T the action and style of the great attitude and rock-driven films of the 60's."
Armored Core 4 is now available as Xbox360™ Japanese release version at US$ 69.90 only. The game is also available for PlayStation3™ (Japanese / Asia). The Armored Core 4 Original Soundtrack is in stock at US$ 21.90. US release versions (Xbox360™ / PlayStation3™) will follow later this month.
Game features:
* Multiplayer functionality allows up to eight players to battle online.
* Join one of six factions specializing in different aspects of battle.
* 30 missions played out in detailed futuristic 3D environments.
* Fly through canyons and rip through cities battling multiple enemies.
* Deploy "Quick Boost" and "Over Boost" features for precise explosive movement and precision control of AC units.
* Engage "Primal Armor" the all-new defense shield that adjusts its strength according to specific battle conditions.
EA's UEFA Championships League 2006-2007 for Xbox360™ is shipping today as English language NTSC/J encoded release version at US$ 44.90 only.
Game features:
* Ultimate Team Mode: Build your Ultimate Team by collecting player, staff and gameplay virtual cards then foster Team Chemistry through effectively organising your squad.
* Take on the World's Best: For the greatest rewards, put your managerial ability and your mastery of the pitch to the test by playing and trading online.
* UEFA Champions League Challenge: Recreate and reshape the greatest moments of UEFA Champions League history.
* UEFA Champions League Tournament: Recreate or customise the real-world groupings of the official UEFA Champions League tournament, then lead your team out of the group stages and on to continental glory.
* The Lounge: Invite up to seven friends into Lounge mode to battle for Euro-supremacy. Use Lounge cards to shoot your Ultimate Team to a top-of-the-leaderboard finish and unlock a stack of rewards.
This month's Game Informer says that a black Xbox 360 with larger 120GB hard drive, HDMI output and an HDMI cable will retail for approximately US $479. It does not include HD-DVD playback. A well-placed source at Microsoft tells GI that the reason is because the "format's not proven." Then again, neither is this rumor. And if this is in fact an April Fool's Joke, we've got two words: Not funny.Black Xbox 360 Is Coming
Ed's Note: Matt Helgeson, senior editor over at Game Informer, just dropped us a line to let us know that the story is in fact true. As a rule they don't post fake news stories in their April mag. So go celebrate.
* First of all, the black Xbox 360 will be officially known as the Xbox 360 Elite.
* The Elite will be manufactured in limited quantities, possibly a few hundred thousand.
* Everything included with the unit will be black, including the case, controller, and Live headset. The packaging will be new as well.
* The Elite will cost $479 and will be sold alongside Premium and Core packs.
* Eventually, a white version of the Elite will replace Xbox 360 Premium packs. Presumably, this will happen shortly after the Elite is sold out. Once this happens, Premiums will include the 120 GB HDD and HDMI.
* There is no solid date for the Elite-to-Premium transition, though it is estimated to happen late summer or early fall.
* The Elite runs cooler than the current Premium, but it is unknown if it takes advantage of 65nm chips.
* Prices could remain the same when Premiums convert to 120GB/HDMI, but a price cut may still occur once the 65nm chips are implemented.
* The HD-DVD player will definitely not be bundled with the Elite and Microsoft stands by its claim that it has no plans to ever integrate an HD-DVD drive into the Xbox 360.
* There are no plans to integrate WiFi into the Elite or future Premium packs.
Namco Bandai's Ace Combat series has all ways been a exclusive for Sony consoles, but now this is the first time the series will appear on a non-Sony platform.
Graphically what we've seen so far of Halo 3 hasn't exactly blown our socks off, but according to Bungie's latest community update the more-complete version of the game has improved leaps and bounds visually, and is looking "amazing".
"The exteriors still needed some polish, but sweet crimeny Christmas. It looked amazing," the update reads, describing a more complete Halo 3 campaign stage, which apparently has "lit, shader effects, proper detail, atmospherics" and "audio" up and running.
"Last week I talked about how we were adding all this hyper realistic stuff, while still trying to keep it true to the look and feel of Halo," the post continues. "The evolution of those ideas is that some of the test screenshots we took for an internal presentation, looked exactly like their concept paintings. Not just in terms of scale or detail, but the actual color palette. It's rich and vivid and full of life."
"As a matter of fact, we ran the screens back to back with concept paintings, and sometimes you had to blink to distinguish," Bungie claims.
The update goes on to admit that there's still plenty of optimization to be done, and while there's realistic-looking scenery the 360 sequel still has the Halo look
"The graphics have a painterly quality, sure, but this is more to do with the impression they leave you than the details," the update reads. "A game's a game's a game. We're not going cel shaded or oil painting-y."
New instalments in Namco Bandai's much-loved Katamari Damacy and Ace Combat series along with a port of PC RTS Warhammer: Mark of Chaos are coming to Xbox 360, internet reports claim.
The initial report comes from an alleged photograph of a Blockbuster Video computer terminal listing the inevitable Ace Combat 6, "Beautiful Katamari" and Mark of Chaos for Microsoft's console.
Adding weight to the rumour is a recent trademark Namco Bandai filed for the name Beautiful Katamari in January. In a recent blog post licensed Katamari merchandise company Panic Software also discusses the series' future.
This is also not the first time CVG has heard rummagings of a future Warhammer: Mark of Chaos console port, either.
When we picked up the phone Namco Bandai expectedly told us it has nothing new to announce regarding future titles, though we reckon there's a good chance we could see these three crop-up on a release list sometime soon.
Captain Jack Sparrow is making a return to videogaming in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, a new adventure based on the upcoming film of the same name, and the previous film, Dead Man's Chest.
Players will hack and slash their way through scenes and event from both films playing as good guys, Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann.
The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions will apparently feature "innovative duelling controls", whatever than means, while the Wii version will allow for some Remote-waving, sword fighting action.
At World's End is due out on PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, PSP, PS2, and DS on May 22 in the US, with a UK release expected to follow shortly after.
Rockstar's PS2 version of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories has jumped to the top of the UK all-formats chart, helped by a budget price that has seen sales leap by over 35 per cent in the past week.
With only 200 units between them, the latest port of a PSP title has managed to knock Ubisoft's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 off the top spot after only one week, to number two.
Square Enix's Final Fantasy XII for the PS2 also drops one place to number three, with Sega's Sonic and the Secret Rings at number four and EA's Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 at number five.
RealTime Worlds' new Xbox 360 IP Crackdown sits at number six, just ahead of a re-entry by Atari's Test Drive Unlimited, following a release on PSP and PlayStation 2.
Electronic Arts' FIFA 07 is also bumped down the charts to number eight, with expansion pack The Sims 2: Seasons at number nine and Dr Kawashima's Brain Training at number ten.
This week's new entries are Disney Interactive's Spectrobes for the DS at number 23 and EA's SSX Blur for the Wii at number 28.
With games being a prime target of film studio execs for source material, it was only a matter of time before Epic Games' Xbox 360 hit Gears of War began its walk down the road to becoming a movie.
Coming to a theater near you?
Variety is reporting today that New Line Cinema has acquired the movie rights to Gears of War. Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey will produce the film, which is being written by Stuart Beattie (Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Collateral). No more details of the movie have been released, including crew and release date.
Gears of War, published by Microsoft Game Studios, has won several Game of the Year awards since its release last November. As of mid-January, the game had sold more than 3 million units worldwide.
The next task for the film is to actually get made. Several high-profile movies based on games are still in limbo but slowly moving forward, with Sony working on bringing Metal Gear Solid to the big screen, Jerry Bruckheimer bringing his brand of action to Prince of Persia, and Warner Bros. affiliate Legendary Pictures working on a World of Warcraft movie. Others, such as the big-budget endeavor to bring Halo to the cineplex, have stalled completely.
Microsoft was unavailable for comment as of press time.
