Condemned 2: Bloodshot, the next chapter in the terrifying series that began with the award-winning and critically-acclaimed Condemned: Criminal Origins, is a first-person action thriller immersing players in a world of psychological terror. Featuring all-new fighting mechanics and online multiplayer functionality, Condemned 2: Bloodshot follows Ethan Thomas in a string of gruesome murders where players must use their deductive skills and brute force to track down sadistic serial killers. Developed by the renowned Monolith Productions, creators of the original Condemned game, Condemned 2: Bloodshot is slated to ship in early 2008 for the Xbox 360 PS3.
On behalf of SEGA, check out the new screens attached for the latest screenshots showing a variety of terrifying environments from Condemned 2: Bloodshot. These are just a handful of the frightening places Ethan Thomas will encounter on his way to finding the truth behind the mysteries set in the twisted world of Condemned 2: Bloodshot.
SEGA of America is excited to present a new action-packed trailer from Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, the fast-paced Sonic racing game for the Wii and the PlayStation 2.
Play the ultimate in racing games on tracks where gravity is no obstacle thanks to the unique new gravity control moves. Explore beautiful new environments, uncover alternate routes, turn walls into tracks, and find speed boosts that make you unbeatable. Filled with heart-stopping action, Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity also features a series of high-speed vehicles that evolve through gameplay to offer gamers the most intense racing experience ever. Take on friends using the multiplayer modes or conquer the tracks on your own using the addictive single-player game.
XCM White 360 HDMI 1080i Cable
Manufacturer: XCM
Site: Buy from Goldenshop
Price: $65.00
Overview : Another exclusive product from XCM, this cable will let you connect your non HDMI Xbox 360 with an HDMI cable to a HDTV or DVI monitor with a high resolution signal of 1080i thanks to XCM HDMI 1080i Cable for Xbox 360 without HDMI Port.
You can now enjoy the same resolutions than people with Xbox 360 Elite!
Features :
High quality 3rd party product.
Converts the analog signal to digital signal and acts as a HDMI digital signal solution for HDMI-less Xbox 360's.
Comes extra RCA sockets and optical socket for connection to speakers.
Comes with a HDMI to DVI adapter - can be used on a PC monitor as well as a HDTV.
Quality/Usability : Recently within the past year, Microsoft has started to include HDMI port to all Xbox 360 consoles. Unfortunately, for those early adopters playing on a HD TV/monitor are left with a HDMI-less Xbox 360 unless they went out and bought a new Xbox 360 with HDMI port on it.
But those who's original white Xbox 360 didnt succumb to the RRoD (Red Ring of Death) and/or still have the original white Xbox 360, can now have the same ability to play in HD just like all new owners of the Xbox 360. XCM has filled that void by releasing a White 360 HDMI 1080i Cable. Included is HDMI cable, HDMI to DVI adapter, and XCM's nifty device that converts signal to HD.
Setup is fairly easy (video below). With the HDMI 1080i Cable, you'll get up to 1080i output from your original white Xbox 360. The same as if you were to get a Xbox 360 Premium, Elite or Halo 3 edition. To get this setup, simply connect the device to the back of the Xbox 360. Take the HDMI cable and connect it to the other end of the device and the other end of the cable to your monitor/HD TV. If you dont have a HDMI port on your monitor, you can use the included HDMI to DVI adapter.
Connect via HDMI
Just remember that HDMI supports digital audio through the cable but DVI does not, so you'll need to connect speakers. The device has two RCA audio jacks (red/yellow) for those who are using DVI. If you have speakers that also has RCA audio jacks, simply plug it into the HDMI device.
Once all cables are connected, simply turn on the Xbox 360 and you will now have an original white Xbox 360 capable of running in HD via HDMI/DVI. The HDMI device also has a power indicator to let you know that the product is turned on and in use. From what I have tested, the visual quality is the same using this adapter and connecting the Xbox 360 directly to the HDTV via HDMI. I didnt notice any loss of quality.
Conclusion : Overall, the XCM White 360 HDMI 1080i Cable is the best solution for those wanting to play in HD on their original white HDMI-less Xbox 360. The only thing I dont like about the White 360 HDMI 1080i Cable is the size of the device. Its approximately 5" wide. Thats not including the cable. But those who still have the original Xbox 360 and want to play in HD via HDMI should consider looking into this device.