Sony PSP™:
Bomberman Land Portable JPN US$ 48.90
Bomberman Land Portable ASIA US$ 39.90
Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary JPN US$ 48.90
Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary ASIA US$ 39.90
Nintendo DS™:
Bomberman Story DS JPN US$ 48.90
Dragon Ball Z: Harukanaru Goku Densetsu JPN US$ 48.90
Front Mission: The First JPN US$ 48.90
Negima!? Chou Maho Ryou Taisen Check-In Zenin Shuugou! JPN US$ 48.90
Pocket Monster Diamond & Pearl Nintendo DS Card Case JPN US$ 7.99
PC Games:
Europa Universalis III ASIA US$ 34.90
Maelstrom (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 34.90
The Mark (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 29.90
The Sacred Rings ASIA US$ 29.90
New toy releases:
Mon-Sieur Bome Collection Vol.16: Oni-Musume She Devil Version 3 (White Colour Ver.) JPN US$ 44.90
Pocket Monster Diamond & Pearl Plush Doll Vol. 2: Type A JPN US$ 10.90
Pocket Monster Diamond & Pearl Plush Doll Vol. 2: Type B JPN US$ 10.90
Pocket Monster Diamond & Pearl Plush Doll Vol. 2: Type C JPN US$ 10.90
Pocket Monster Diamond & Pearl Plush Doll Vol. 2: Type D JPN US$ 10.90
Pocket Monster Diamond & Pearl Plush Doll Vol. 2: Type E JPN US$ 10.90
Tamagotchi Connection Version 4 (Pink) ASIA US$ 19.90
Tamagotchi Connection Version 4 (Red) ASIA US$ 19.90
Online gaming forums are buzzing with reports that Xbox Live accounts linked to Microsoft's Windows Live ID service are being hijacked by malicious hackers.
Kevin Finisterre, a security researcher at Digital Munition, raised the issue on the Full Disclosure mailing list over the weekend, calling attention to rumors that Microsoft's Bungie.net was the victim of a breach that exposed a portion of Xbox Live.
"Some folks are having their Microsoft points stolen and or points purchased via their stolen gamer tag," Finisterre said.
On Monday, Take-Two announced that it was delaying its annual meeting as a result of major shareholders requesting that CEO Paul Eibeler step down. The company delayed the meeting in order to come up with alternative solutions, with the most likely alternative being to sell the company. A trustworthy source from Rockstar Vancouver has told WorthPlaying that Microsoft may have already put in a bid to purchase the company (or at least expressed interest in doing so). With Take-Two in tow, Microsoft would own Grand Theft Auto, one of the most successful franchises in the industry. While this is a rumor of the highest order, the possibility is certainly intriguing.
There has been a lot of buzz around the tubes, that MS might be interested, or may have made an offer on troubled Take Two, but according to Microsoft's Shame Kim in this CNN article, it's not very likely:
One company that says it's not in the running is Microsoft. Because today's independent publishers are platform agnostic - that is to say, they build games for all major systems - taking over one would result in a massive revenue loss for Microsoft, as all development would be redirected toward the Xbox 360.
"We could never launch an acquisition bid at a third party publisher," said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft (Charts) Game Studios.
It appears that reports of a systemic hack of Bungie.net to obtain a slew of Xbox Live accounts may be blown out of proportion.
Microsoft sent their official response to this morning's story to me just a bit ago:
"Recently, there have been reports of fraudulent activity and account theft taking place on the Xbox LIVE network. Security is a top priority for Xbox LIVE, and we are actively investigating all reports of fraudulent behavior and theft. Any customer with a question about the security of their Xbox LIVE account should contact 1-800-4-MY-Xbox, and an Xbox Customer Service Representative will help them understand our security policies and procedures."
A Microsoft rep went on to tell me that while they are investigating the concerns, they have not found any security breach of Bungie.net or Xbox Live accounts.
These are the first screens of Ubisoft's new Surf's Up game, based on the Sony-produced CG animation film of the same name.
The typically bonkers plot follows the story of a penguin named Cody who leaves home and sets up a new life on sunny beaches to chase his dream of becoming a professional surfer.
The game will focus on the surfing side of things, giving you control of ten different characters from the film and throwing you out to sea to ride the waves.
You will have to perform stunts and tricks and master surfing inside a 'tube' to impress onlookers and become the champion of Reggie Belafonte Big Z Memorial Surf Off... apparently.
Different environments, from "the calm water of Shiverpool" to the "explosive waters of the volcano area" will no doubt offer changing surfing conditions new challenges, and seeing these screens, it actually looks quite nice too.
Surfs Up is due for release on September 27 for PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, Wii, PSP, DS, PC and even GBA and GameCube. Are you sure you haven't missed any, Ubisoft? How about Dreamcast?... Super NES, maybe?
It's only nine days now to the launch of Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars on PC, and to whip you into a frothy lather of anticipation four new screenshots have been released.
Xbox 360 isn't missing out today either, EA unleashing four fresh shots from C&C3's console outing. Tiberium Wars on Microsoft's console is expected later in the year. Enjoy the screens.
Following last week's game sales figures, industry-research firm NPD Funworld has released sales rankings for the month of February. As previously reported, the month's top title was Crackdown. The Xbox 360 free-roaming title benefited from good word of mouth and being bundled with a chance to join the Halo 3 beta, selling 427,000 copies in the 11 days after its February 20 release. Other 360 games in the top 10 included Gears of War (sixth place with 119,000 copies sold), Major League Baseball 2K7 (seventh with 113,000 units), Lost Planet (eighth, 111,000 units), and NBA Street Homecourt (101,000 units, 10th place).
Nintendo also made a big splash on the February charts, owning four of the top 10 game slots. The Mario Factory's top game was Wii Play, which sold 371,000 units despite middling reviews--thanks to it being bundled with an extra Wii Remote. Behind it was the even less favorably reviewed Diddy Kong Racing for the DS, trailed by the still-popular Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii. WarioWare: Smooth Moves also cracked the top 10 with a 109,000-unit ninth-place finish.
Sony didn't fare quite as well as its competitors. The Guitar Hero II phenomenon continued to rock on, moving 130,000 copies on the PlayStation 2. Three other titles for the venerable console cracked the top 20: Madden NFL 07 (14th), MLB '07: the Show (17th), and the now-budget-priced God of War (18th). Once again, the bestselling PlayStation 3 game was Resistance: Fall of Man, which overran 16th place with over 70,000 units sold. To date, the game has topped over a half million copies in the US, generating just under $30 million.
On the February PC charts, the song remained largely the same. For the second month in a row, World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade was the bestselling PC game in the US. However, its margin of victory was much less lopsided that the month before. Instead of selling 1.4 million copies domestically, the expansion pack sold a much more modest 141,000 units, just ahead of the original World of Warcraft.
Though WOW's perennial nemesis The Sims 2 and its expansions were well-represented, several new titles also made their way onto the PC charts. THQ's Supreme Commander finished in fourth place, just ahead of the $9.99 budget-game collection 3333 XP Games JC. Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, Sony Online Entertainment's new massively multiplayer online role-playing game, also did well, landing in 10th place. .
You kids today think you've got it so good. But ya don't! Back in my day, there was only one dominant system, and we bought all the crappy games that came out for it, and that's the way we liked it, dagnabbit!
Now you got all sorts of different systems clogging up your fancy-schmancy entertainment center, and what's worse, publishers are coming out with the same game for all of 'em. The last Madden game came out on 11 different systems, for Pete's sake!
You might think it's better to have a choice, but it's not! Now ya gotta choose between the fancy graphics on the PS3, the online features on the Xbox 360 and the swishy control scheme of the Wii. Things ain't looking so good now that you got that decision staring you in the face, eh sonny boy?
Even the portable versions are getting a second look these days. Back in my day, portable versions knew their place as the neglected, pixelated, black-and-white cousins to their console superiors. Now these upstarts are rivaling or even bettering their rightful console masters. What's the world coming to!
Hey, don't walk away while I'm ranting at'chya. I need someone to drive me to the pharmacy to get my pills. Come back here and listen to me tell you how bad things are, consarnit!
Microsoft has responded to reports that Bungie.net has been hacked leading to hijacking on Xbox Live accounts, saying its found no evidence of compromise on security.
"Despite some recent reports and speculation, I want to reassure all of our 6 million Xbox Live members that we have looked into the situation and found no evidence of any compromise of the security of the Xbox Live Network or Bungie.net", Microsoft's Major Nelson has posted in his blog.
"There have been a few isolated incidents where malicious users have been attempting to draw personal information from unsuspecting users and use it to gain access to their LIVE account", he continued, adding, "This is a good time to remind our members that they should never give out any of their personal information."
"Hope that clears things up", Major Nelson concluded.
Microsoft and From Software have released the first screenshots of Tenchu Z for Xbox 360, which show two samurai-types posing with a corpse.
The eighth game in the series lets you build up your own character from scratch and bolster your skills as you go about your ninja business. There's also 4-player co-op over Xbox Live as well as the promise of over 50 missions in the single-player campaign, which should keep you busy.
Z is currently being touted for release in May. We'll let you know how it turns out.
The third instalment in Lucasarts' money-raking Star Wars Battlefront series will be exclusive to Xbox 360, claims CVG sister mag PSW.
Battlefront 3 is currently being developed by TimeSplitters studio Free Radical, as CVG exclusively revealed last September.
Speaking to CVG last year, director at Free Radical Steve Ellis said of the game: "This is a project we are very excited to have been given the opportunity to work on. It will be awesome."
We've approached PSW's corner of the office with the CVG harpoon, but unfortunately they erm, don't seem to be there today. They must be in the PS3 queues...
Considering Battlefront's importance to Lucasarts (it is the highest selling Star Wars game series after all) we don't fancy the chances of it cropping up as an Xbox 360 exclusive. Still, we'll let you know when those pesky PSW blokes get back to their desks and we grill them using our Jack Bauer interrogation skills.
The Blu-ray versus HD DVD battle is in full flow and Microsoft has said that whatever format wins the war, it will support it.
An article on the BBC website about the looming PS3 launch included a few choice quotes from Neil Thompson, head of Xbox in the UK. "The Xbox 360 offers a better gaming experience than PS3 for £150 less," he said. "The only debate is if you want to watch Blu-ray movies and pay the extra money for that feature. We prefer to offer the consumer choice."
Thompson isn't concerned about which format will or won't come out on top a few years down the line, adding, "Whatever format wins it is highly likely we will offer a solution."
HDfury is a revolutionnary product that allows you to use in full resolution (1080p) any HDMI/DVI device on PC monitor, video projector or older HDTV/Plasma that are without a HDMI entry!
If you own a high quality monitor/projector/tv that does not have a HDMI connector you need this device, it will save you from buying a new expensive screen to enjoy 1080p resolution when your screen can already support it!
What is HDfury ?
HDfury is a tiny external addon card/adapter that you can hook up on any RGB display through its SUB-D HD15 Female Input.
Once screwed, it becomes a "part of the display" itself and will permanently perform an outstanding HDCP modification. Therefor, you can connect any HDMI source in Full HD 1080p to your now "enhanced" display hooked up with HDfury module !
Why do i need HD(720p) or Full HD(1080p) ?
Well, you don't need it. But you may want it !
HD-DVD players, Blu-Ray players, HDMI graphic card, PS3, all of them are able to unleash their true potential (720p/1080p mode) only through HDMI output.
If you want a valid ticket for the Full HD world you either need a compatible display(with HDMI input) or a solution for your existing display.
Why do i need a HDCP compliant display ?
HDMI is a new standard that comes with hardware protection called HDCP.
If your display don't have a HDMI input you won't be able to display 720p/1080p signal on it (from HDMI sources)
Prior to exchange Data Video, HDMI source is exchanging keys with HDMI display.
Both have a special HDCP chip embedded. If your display doesn't have it, even if it's technically able to display 720p or 1080p signal, it will display a BLACK SCREEN.
On Playstation3, 1080p mode is only available through HDMI output !
What can i do if my display is not HDCP compliant ?
You can buy a new display with HDMI input or use a HDCP stripper/converter box
They will extend video link to a "man-in-the-middle" device which will remove HDCP protection and output Analog RGB
Some issues with those HDCP stripper/converter box are the following:
- They need extra wires, such as Power Supply, extra analog cable.
- Most of the time, switchs or settings need to be tweaked.
- Quality is limited and restricted because of longer analog link (need of VGA analog cable)
- They are not compliant to HDCP rules as they allow easy acces to decrypted analog video.
What are the advantages of using HDfury ?
HDfury is the world first device that you can directly screw on your display.
Unlike HDCP stripper solution on the market HDfury is compliant to HDCP rules it does not allow and end-user easy access to analog decrypted signal.
Shortest Analog Link as possible also ensure Highest Video Quality as possible !
Alu and Gold platted materials,
It can be used and sold legally to transform any RGB display into a HDCP compliant display.
It does not require external power supply to operate
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!
Thanks to the Talismoon Evolve 360 controller faceplate range, you can now take the customization of Microsoft's next generation gaming machine to a new level! The Evolve 360 controller faceplate features everything you need for some serious fine tuning of your controller in one complete package. Talismoon Evolve 360 plates do not only shine with vibrancy but also through a unique combination of plastic construction provide a reinforced shell for increased resistance and a longer life.
Ultra-gloss finish is the result of meticulous handling throughout the production process, to the point where the final customer is the first person to actually touch the finished product.
Right from the beginning the Xbox 360 is all about customization; now it's time do this prophecy justice with Talismoon Evolve 360 controller faceplates!
We can't guarantee that any black Xboxen from here until the launch of the Xbox 360 Elite won't just be shots of the original 360 dev kit that was sent around, but we've already got our first batch of "confirmada" Elite pics that sprung up. Let's be honest here -- the only thing that's gonna be different is the black plastic (which we've been seeing for a while) and some new box art. The real and important differences, friends, will be under the hood, and it's those things we're stoked to find out more about.
Update: Our trusted source that confirmed the Elite let us know that these shots are quite fishy; they don't have the same plastics details as the real Elite, nor does the retail box match up. Sorry folks, chalk this one up to the usual group of bored, fanatical photoshoppers.
Yesterday the series of tubes that is the internets was abuzz with news that Ace Combat 6 would be appearing on 360. Today we can confirm that news, and the US release is currently slated for some time this fall (we'll bet it's the holiday, what do you think?). More important than that old news, however, are the first screens of the game in action, available up there on the Images tab.
You've probably read a bit on various websites about Ace's "Dynamic Operation System" and the confirmed Xbox Live play with global rankings, but so far details on the game's "Allied Support System" have yet to be mentioned. We'll have more on that on April 2nd, when we kick off a weeklong look at Fires of Liberation and the entire Ace Combat series. Hands-on reports, interviews, developer retrospectives, we'll have it all. But, for right now, if we had to gush just one moment of pure joy from this game, it's all about vapor trails. Oh man, the trails. Seriously.
This Friday you'll have plenty of ways to show your Ace love by hitting Xbox Live Marketplace and downloading icons, art and concept art for your dashboard. Namco's official announcement states that the European release will be revealed at a later time.
Don't let anyone else fool you; this is the reason we do what we do - free beer, and lots of it.
Wheeled into our office this afternoon by a special ops team of beer couriers was this £146 pile of Fosters on behalf of one Microsoft Corporation. Was it because of our gushing GDC coverage? No, apparently MS has a more specific reason for its generous gift.
"What would you purchase for £146...? (The price difference between an Xbox 360 and a PlayStaion 3)", asks the included Xbox 360-headed notice. "Well, for a start we thought you might like £146 worth of beer to kick start your weekend early."
Signed, "Jump in. Xbox 360. The Leader in the next generation of gaming and entertainment."
Sony - we need £146 worth of pork scratchings and kebabs. PRONTO!
Screenshots in source link above or here. Leave feedback via comments.