New Xbox 360 family functions will give parents more control. By Mike Smith
Concerned about your child's gaming habits? Your life is about to be made easier -- at least, if your family owns an Xbox 360. Microsoft, the console's manufacturer, plans to include a "Family Timer" in the 360's Fall System Update, due to roll out to all Internet-connected consoles on December 4.
The Family Timer, a feature that's unique to the Xbox 360, allows parents to set a maximum amount of daily or weekly time that their kids can use the console. The unfortunate youth will receive a series of warnings as their time expires before being kicked out when the countdown reaches zero. Parents can override the timer if they feel their offspring deserves extra gaming privileges, or disable it altogether if they fancy a little play once the kids are in bed.
Downloading the update will be automatic if your Xbox is connected to a broadband network, and the update process should take less than a minute, Microsoft's Group Project Manager Adam Greenberg told Yahoo!. Once downloaded, parents can find the Family Timer settings by going to the "System" blade of their console's main menu. The timer can be set in 15-minute increments, and you can always ask the kids for help -- although you may not want to let them know what you're planning to do.
The Fall System Update also includes a host of new features intended to improve the console's online abilities and media playing functions. Subscribers to Microsoft's Xbox Live service will be able to browse each other's friends lists, in an attempt to bring some of the social networking functions of sites like Myspace to the Xbox network. The console will be able to play videos in a wider range of formats, including the popular Xvid and Divx codecs. And in a move that's sure to please fans of Microsoft's original Xbox, gamers will now be able to download a handful of complete Xbox games, including the original Halo, Crimson Skies, and critical darling Psychonauts, each for $15.
Greenburg also addressed some shortcomings of the Xbox Live service that the Fall Update won't fix. Currently, subscribers can add a maximum of 50 fellow gamers to their Friends list, allowing them to view each other's online status and other information, and that's not enough for many extroverted Xbox enthusiasts. "Increasing it is not as simple as just flicking a switch," he told us, but work is continuing to allow maxed-out gamers to add more contacts.
Microsoft's update comes amid record sales for the Xbox 360. "A lot of retailers stocked out last week," Greenberg told us: more than 310,000 units made their way home with shoppers over the Black Friday period, and Microsoft-exclusive hits like Mass Effect and Halo 3 are also riding high in the sales charts. The Xbox 360 faces strong competition from Sony's PlayStation 3, which posted a 245% increase over last year's Black Friday sales, and Nintendo's Wii, which continues to be hard to find in many regions over a year after its launch.
According to Cancer Research UK, cigarette smoking is responsible for 30 per cent of cancer deaths per year in the developed world. In Britain in 2005, that would have equated to 46,000 deaths. What's the next most dangerous societal ill? Researchers from the University of Michigan say violent videogames and films.
According to Reuters, a new University of Michigan concludes that exposure to violence as depicted in TV, film and videogames "raises the risk of aggressive behaviour in adults and young viewers and poses a serious threat to public health."
This is the latest research in a string of work that looks into the impact of violent video games on the impressionable young minds of gamers. Last year, the University of Missouri-Columbia published research saying there is a causal link between computer games and violence, not merely a simple association.
In the most recent bit of research, L. Rowell Huesmann and his colleague Brad Bushman point out that this exposure -- what they call "virtual violence" from either in shoot-em-up video games or slasher films -- leads to aggressive tendencies, particularly on children and teens. The researchers looked at more than 50 years of violent films, TV shows and video games.
For society's benefit, we can only hope Huesmann and Bushman will be taken off the streets and locked up now that they've concluded their studies.
Fellow users of DCEmu, what do you think? Do videogames cause people to commit crimes? Or is this all just a bunch of hogswash?
"Losing a job you've held for over 11 years in an abrupt manner is shocking, yes."
While the above quote should perhaps win Jeff Gerstmann the 'understatement of the year' award, the former Gamespot editorial director is still staying silent about the specifics surrounding his recent firing (citing the previously mentioned "legal reasons," among others). He has, however, told Joystiq that he still stands behind his controversial review of Kane & Lynch.