Just yesterday while hanging out at the local GameStop, we were wondering how Microsoft would be handling data transfer between the old 20GB drive and the new 120GB drive in the Black 360, and now Ben from Ars Technica may have stumbled upon the answer. He received an anonymous tip from someone claiming to work for a large game distributor.
MS disclosed this SKU to us a few weeks ago--definitely not a fake story. Price, features, color are all correct. MS has told us that the data will be transferred via some sort of cable that will be included with the unit. The cable will also be included w/ the 120GB drive that will be sold separately (price TBD).
While only an unconfirmed rumor, I'd say this is as close to a sure thing as rumor can get. Microsoft would be daft to sell an upgraded hard drive with no way to move your old data over. A transfer cable makes perfect sense here. It's pretty much that or transferring data via the pricey 360 memory cards, and Microsoft would never make users spend extra money *cough* Xbox DVD dongle *cough* to facilitate functionality that should by all rights be included in the price.
Play Asia have posted all of this weeks releases as a reminder if any of you dont have them, best release of the week for wraggy was Theme Park DS which i can say i brought the US Version the minute it was on sale
Heres the list of releases across all systems:
Xbox360™:
Armored Core 4 JPN US$ 69.90
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (Platinum Hits) ASIA US$ 24.90
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 US US$ 59.90
Tomb Raider: Legend (Classics) ASIA US$ 24.90
UEFA Championships League 2006-2007 ASIA US$ 44.90
PlayStation3™:
Bluetooth Wireless Headset US$ 29.90
College Hoops 2K7 US US$ 64.90
Love Adventure Love x 2 Kiss JPN US$ 37.90
Mist of Chaos JPN US$ 64.90
NBA Street Homecourt US US$ 59.90
Nintendo Wii™:
Cars JPN US$ 59.90
Puzzle Collection Vol.1: Sudoku JPN US$ 39.90
Sangokushi XI with Power-Up Kit JPN US$ 95.00
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 US US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™:
Brothers In Arms: Earned In Blood (Ubisoft Best) JPN US$ 34.90
God of War II US US$ 59.90
Musou Orochi JPN US$ 64.90
Musou Orochi [Super Premium Pack] JPN US$ 139.90
Musou Orochi [Treasure Box] JPN N/A
Pachinko Kaou: Misora Hibari JPN US$ 64.90
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (Ubisoft Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary JPN US$ 49.90
Rogue Galaxy Director's Cut JPN US$ 39.90
Rozen Maiden: Geppetto Garden JPN US$ 64.90
Rozen Maiden: Geppetto Garden [Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Sangokushi XI with Power-Up Kit JPN US$ 95.00
Shinki Gensou Spectral Souls II (IF Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
The Godfather JPN US$ 64.90
Nintendo DS™:
Bomberman Story DS JPN US$ 48.90
Crayon Shin-Chan DS: Arashi wo Yobu Nutte Crayoon Daisakusen! JPN US$ 48.90
Custom Robo Arena US US$ 39.90
Dragon Ball Z Screenguard & Sticker Set Vol.1 US$ 6.99
Dragon Ball Z Screenguard & Sticker Set Vol.2 US$ 6.99
Dragon Ball Z Soft Pouch - Bikoro Version US$ 8.90
Dragon Ball Z Soft Pouch - Capsule Corp. Version US$ 8.90
Dragon Ball Z Soft Pouch - Kamesen Version US$ 8.90
Dragon Ball Z: Harukanaru Goku Densetsu JPN US$ 48.90
Front Mission: The First JPN US$ 48.90
Keisan DS Training JPN US$ 39.90
Keroro Gunsou Screenguard & Sticker Set - Giroro Version US$ 6.99
Keroro Gunsou Screenguard & Sticker Set - Keroro Version US$ 6.99
Keroro Gunsou Soft Pouch - Giroro Style US$ 8.90
Keroro Gunsou Soft Pouch - Keroro Style US$ 8.90
Mind Quiz: Your Brain Coach US US$ 24.90
Negima!? Chou Maho Ryou Taisen Check-In Zenin Shuugou! JPN US$ 48.90
Pocket Monster Diamond & Pearl Nintendo DS Card Case JPN US$ 7.99
Protective Cover & Touch Pen DS Lite (Animal Crossing Style) US$ 13.90
Quick Spot US US$ 24.90
Rayman Raving Rabbids ASIA US$ 29.90
Rayman Raving Rabbids US US$ 34.90
Theme Park US US$ 34.90
Sony PSP™:
An Idol and a Baseball Fist (GBT the Best) JPN US$ 14.90
Bomberman Land Portable ASIA US$ 39.90
Bomberman Land Portable JPN US$ 48.90
Call of Duty: Roads to Victory US US$ 39.90
Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary ASIA US$ 39.90
Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary JPN US$ 48.90
Sangokushi VIII JPN US$ 48.90
Sangokushi VIII [All in Guard w/ PSP Console] JPN N/A
PC Games:
Europa Universalis III ASIA US$ 34.90
Maelstrom (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 34.90
Silverfall (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 29.90
The Mark (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 29.90
The Sacred Rings ASIA US$ 29.90
Misc:
WiFi MAX (Multi Version) US$ 34.90
Guide Books:
Def Jam Icon Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 16.90
God of War II Limited Edition Strategy Guide US US$ 29.90
God of War II Signature Series Guide US US$ 19.90
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories Official Strategy Guide (PS2 Version) US US$ 16.90
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 16.90
A major new modchip has been announced that works on
PS3
Nintendo Wii
Xbox 360
PS2
Yep weird eh,
SPREAD THE WORD
Heres the info
InFeCtuS is the first versatile modchip ever released in the market, created to work with many different consoles. InFeCtuS will give you access to so many features that it's impossible to describe them all today, some are still in development and more will come in the future, just stay tuned on www.infectus.biz
We developed this modchip with an OPEN concept, we use a CORE reprogrammable, a 512kb flash on board and an USB interface for the PC communication.
The hardware has a very HIGH QUALITY component design:
The core of INFECTUS is the new ACTEL ProASIC3 FAMILY, the new family after the famous APA075 used in the past in many PS2 projects.
We used a 512Kb parallel flash SSTSF040, with a high transfer rate and performance.
Finally, we have got a REAL USB2.0 processor. This high quality component can manage the communication between ACTEL and PC (mini usb connector).
All of the chip PLD/FLASH/USB parts are 100% reprogrammable via USB communication.
For security reasons, all of the applications stored in the flash are AES 128-bit encrypted, to protect our work against chinese market!
The project is produced in Europe with the last technology of BSDL testing.
Being InFeCtuS so versatile, we want to show you at least a little part of its features, ordered by console.
XBOX360 SUPPORT:
Allows to gain total access over the XBOX360 flash driver, so that you can read and write the internal flash of any X360 DVD READER in the market.
Everything can be managed with a very simple and user friendly PC software.
FLASH ID realtime patching, your xbox360 cannot understand if there is any flash running other than the original one.
GLOBE MODCHIP 360 100% emulation including ON / OFF LED
NME 1.2 firmware emulation (at work 80% finished). Allow you to install the chip with few wires like NME.
PS3 SUPPORT:
The first work to be done is to allow our users to flash directly the PS3 BIOS by USB. So no more problem with firmwares, you can install everything you want, when you want. All the complications due to firmware versions that cannot be downgraded will not bother you anymore.
This solution will be released in the next 4 weeks!
Another new feature that we want to add is a REAL TIME patching of the firmware part that you want to be emulated from the chip. Being the 512Kb flash not enough to store a real dual firmware, we'll have to wait for the first hacked firmware to understand if a "realtime" patching will be possible. In case we won't be able to find more ideas, a new version of Infectus with a memory expantion bay will be released.
PS2 SUPPORT:
Complete O2 MODCHIP emulation 100% with all functionalities (www.o2mod.com) - Included for FREE
REMEMBER THAT O2 MOD IS THE ONLY ONE IN THE MARKET WITH "DNAS PATCH" AVAIABLE!!! DNAS PATCH IS NECESSARY TO HAVEN'T PROBLEMS IN ONLINE GAMING
WII SUPPORT:
Of course this is a free "bonus" in this mod because, we know, most of You wouldn't install such a big and expensive chip on a WII, but being it free... it's a good chance!
WIIKEY / WIIFREE EMULATION: (under developement - 80% ready). This feature will allow you to play just everything you want on your WII.
SOFTWARE MANAGEMENT:
The possibility to manage the features using an easy software is one of the BIG advantages of this modchip solution!
WIZARD help for the users: you will simply follow software's instruction step by step, everyone would be able to install and manage the INFECTUS MOD.
When you will be ready to install INFECTUS on a DVD DRIVE 078 XBOX360 FIRMWARE, the software will assist you with a 100% automated extraction of the key and the patch of new firmware.
WIZARD configuration based on XML for an automatical update of last firmwares.
X360 FIRMWARE checksum, the software will tell you if you are actually using the correct firmware (this feature is only available in WIZARD procedure)
HELP section to allow an easy searching of X360 firmwares
Guy: Can you stop the clip for a second?
Guy: There's an event that's happening right now...
Guy: There's a Xbox 360 boat that's passing us right now.
Guy: There was already a small war over this.
Guy: So Microsoft likes pulling tricks like this. Oh course Microsoft and Sony like pulling tricks on eachother like this.
Guy: A couple months ago, a couple years ago when Sony was trying to launch the PSP, Microsoft bought a "laverie" that said "Just wait for the Xbox 360, keep your money" and all that.
Guy: This is crazy
Guy: Oh yeah, they're coming out with a new Xbox 360... It's black. It's codename is Xbox 360 Zephir.
Guy: They're totally crazy for doing this!
Guy: Oh yes.
Also in Sony's Virgin Megastore London launch, in England, MS men were giving out chairs to people queuing for the PS3, with the words "Shouldn't have kept you waiting" with a URL, www.shkyw.org written on them
So says the Major. Next Tuesday (March 27), between midnight and 2:00pm Pacific Time (in the US), Xbox Live will be down for maintenance. So will Xbox.com and the Xbox forums, but...meh. Fourteen hours is a long time. Better start stocking up on provisions. Or you could dust off that singleplayer campaign you've been neglecting for months. Or...you could go outside.
Oh, and before you get your hopes up, no, this isn't a dashboard update, so untwist those knickers. Stat.
So, it's Friday, which means gamers everywhere are planning their weekends. They're deciphering strategies that will help them maximize play time while minimizing trips to the bathroom, time spent with spouses and significant others, and responsibility in general. Frankly we've got so many non-played games, we'll be doing our best to catch up (poor Oblivion hardly ever gets any time at all).
But, we have something important to say, and now is as good a time as any. You may have heard that the NDA on the Shadowrun recently went kaput. As such, anyone involved in the beta (i.e. us) can say whatever they want about it. So, here it is: Shadowrun is fun. It's really fun. If you dig strategical, team-based shooters, you should like Shadowrun. There, that feels better. We've got lots of nifty Shadowrun coverage planned in the near future, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, we must ask, what are you playing this weekend?
Ahh, video console comparisons. As flamebait goes, it doesn't get much better than video console comparisons. Wary as we are of this, we can't help but post GameTrailers' recent video comparison of the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Oblivion. Granted, Bethesda has had a substantial amount of time to improve the PS3 version, but there are some undeniable differences. In particular, at about 1:30, you'll witness some nasty pop-up on the 360 version. We're only speculating here, but that may be the result of all PS3's containing a hard drive; Bethesda didn't have to account for a Core version as on 360. There are some other subtle differences, you can see a few more wrinkles on the King's face in the PS3 version and some of the weapon textures look sharper. Other textures look better on the 360, though, most notably the textures of the cobblestones on the city streets.
Now, Bethesda has made it known that many of the graphical additions made to the PS3 version will be made available for the 360 version as well. Hopefully, we'll see another comparison after that comes to pass.
To the topic at hand, though, can you declare a clear winner in this video?
The video clip can be veiwed here. Leave feedback via comments.
We've said it before, but we love the concept of Overlord. As its name implies, you play the Overlord, controlling your minions in order to wreak havoc and create general mayhem. We don't know much more than that honestly, but what more do you need? The graphics are clean and remind us more than a little bit of Fable's somewhat campy style (with a hint of The Horde thrown in for good measure). The minions we've seen so far remind us of Gremlins, snickering and generally causing a ruckus.
Haven't you ever wanted to loose your minion army onto some unsuspecting schlub's pumpkin patch? Hells yes, we say! Head over to Xboxygen for some fresh screens. You can find out more about the game at the official website.
The video can be seen here. Leave feedback via comments.
A recent retail rumor roundup on GameSpot sees a listing for Square Enix's Project Sylpheed on GameStop. While that in itself isn't terribly shocking, the publisher and developer listed is intriguing. According to the GameStop listing, Microsoft Game Studios is the publisher and developer of the US version of Project Sylpheed (although the GameStop listing spells the title Silpheed). The game is listed for a July release with a bargain price of $39.99. Granted, product listings should never be taken as fact, but it would be significant if Microsoft reached a publishing deal with Square-Enix, especially in light of recent events.
Bungie has posted an article explaining all the detailed planning that went into the production of the $130 Legendary edition of Halo 3. Planning for the Legendary edition has been underway since June of 2005, when discussions were first held concerning what sort of molding method to use to form the helmet. In the end Microsoft chose injection molding and gave the project to one of its largest keyboard manufacturers in China. That's right, your fancy schmancy helmet is coming from a keyboard factory. According to the article, once peak capacity is reached at the factory, a new helmet will be produced every 12 seconds! Most of the article centers on the planning of the Legendary edition, but there are several photos of the manufacturing process sprinkled throughout as well.
More information here. Leave feedback via comments.
Microsoft has strung together four consecutive weeks of Xbox Live Arcade releases, including Alien Hominid HD, Worms, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and the software giant today confirmed it was going for five straight. Next Wednesday is now confirmed as the release date for Jetpac Refuelled, Rare's update to its 1983 arcade-style shooter for the ZX Spectrum.
Jetpac Refuelled is a remake of one of Rare's earliest efforts, with 128 levels, high-definition visuals, simultaneous multiplayer action, and the Xbox 360 standard achievements and leaderboards. Players will also have the option of playing the original Jetpac instead of the remake.
Jetpac Refuelled is set for a worldwide release this Wednesday at 2 a.m. PDT. The game is rated E for Everyone and will sell for 400 Microsoft Points ($5).
Xbox Live will be down next Tuesday for 14 hours from 3AM until 5PM EST, so you shouldn't plan any marathon sessions of online gaming with your Xbox ... because you'll be a very unhappy camper. Major Nelson said this is only for internal maintenance, and there won't be any new updates to the Dashboard or anything nifty like that happening.
So prepare for an all-night session on Monday right up until the plug is pulled if you really want to get your gaming on. Fourteen hours seems like a long time for internal maintenance ... could there be something else going on behind the scenes?
Hey Microsoft! It's me, Adam. Do me a favor, will you? Make Folding@Home available for Xbox 360 users. We saw earlier today how awesome the PS3 is at folding, so why not let your sweet console get in on the action?
While 99.999 percent of fanboy fights end up with everyone being a loser (similarly to how they begin), this battle of the consoles would benefit everyone. Xbox users and PS3 users could compete to see who could complete more Work Units faster, determining which console is superior. And at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter who wins, because it would allow for many, many more people to put what is a dormant computer when not in use into an Alzheimer's curing machine. And heck, since there are many times more Xboxes out there than there are PS3s, you'll start at an advantage and this thing could really take off.
So how about it? You don't want Sony to get all the good publicity that's coming from this Folding@Home business, do you? Let's make it happen.