"I stand behind my work, regardless of where I do it," Gerstmann told Joystiq in an e-mail. "If there was content that I felt I couldn't support, it wouldn't see the light of day." Gerstmann did not comment specifically on the edits made to his text review of Kane & Lynch, or the site's removal of the video review, but he did support the editing process in general. "If factual errors are made, I have no problem owning up to that error, correcting it, noting that a correction has been made, and feeling like an idiot for making the mistake in the first place," he said.
Gerstmann also directly addressed the somewhat pernicious rumor that he did not complete Kane & Lynch before he finished his review. "A reviewer's Xbox Live Gamercard is rarely a good place to look for answers about how much that reviewer has (or hasn't) played a game," he said. "For the record, I saw both endings in Kane & Lynch before writing about it."
As for his future plans, Gerstmann seems to be keeping his options open. "I'm not really sure what I want to do next," he said. "This whole situation has left me with a lot to think about. While this sort of clean break would be an acceptable time to think about trying game development, I feel like I still have more to say and do on the editorial side of the fence, too."
Surprisingly, the experience doesn't seem to have soured Gerstmann on video game journalism as a whole. "Despite the number of people who are taking these rumors ... to mean that game writing is ethically bankrupt, I don't feel that's the case," he said. "Either way, I'm currently keeping my options open and have been in contact with interesting people on both sides."
features
Be an Assassin: Master the skills, tactics, and weapons of history’s deadliest and most secretive clan of warriors.
Realistic and responsive environments: Crowds react to your moves and will either help or hinder you on your quests.
Action with a new dimension – total freedom: Eliminate your targets wherever, whenever, and however. Stalk your prey through richly detailed, historically accurate, open-ended environments.
Relive the epic times of the Crusades: Assassin’s Creed immerses you in the realistic and historical Holy Land of the 12th century, featuring life-like graphics, ambience, and the subtle, yet detailed nuances of a living world.
Intense action rooted in reality: Experience heavy action blended with fluid and precise animations. Use a wide range of medieval weapons, and face your enemies in realistic swordfight duels.
Next-gen gameplay: The proprietary engine developed from the ground up for the next-gen console allows organic game design featuring open gameplay, intuitive control scheme, realistic interaction with environment, and a fluid, yet sharp, combat mechanic.
description
Assassin’s Creed is the next-gen game developed by Ubisoft Montreal that will redefine the action genre. While other games claim to be next-gen with impressive graphics and physics, Assassin’s Creed merges technology, game design, theme, and emotions into a world where you instigate chaos and become a vulnerable, yet powerful, agent of change.
The setting is 1191 AD. The Third Crusade is tearing the Holy Land apart. You, Altair, intend to stop the hostilities by suppressing both sides of the conflict.
You are an Assassin, a warrior shrouded in secrecy and feared for your ruthlessness. Your actions can throw your immediate environment into chaos, and your existence will shape events during this pivotal moment in history.
This rare Limited Edition package features a number of bonus materials for fans of the game. Packed inside a special tin box, the Limited Edition features a figurine of lead hero Altair, a set of Penny Arcade comics, a Mini-strategy guide, Assassin-themed short films, and additional Assassin's Creed videos (including: making-of, trailers, developer diaries, interviews, etc.)
features
Online Multi-Player enables players to compete worldwide with an online two-player versus mode via Xbox LIVE®. (Xbox 360 only)
Leaderboards enable players to see how they stack up against other players. (Xbox 360 only)
Character Data Portability makes it possible to save characters created in Quest Mode via Memory Unit and play with those characters against other people's customized characters in VS Mode on other Xbox 360 systems. (Xbox 360 only)
Two New Characters, El Blaze and Eileen, round out the cast of 17 dynamic characters. El Blaze is a Mexican wrestling champion that uses the Lucha Libre fighting style, and Eileen, originally from China, uses a "Kou Ken" (Monkey style Kung Fu fighting style).
Stunning, Highly-Detailed 3-D Fighting Environments inspired by locales around the world where players can challenge their opponents in unique types of arenas.
Offensive Move lets players to easily move around their opponent from the side and back allowing players to be more strategic with their battles.
Customize your character with the enhanced attachment system and customization engine giving players more flexibility than ever before when creating their characters.
Next Gen Presentation includes HD resolution widescreen and 5.1-channel Dolby Digital surround.
description
This new installment in the critically-acclaimed Virtua Fighter series packs a serious punch fueled by the power of the PLAYSTATION®3 and the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system. Virtua Fighter 5 will have an all-star cast of 17 fighters, including characters from the previous iterations along with two new characters named El Blaze and Eileen. El Blaze is a Mexican fighting champion that defeats unsuspecting opponents with his lightning-quick Lucha Libre fighting style and Eileen uses a Monkey Kung Fu fighting style which she learned from her grandfather, a former Kung Fu master. Choose from an array of costumes and attachable items and then step into the ring and prove that you're the best.
features
pages: 144
Platform: Sony PlayStation 3 and X-Box 360
Rock on: Tips on how to excel on hammer-ons, pull-offs, strum bar mechanics, lower fret buttons, and more that will maximize your skill on drums, bass, guitar, and vocals!
Rock hard: Strategy to maximize your “Overdrive” and dominate on multipliers.
Hit that note!: Detailed breakdown of each song highlighting the areas that need practice.
Bonus Content: Behind-the-scenes developer interviews, the making of the game, and inside strategies from creators at Harmonix!
features
Platform: Nintendo DS, PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PlayStation Portable, WII and X-Box 360
Pages: 208
Poster: Huge pullout movie poster.
Excerpts: Excerpts from "The Golden Compass" novel written by Philip Pullman.
Interviews: Revealing interviews with Philip Pullman and the cast from the The Golden Compass movie.
Maps: Detailed labeled maps pinpoint places of interest, collectables, and secrets.
The Movie: Excerpts directly from The Golden Compass movie.
Square Enix has unveiled its lineup for this year's Jump Festa. This year's installment of the annual December event sponsored by the folks that publish the Jump series of comics will be held at the Makhuari Messe just outside Tokyo on 12/22 and 12/23.
Those who make it to the Square Enix booth, usually the largest booth amongst game publishers, can look forward to the following:
Dragon Quest Monsters Battle Road (arcade): Game will be playable at 100 yen per play. No limited edition cards are planned. A tournament will be held for elementary school kids on the 22nd and kid/parent pairs on the 23rd.
Dragon Quest IV (NDS): Special data to be distributed to those with DS systems and a copy of the game. Make sure you've advanced to the 5th chapter.
Final Fantasy IV (NDS): Playable
Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon (WII): Video-only.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (WII WARE): Video-only
Final Fantasy Dissidia (PSP): New trailer in Closed Mega Theater
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (NDS): New trailer in Closed Mega Theater
Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep (PSP): New trailer in Closed Mega Theater
Kingdom Hearts Coded (Mobile): New trailer in Closed Mega Theater
Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII (PS3/Mobile): New trailers in Closed Mega Theater
Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete (Blu-ray): Video in Closed Mega Theater
Star Ocean First Departure (PSP): Video-only
Front Mission 2089 Border of Madness (NDS): Video-only
There doesn't seem to be too much in the way of playable product in there, but the video footage in the closed, and tightly patrolled, theater should make this a worthwhile event. Look forward to coverage later this month!
The PC and Xbox 360 versions will be patched this week, says the game's official site, and new download content in the form of extra plasmids and gene tonics.
"Both the BioShock PC Patch and the 360 Title Update will be available next week," says the Cult of Rapture official site.
"In addition to these fixes, we will be releasing downloadable content free on both Xbox Live and for the PC, with the DLC bundled into the PC Patch."
The site doesn't go into detail on what extra goodies can be expected in the DLC, but we've heard that brand new plasmids - such as a splicer-flinging Sonic Blast and a Vampire-like trick - and new gene tonics will be included.
Fabrice Pierre-Elien, Ubisoft's business development manager, has told GamesIndustry.biz that he sees the development of new intellectual property as crucial for the company, but that creating additional franchises can help to improve the quality of games.
"Just to churn out sequel after sequel, we have done that in the past as well, and we are still very keen on establishing franchises - but we take the time in between those sequels to make the best possible game, not just another title of which the previous edition was out twelve months ago," he said.