Based on the all-new CGI TMNT movie, Ubisoft’s TMNT™ video game takes place in New York City, a city plagued with fast-moving shadows and attacks from strange creatures. Could the wealthy and mysterious Max Winters be involved? New York City needs the Turtles now more than ever but they face their most trying time both as heroes and as brothers. With the fate of the City and their family at stake, it’s up to Leonardo with Zen Master Splinter to restore unity and ninja discipline to the Turtles. In this highly immersive experience, join the Ninja Turtles team and experience intense acrobatic navigation, collaborative combat and powerful fighting moves. Engage in over-the-top Ninja action to reunite the Turtles and save New York City.
The Homebrew scene across all formats is a vast sea of excellent sites, fans and coders who make up a global network of communities of all languages.
Every now and again we see new advancements, new hacks that really excite fans of the homebrew scene.
Today a new milestone was reached, it was only 2 years ago when the first commercial Dreamcast Homebrew Release happenned. Well today the Dreamcast Community welcomes another breakthrough and thats the upcoming release of an Homebrew Dreamcast game going to Commercial status on the Nintendo DS.
Check out the full story at DC News (Click the Digg if u have a spare minute)
The point of this story is that Homebrew Coders can make it into the industry should they be successful.
Yesterday, around 4:00pm, I received a phone call telling me that Richard (Dampe) has been in a fatal car accident.
I'm not feeling up to explaining detail of the accident, and how it happened, I'm just here to notify everyone since his family would be devastated, and his brother probably wouldn't want to explain the loss to a bunch of guys on the net.
Maybe if you wanted to show respect, and make him proud, leave a R.I.P Dampe or something in your sigs/msn/aim/whatever.
Just an idea.
The High Court of Edinburgh, Scotland, has sentenced Alan Stirling to four years in prison for "culpable homicide" in the murder of a man who potentially broke his "computer" or "PlayStation" depending on who's talking. The BBC headline says PlayStation, the judge says PlayStation, but the reporter calls it a computer. So we're not sure if this is one of those cases where the brand name is tossed around to mean any console, like photocopies are Xerox and tissues are Kleenex.
Anyway, after a night of "drink and drugs" with friends at Stirling's apartment he awoke at 5 AM to the sound of one of his friends having knocked over the television, which apparently had the console on or near it. Stirling then repeatedly "punched and kicked" the man. He found the gentleman later in the lobby and attempted to help him, but it was too late. In this case, the BBC's headline of "Man kills friend over PlayStation" is just a tad misleading.
Do not be alarmed, maniacally typing hackers have not invaded, penetrated or otherwise violated the Bungie.net or Xbox Live networks. This was the message delivered by Microsoft's Major Nelson earlier this week after reports indicated that Xbox Live user information had fallen into the wrong and noticeably greasy hands. However, it seems the firewalls and encryption routines provided by computers are doing a much better job than those organic meatbags that operate the Xbox support call center.
Major Nelson writes in his latest post that some Xbox Live accounts may have already been compromised thanks to phonies phoning in and extracting sensitive information via the use of pretexting -- the invention of a scenario that fools the operator into divulging your precious data. "There's no other way to say it; this situation shouldn't have happened. Our customers deserve better." The Major promises that support staff will be better trained and be made aware of such "social engineering" attempts.
While the transparency is appreciated, it's alarming to think that Xbox Live security is succumbing to one of the oldest tricks in what's, by now, a rather pig-eared book.
Call him the God of portable gaming. Ben Heckendorn has hacked, sliced, diced and squashed all manner of home consoles into sleek, compact, do-it-yourself projects, and somehow found the time to write a book about it. His mind-blowing exploits have been featured all over the web, from Engadget to Wired Magazine. Many of us know Ben from his most recent internet fame as the man behind the awesome Wii laptop (pictured below). However, before Ben decided to take on the challenge of downsizing the Wii, he had already accomplished similar feats using the Xbox 360, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, and the original big daddy of home consoles, the Atari 2600. We were curious to find out what goes on inside the mind of the world’s preeminent builder of all things portable, so we contacted Ben for an interview.
The Neoflash Team have released a new Genesis Flash Cart, now you can relive those classic Genesis games all over again
SPREAD THE WORD
Heres a pic of the flash cart and software screen:
Heres the tech specs:
* build in 32M flash,support up to 32M single rom
* re-programable,100,000 times erase/write
* can upload/download and verify the rom from PC
* use printing port to burn
* not need extra power supply
Rumors have floated in the past month that Microsoft will launch a new high-end version of the Xbox 360. It’s true that Microsoft is preparing to announce the Xbox 360 Elite, a version of the game console with black plastic and advanced features. Several sources confirmed Microsoft plans to add this box to its product line.
The new box will go on sale in limited quantities soon for $479. The details may not be precise here, but I believe it will have an HDMI connector so that you can connect at the highest speed to a high-definition TV. It will come with a 120-gigabyte hard disk drive and will have IPTV capability.
Bill Gates announced in January that the Xbox 360 was capable of serving as a set-top box for IPTV, or Internet Protocol TV, which phone companies such as AT&T are using to offer high-definition movies and scores of channels in competition with TV.
The Xbox 360 Elite will apparently not come with a built-in HD-DVD drive, which will remain an option for playing high-definition movie disks. In the spring, the new machine will be available in limited quantities and it will reflect a redesigned motherboard. Tina Conley, an outside spokeswoman for Microsoft, declined to comment on Saturday. How solid is this information? Some details may be wrong. I’m not looking at any press release right now that describes it all. The details will be announced soon enough.
I’ve been waiting for Microsoft to make a move like this. The company has scheduled a motherboard redesign and cost reduction for every year, but this is the first major change to take the costs out of the inside of the Xbox 360. By the fall, the company will also implement a chip redesign, shifting from 90-nanometer production to 65 nanometer production. That will bring costs down fairly dramatically and will enable Microsoft to make the box in larger quantities by the fourth quarter.
Every other year, the company plans to shrink the size of its chips. It is overdue for a shift from the 90-nanometer chips that it started with in 2005 to the 65-nanometer chips commonly in production elsewhere. That transition isn’t yet complete but it should be by the fall.
Why is it important to miniaturize a chip? When you make the width between circuits in a chip (the difference between 90 and 65), the technology gets better. The electrons travel shorter distances, the circuits are more reliable, defects can go down, yields go up, and you can fit the same chip design in a much smaller area. Since chip costs directly relate to how much material you use, a smaller chip is cheaper to make.
Every console maker will have the opportunity to reduce the costs of its chips. But how the console makers capitalize on that decision depends on strategy. Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Morgan, said in an email that he believes Microsoft will launch its elite box, but he isn’t sure how it will position the other boxes, especially the Core unit. I expect the Xbox 360 with the 20-gigabyte hard disk drive will continue to sell for $399 and the Core unit, which has no hard drive, will sell for $299.
At $479, the Xbox 360 Elite will still be cheaper than Sony’s $499 20-gigabyte PlayStation 3 and the $599 60-gigabyte PS 3. But it will match the Sony box with the HDMI connector feature. The Sony box is not yet capable of IPTV.
It is interesting that Microsoft hasn’t added the HD-DVD drive as a permanent feature. The format war with Blu-ray is still going on, and that drive would add considerable cost. Microsoft sells it separately for $199.
The larger hard drive on the Xbox 360 Elite will make it much more useful for downloading movies and serving as a digital video recorder, which is one of the primary uses of an IPTV set-top box. High-definition movies can take up five gigabytes or more, while standard movies take about a gigabyte of storage space. Hence, 120 gigabytes is enough for, accounting for 10 gigabytes used by the system for other things, about 22 HD movies.
In any case, this is going to put some pressure on Sony and it will enable Microsoft to patch some holes in the technological capability of the Xbox 360. It will enable Microsoft to please the relatively small group of hardcore gamers who care about having the highest-end technology in the living room. It’s those gamers who are most tempted by the PS 3. HDMI, for instance, will enable someone to view games and movies the way they were meant to be seen in either 720p or 1080p
You hope that nobody gets it, it's curable, but anecdotal evidence continues to pile-up and show the Xbox 360's Red Ring of Death seems to be far more prevalent than gamers would hope. Like any disease, coming out and discussing it is what gets people talking about the problem and acknowledging that there may be a greater issue here. At a minimum, it would be nice to finally get some answers.