"The more franchises you have, the more time you can take to make sure the next one is as good as it can be."
Talking in an exclusive interview in the build-up to GDC Lyon and Game Connection, Pierre-Elien added that the creation of new IP was crucial, but that the company didn't have to just rely on its internal studios to work on that area.
"One of our corporate goals is to create new IP, and we've been very successful in launching some of them in the past few years. It's something we're very keen on, at a global corporate level," he said.
"So our studios are creating new IPs, we're also creating new IP with excellent partners - we feel it's important to have some fresh air in the portfolio."
GDC Lyon and Game Connection are taking place this week at the Centre de Congres in Lyon, France. The full interview with Fabrice Pierre-Elien is available now.
Hot on the news-based heels of news-based news that you will be able to download Xbox 1 games, view your friends' Friends Lists and restrict access to children with the new Xbox 360 dashboard update, Microsoft has also announced a new "Arcade Hits" wing of Xbox Live Arcade for games with "permanently reduced prices".
Arcade Hits will launch alongside the free dashboard update tomorrow, 4th December, and the first games to see their prices cut will be Bankshot Billiards 2 (800 Microsoft Points), Lumines Live! (800), Marble Blast Ultra (400), Small Arms (400) and Zuma Deluxe (400).
Microsoft also drew attention to a few upcoming Xbox Live Arcade releases, noting that Arkadian Warriors (hackandslash, Sierra Online), Brain Challenge (brain training, Gameloft), GripShift (puzzle/racer, Sidhe), N+ (puzzle/platform, Slick/Metanet), Omega Five (shoot-'em-up, Hudson), Poker Smash (Void Star Creations), Rez HD (shoot-'em-up, Q Entertainment) and Sensible World of Soccer (sports, Codemasters) will be released "in the coming weeks". The latter, SWOS, is known to be due out on 19th December.
Other features doing into the update include "Inside Live", a new direct feed of news from Xbox.com, which - if it's anything like the PlayStation 3 news ticker - we hope you can turn off, and the option to input a longer biography of yourself. There are also new Game Store and Video Store buttons, and you can watch how some of it works on YouTube.
Well an extremely curious move by Divineo/Supreme Factory who were indeed raided by Nintendo/Hong kong Police and had countless modchips/flash carts and Money took off them, they have today fired one back at Nintendo, heres the press release:
Supreme Factory Limited Announcement: Nintendo Ordered by the Hong Kong High
Court to Remove Press Release from Its Website
HONG KONG, Dec. 3 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- On 22 October 2007, Nintendo of America Inc ("Nintendo") issued a press release, which was wrong insofar as it may have suggested that a final, substantive judgment on intellectual property right infringement has been handed down by the Court against Supreme Factory Limited ("Supreme"), on its website www.nintendo.com and publicised it to popular gaming sites. In the proceedings before the High Court Supreme seeks to overturn the pre-trial injunctions and will vigorously oppose the Nintendo's claims that they have infringed its intellectual property rights. Supreme has already managed to obtain an order from the High Court to unfreeze a significant amount of money to allow Supreme to meet its ordinary and proper business expenses in respect of product which is not the subject of the proceedings. The Press Release was correct insofar as it reported that the Hong Kong High Court had granted certain pre-trial injunctive relief, allowing Nintendo representatives to search the premises of Supreme in Hong Kong. The search
was for items which Nintendo alleges breach its intellectual property rights in the Nintendo DS and Wii systems. The Court also ordered that certain of Supreme's assets be frozen. On 2 November 2007 the Hong Kong High Court ordered Nintendo to remove the Press Release from its website. In issuing the Press Release Nintendo had breached an implied undertaking not to use information and/or documentation obtained as a result of a search order carried out on Supreme's premises except for the purposes of the proceeding. On 19 November 2007, the High Court further ordered Nintendo to disclose to Supreme the names and contact details of all persons or organisations to whom Nintendo (or anyone acting on its behalf and/or anyone under its control) has provided the Press Release.
THQ has obtained the rights to produce games based on the television show Merv Griffin's Crosswords. The translations will be handled by THQ's ValuSoft. Even though his name is on the game show, Merv Griffin didn't actually appear on the program. He passed away in August of this year but was apparently involved in early talks for the videogame.
"Merv was aware of the negotiations with ValuSoft," said Ron Ward, Vice Chairman of The Griffin Group. "We discussed the concept of console videogames together, and I know how exciting he found this opportunity."
The game show pits players against each other and the clock as they all attempt to solve crosswords. The videogames are expected to arrive on the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation 2 in 2009. The agreement gives ValuSoft the option to also obtain the rights for Wii and DS versions.
"The growing popularity of Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360, in addition to the solid install-base of the PlayStation 2 system, provides a significant opportunity for a game like Merv Griffin's Crosswords," said Doug Clemmer, president of ValuSoft.
Yeah, the NES PC is old hat, but if you just can't find the time to create one for yourself, why not pay some diligent soul for their hard work rather than living another month without one? Available via eBay, this finely crafted piece of art won't crank through any of the latest PC titles, but it comes with plenty of horsepower (and peripherals) to handle all the emulation you can stand. Granted, Americans will have to fork over additional coinage to have it shipped in from France, but flooring a room full of nerds at your forthcoming holiday bash will most certainly make it worthwhile.
am happy to announce that the latest dashboard update has now been officially released and is in process of being rolled out across the LIVE service. For many of you, the next time you sign in to Xbox LIVE, you will be prompted to receive the update. A couple of things to keep in mind over the next few hours as the update is deployed:
* You'll be prompted to accept the update when you sign into Xbox Live sometime in the next few hours. You will only receive the prompt for the update upon sign in. You won't get it in middle of a game.
* Regardless of what you have heard, it's not geographically based. No one area of the world will get it before another.
* If you log out and then back in again, this won't force the update...it will only anger people on your friends list who will see you sign in, then out, then in, then out ...
* Be patient, everyone will eventually receive the update
This release is primarily to bring some components up to date, and some minor code changes to hopefully prevent against a few problems. I spent some time yesterday investigating the possibility of removing K-Lite and configuring the codecs on the fly through Encode360, but it just looks too difficult to do right now
Given that Microsoft are probably going to be supporting DivX content with the dashboard update due tomorrow, I think you can pretty much scrap the need for this apps existence so at this point, development will probably stop. Thanks for everyone's support on the project so far, particularly the forum moderators who gave up their spare time to help people out with problems. Oh, and Happy 1st Birthday Encode360, although a bit belated. It was about 2 weeks ago ...)
Encode360 2.0 RC2 Changelog:
* NEW: Command-line option /Auto etc. for automatic encoding
* NEW: Updated with support Vista Controls (Class Library from http://www.codeproject.com/vista/VistaControls.asp by Pedro M. C. Cardoso)
* CHANGE: Upgraded to VS2008 Project
* CHANGE: App Manifest for UAC (will hopefully prevent against regkey write failures because of running under standard user mode that was mucking up some filter settings, such as 5.1 audio through AC3Filter and subtitles under ffdshow)
* CHANGE: Updated MediaInfo to 0.7.5.5
* CHANGE: Updated K-Lite to 3.5.7
I wanted to give XNA Creators Club members a look at how you'll work with XNA Creators Club content after the update and how using XNA Game Studio 2.0 will change as a result.
* Goodbye "Demos and More"
When you get the update, you'll notice that the games blade has been completely redesigned. There's a new feature called the Games Library, which is the one-stop destination for all your game content on your Xbox 360 console--including XNA Game Studio Connect, and the XNA Game Launcher.
The Games Library uses the "Twist" interface to allow you to filter content based on it's type. While the twist category for XNA Creators Club is hidden by default if you have the XNA Game Launcher or XNA Game Studio Connect installed you'll be able to filter the list.
If I twist over to the XNA Creators Club twist you'll see that my arcade games have been filtered out.
* New Integration for XNA Game Studio 2.0
As we mentioned in an earlier post XNA Game Studio Connect sits side by side with XNA Game Launcher. If you look at the All Games list you'll see them both listed.
The really big feature however, is that when you deploy a game using XNA Game Studio Connect it will appear in the Games Library just like any other game you've downloaded. To run the game you'll still need an XNA Creators Club Membership but you no longer have to launch XNA Game Studio Connect before you can browse and run your games!