Now, the issue isn't that random consumers continue to experience the Red Ring of Death repeatedly, but wouldn't you know it, for an item that supposedly has a 3 percent failure rate, it certainly has a lot of that happening in the gaming media. The latest victim is Michael "Caspian" Wiegand over at Weekly Geek Show. He's gone over his year warranty, refuses to pay the $139 and he's using extortion as his method for receiving a new system. Wiegand writes, "[Microsoft] send me, your dejected disciple, a new 360 and a free gold subscription for a year and I'll retract this article and replace it with a flattering one."
Wiegand is in the right frame of mind, it's not like Microsoft hasn't shut up complaining customers with new systems before. Although it's getting harder and harder to dismiss the problems when more high-profile Xbox 360 failures continue to occur, especially when systems are being sent back for repairs a second time. Joystiq's saga of a broken Xbox 360 wasn't even an isolated incident on our own staff. At this point it'd be nice if Microsoft further extended their warranty or finally released the actual failure rates for the system. We hope the new black Xbox is built better. Chris Furniss, from the Weekly Geek Show, speaks for many Xbox 360 owners when he says, "I fully expect my Xbox to give me the ring of death sometime within the next year ... It really is a great machine. It just has a horrible failure rate."
Has Microsoft inadvertently confirmed that an Xbox 360 featuring HDMI support is indeed coming?
Well, possibly.
In the latest talk surrounding the company's plans for a revised console, internet reports are pointing to a comment made by Microsoft rep and XNA Framework Developer Shawn Hargreaves in the MSDN XNA Game Studio Express forums.
A forum poster asked "Will the HDMI output on the revised 360 require any code changes", to which Hargreaves replied, "No changes required".
Certain parties are taking this as 100% confirmation that HDMI Xbox 360 is on the way; however we're still awaiting any official announcement from Microsoft.
Last week, reports claimed that the Xbox 360 supporting HDMI will be called 'Elite' and will be decked out in black and feature a 120Gb HDD.
UPDATE: A further report on the Elite 360, this time from Dean Takahashi at The Mercury News, says that the new version of the console will support IPTV. Takahashi also goes as far as to say "It's true that Microsoft is preparing to announce the Xbox 360 Elite, a version of the game console with black plastic and advanced features."
April will see the Xbox 360 version of Activision's Marvel: Ultimate Alliance boosted by download content.
Eight new playable characters are being introduced via a Hero pack and a Villain pack, X-Men crew members Cyclops and Nightcrawler being joined by Venom, Magneto, Sabretooth, Hawkeye, Doctor Doom and irascible green giant The Incredible Hulk.
New achievements are additionally included in the download content.
You'll be able to purchase the packs individually for 500 Microsoft Points apiece or get them in a combined pack for 800 Microsoft Points.
Recent rumour that Namco Bandai is bringing flight combat game Ace Combat 6 to Xbox 360 has been confirmed by the company.
Only announced for North America so far where it's due to release later in the year, Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation - to give the game its full title - features Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Co-op online multiplayer modes to accompany its single-player action.
Additional details released to date focus on Ace Combat 6's Dynamic Operation System - a fancy name for a feature allowing a maximum of six battles to ensue simultaneously on a single battleground - and the Allied Support System. Via this system, players can grab support from the likes of tanks, ships and other aircraft.
JetPac Refuelled, just in case you were unaware, is a remake of classic 80s laser-blasting shoot-'em-up JetPac that released for ZX Spectrum.
New Refuelled screenshots have been released, along with confirmation that it'll hit Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday for 400 Microsoft Points.
Gameplay in Refuelled is virtually identical to that witnessed all those years ago, but the action's certainly a lot more intense this time round and of course it looks a whole lot prettier. Rare is also including the original JetPac in the package - which we've actually got on cassette somewhere gathering dust with our Speccy. Any offers?
Codemasters' Overlord is one of those quirky titles that could prove ridiculously fun and addictive. Set up as an overlord in a twisted fantasy world, in a nutshell you have to indulge in as much corruption and nastiness as possible. It's always reminded us of a cross between Fable and Dungeon Keeper, especially as it contains plenty of dark humour.
New Overlord screenshots released focus on the minions that are under an Overlord's control.
Codemasters explains, "The minions, who together form an army that is yours to directly control, are the key play mechanic in Overlord. Totally loyal to their Overlord, the minions will use their unique skills to fetch, fight and even die for you. Their loyalty knows no limits and their bravery borders on stupidity but, with every bone in their odd little bodies, they will follow your command no matter how despotic or, for the minions, life threatening it is."
Overlord is due to release on PC and Xbox 360 this summer.
It's a new week, which means a new internet update trickling from the Bungie fortress, and this week it focuses on Halo 3's new and improved battle encounters.
"Halo 3 encounters are more fun, more challenging, more varied and more enjoyable than those in Halo or Halo 2," the update reads. "The interplay and strategies created among the various Covenant foes is just thrilling."
"One weird thing that I just can't get used to (in a good way, I mean) is the fact that you have to plan for multiple encounters in one location. You can see a group in the distance, and head down to fight them. You could toss a grenade to get the party started - but here's a hint. Between you and them and the tumble of rocks and screen between you, I happen to know that a Phantom is going to drop off four Grunts and a Brute Chieftain."
"The Phantom itself is going to start laying down fire on you, so my suggestion is to bide your time, wait for the first Phantom, and take care of that before irritating those guys way down the hill." Now we're drooling.
The skirmish improvements are further touted by descriptions of the new and improved Covenant Grunt, which will apparently put up a decent fight this time around. "The AI on the opponents is more interesting too", Bungie says. "Even a lone Grunt can be a nasty challenge. Actually, a lone Grunt is sometimes a cornered Grunt now. You've been warned."
After denying that it was hacked at all last week, Microsoft's Larry 'Major Nelson' Hryb has issued a statement blaming the recent reports of Xbox Live Hacking on a 'social engineering' incident against its customer support.
According to our reasonably intelligent technical manager (we've got to pay him for something) this most primitive of engineering basically involves tricking customer service staff into giving out passwords, which isn't that 733t really, is it?
"There's no other way to say it; this situation shouldn't have happened. Our customers deserve better," says the Major.
"I confirmed that the team is fully aware of this issue. They are examining the policies, and have already begun re-training the support staff and partners to help make sure we reduce this type of social engineering attack."
Professional tricksters - including Del Boy and Edmund Blackadder - are said to be on route.
There's been talk of a sequel to Microsoft and Mistwalker's flagship Japanese RPG Blue Dragon for a while now, but series creator and RPG legend Hironobu Sakaguchi tells CVG his full vision for the series.
"Blue Dragon has sold through more than 200,000 units in Japan and again it will continue to build momentum as we get into things like BD2 and BD3", Sakaguchi told us. "And that's what we're hoping; to really build on the franchise. Maybe it'll take ten years (laughs)"
So there's definetly a number two in the works then? (ho ho) "Tonight I will talk with Shane [Kim] (laughs)".
To date Blue Dragon has achieved a stonking 45 percent console attach rate in Japan, meaning that half of Japan's 360 owners purchased the Mistwalker RPG. Both of them (sorry, Microsoft!).
At least "as far as current plans go." So says Capom's senior director of strategic planning and research, Christian Svensson, posting on the official Capcom forums in the midst of a Devil May Cry outcry. When asked by fans whether Capcom's new mulitplatform strategy would extend to their pair of successful Xbox 360 titles, Svensson explains that "Dead Rising and Lost Planet are not slated to appear on Wii or PS3," noting that the reasons for the continued exclusivity "are quite convoluted" and are bound by a slew of suspicious non-disclosure agreements.
He goes on to say that Capcom's current approach -- which sees Resident Evil 5 and Devil May Cry 4 coming to both PS3 and Xbox 360 -- is for future titles and isn't meant to be applied in a "retroactive" manner. Of course, this comes just days after Svensson used the forum to respond to sulking petitioners and their disdain for Devil May Cry gracing multiple platforms.
"We are certainly moved that people are so passionate about our products that they would go to such extremes," he said in a seperate thread. "At the same time we feel that allowing more people access to our content pleases far more people than it displeases (after all, we're not denying DMC4 to anyone that was already going to get it). It really is the best decision for the company and for consumers."
Apparently, Dead Rising and Lost Planet simply missed the multiplatform boat.
features
Court Games: 10 all-new mini games!
Easy to play, difficult to master: Anyone can pick up Virtua Tennis 3 for instant enjoyment, but honing your skills will be a challenge.
Fast, fun and thoroughly addictive: Mini-games and online modes keep gameplay fresh and challenging.
New World Tour mode: Create your own superstar and enjoy a host of new mini-games, tournaments and challenges.
Tennis Stars: Features 20 of the world's biggest tennis stars playing on a variety of stadium and surfaces from across the world.
A true High Definition experience: The most accurate and rich tennis experience to date!
description
The fun, addicting, award-winning series continues with Virtua Tennis 3, built specifically for next-gen consoles. With ultra-realistic graphics and precise player control, gamers will hit the court and play as or against today's tennis elite including Federer, Sharapova, Roddick, Nadal, and Williams. A new multiplayer mode allows up to four friends to battle it out on 23 courts around the world. As they serve up their best in a mix of exhibitions, tournaments and competitions, players will rise through the ranks and battle for the top spot!
features
Play in single, multi-player, or new multi-player LIVE mode
Customizable themes, skins, icons, and soundtracks set you apart from the rest
Tetriminos pop off the screen with intense HD graphics
Crush your opponent in an exhilarating battle with the newest Tetris features
description
Get ready to take your Tetris® game to the next level and beyond! Tetris Evolution features all-new game play modes, multiple customizations, and Xbox Live features that will have you hooked for hours!
features
Face off against a wide range of attackers, from giant ants and spiders to robots and monsters standing more than 20 stories tall
Get armed to the teeth 7 types of destructive weapons with 170 variations - assault rifles, rocket launchers, flamethrowers, grenades and more
Over 50 all-out battles -- lead the EDF squad through city streets, underground caves, coastal zones and more to repel the alien attackers on all fronts
Take control of battle tanks, armored mechs, attack helicopters and hover bikes to destroy the enemy
You are not alone - Lead your crew of fearless soldiers as they charge into battle
description
In Earth Defense Force 2017, gamers play with the aid of loyal AI teammates through more than 50 levels in the game as they strive to save Earth from the space invaders and their vicious attempt to eliminate humanity. Players can join forces in co-op mode and battle together, or they can go rogue and battle against friends in deathmatch. In a wholly destructible environment where bridges, skyscrapers and other structures can just as easily be destroyed by friend or foe, players can either save their world or demolish it in the process.
We've got a couple spy shots hot off the production line in China of the Xbox 360 Elite. They were taken with a cellphone so the shots aren't of the highest quality, but they get the job done. The site hosting the thread is TGFCer, which stands for "TV Game Fans Club", and according to our tipster, is one of the biggest Chinese bbs for video game enthusiasts. A later shot was provided of the top of the hard drive, and you can barely make out the "12" in "120G HDD" due to over exposure, but with some Photoshop wizardry (Command+I, or Control+I for PC users) we were able to get the text to become more apparent. .
Another reason we're including the inverted shot is because we're running on dual monitors, and on one the normal shot displays the text best and on the other the inverted shot displays the text best. This way, at least one of them should work for you.
Up for sale on eBay is one super fine custom Halo 3 themed Xbox 360. Complete with airbrushed Halo 3 logo, portrait of Master Chief, water droplets and dirty embellishments, this is one sexy custom case. And you're ever so lucky, because if you want this little guy all you have to do is drop $925 and you'll have her with matching controllers to boot. Though, no real Halo 3 fan could put a price on custom Halo 3 Xbox 360 perfection. Yup, spend $925 on this custom wonder and an additional $130 on the Legendary Edition and we'll (possibly) crown you richest, silliest, craziest, Halo 3 fan on the planet. Happy bidding!
features
Multiplayer functionality allows up to eight players to battle online.
Join one of six factions specializing in different aspects of battle.
30 missions played out in detailed futuristic 3D environments.
Fly through canyons and rip through cities battling multiple enemies.
Deploy "Quick Boost" and "Over Boost" features for precise explosive movement and precision control of AC units.
Engage "Primal Armor" the all-new defense shield that adjusts its strength according to specific battle conditions.
description
Armored Core®, the mech action game that defined the mech genre is back to take on next-generation platforms! Armored Core® 4 reinvigorates the brand by offering an all-new storyline, new environments, and online capability. The 10th anniversary of the acclaimed franchise will be punctuated with a leap to next-generation platforms that will ensure the highest quality in both gameplay and visual performance.
Name: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Shivering Isles
Price: 2400 Points
Dash Details: Play the official expansion for Oblivion – the 2006 RPG and Game of the Year. Shivering Isles features more than 30 hours of new gameplay as you are sent to explore the realm of Sheogorath, the Daedric Prince of Madness. Shivering Isles adds to the existing world of Oblivion, so you can continue playing with your existing save game/character, or create an all-new character just to explore the new content in Shivering Isles. New quests, creatures, weapons, armor, ingredients, and more await in the land of Mania and Dementia.
Size: 993.75 MB (approx.)
Just when we thought Irrational Games' FPS Bioshock couldn't get any creepier, along comes a new trailer so creepy we're feeling like we're covered in creepiness. We won't spoil anything - just watch it for yourself... UPDATE: We've added a second new Bioshock trailer for your viewing pleasure.
Bioshock continues to look like one of 2007's hottest games and we're going to eat our own toenail clippings if it disappoints. It's due out on PC and Xbox 360 on August 24 here in the UK.
A new Halo 3 update from Bungie splurged onto its website features a heaping helping of information on the sequel's M12 Warthog vehicle.
"The M12", the developer says in its description of the vehicle, "is primarily used in a scouting capacity, or as an integral part of a mechanized infantry unit. In the case of the LRV and LAAV variants it can hold three soldiers including the gunner.
"The mounted weapon includes a battery for short term operation separated from the vehicle, but normally operates on the vehicle's power supply. The vehicle is powered by a 12 liter hydrogen-injected ICE and can reach speeds up to 125 kph (78 mph)."
M12 Warthog weapon statistics, field use and observations of soldiers about the vehicle are additionally included in the update, along with one of those QuickTime 3D screenshots thingies.
Wistron, the Taiwanese device manufacturer currently producing Xbox 360 units for Microsoft, is likely to halt production of the console during 2008, according to a report in the Economic Daily News.
The company is likely to discontinue manufacturing of the console due to the decline in profits and because Microsoft has partnered with rival manufacturer Celistica, reports DigiTimes.
Production of the Xbox 360 currently accounts for around 10 per cent of Wistron's business and it is thought halting production will not have any serious impact on the company.
Wistron is expected to record revenues of TWD 280 billion (EUR 6.34 billion) in 2007.
As well as Wistron and Celistica, Singapore-based Flextronics also manufactures the Xbox 360 for Microsoft.
Microsoft was unavailable for comment at the time of writing.
After hardware sales saw Sony's PS3 achieve record success in the UK, it's not surprising to see software for the new home console also bedding into the all-formats charts.
Insomniac's Resistance: Fall of Man and Evolution Studios's Motorstorm take the number one and two positions respectively, scoring hits for first-party development.
However, Codemaster's Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 took the number three position in the charts, proving that it wasn't necessary to be on a new console to achieve high sales during the busy launch weekend.
The multiformat Virtua Tennis 3 took the number four position in the charts, while Activision's Call of Duty 3 saw a boost from new format sales – jumping from number 20 to number five.