Games deployed through XNA Game Launcher (version 1) will continue to exist only inside the XNA Game Launcher itself. As we mentioned earlier, you can deploy version 1 .ccgame files through XNA Game Studio Connect and they will show up in the Games Library just like any other version 2 game!
If you change the Live ID associated with your gamertag (as the Dash update allows you to do), you will lose all of your forum posts, CUL and icons. All your posts will appear as 'anonymous'. We're hard at work on a fix, but despite the team working on it all weekend, we don't have a fix ready to go out with the update.
If you are particularly attached to your Community User Level or forum icons please DON'T change your Live ID until we deploy a fix. It should only be a few days, and we apologize for the inconvenience. We will let you know as soon as it is safe to change your Live ID and keep all your forum goodness.
Commodore4eva has noticed a recent change in games with regards to the c/r timings. It appears to have started in games a few weeks before halo 3, that will give a slightly altered Security Sector file when ripped using a kreon drive. We have tried to replicate the error with a samsung drive in 0800 mode with no success.
This slightly altered data would be very easy to detect, and would enable microsoft to use as critera for bannings. We believe this is the result of the recent bannings.
We are still not sure if this was a intentional move by Microsoft's part, or a coincedental bug within kreon. As a side note, kreon will not give this altered data every time, but appears to happen randomly. Here is a list of a few games that appear to have the possibility of giving altered SS data when ripped with kreon:
Halo 3
Mass Effect
Call Of Duty 4
Spiderman friend or foe
Thrillville
Project Gotham Racing 4
NHL 08
Half Life 2 The Orange Box
Oblivion GOTY Edition
This is just a small list of findings so far. There will be a full list maintained as time goes on (likely found in the forum thread below).
Kreon, Redline99 and commodore4eva are all involved with this progress, so there will be a solution in the near future, whether its a kreon firmware, XBC, or firmware update to resolve the issue.
If you have recently been banned, and would like to confirm whether one of your backups has a bad kreon SS, please use xdvdmulleter or any other program to extract the SS, and run Kreon Checker (compliments of #Stealth360 on efnet) on the SS, it will tell you whether it is a good or bad kreon rip. We are trying to verify that everyone who was banned had a bad kreon SS. As we find out more, the xdvdmulleter database will be updated to fix any bad Security Sectors on specific games.
EA's Need for Speed ProStreet is on top of the German charts according to sales data released by Media-Control GfK International.
During the week ended November 25, the latest game in the Need for Speed franchise took first, second, and fifth place on Germany's charts, with the PS2 version beating out the PC and PS3 versions.
The PC version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and the Wii's Super Mario Galaxy were also in the top five, at number three and four respectively.
The complete Top 10 list is as follows:
1. Need for Speed ProStreet (PS2)
2. Need for Speed ProStreet (PC)
3. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC)
4. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
5. Need for Speed ProStreet (PS3)
6. Crysis (PC)
7. High School Musical - Sing It (PS2)
8. Dr. Kawashima's Gehirn-Jogging (DS)
9. Dr. Kawashima: Mehr Gehirn-Jogging (DS)
10. Die Siedler (DS)
Koch Media has announced that it has received certification from Microsoft to publish titles on the Xbox 360 platform, and plans to release two games in Europe in the future.
Those titles will be Warhammer: Battle March and Sacred 2 - Fallen Angel, although no further details on game content or possible release schedule were announced.
Managing director of Koch, Dr Klemens Kundratitz, said of the move: "As one of the largest software publishers in the European region, we consider releases for Xbox 360 to be more and more important."
Koch Media will release the games via its Deep Silver label. The company recently announced the purchase of Rockstar's former studio in Vienna, Games That Matter.
Don Mattrick, senior vp of Microsoft Interactive Entertainment, thinks the Xbox 360 is the best value for the money this holiday season.
"On a price per value basis, I think we win...relative to Sony and Nintendo," he told an MSNBC reporter.
"Of course, I'm biased given the role that I'm in but if I really think about it using my consumer instincts and the experience that I've had, this is the best blend of performance, price, online and games - by far."
Mattrick, who came to his current position at Microsoft in July just as the company admitted Xbox 360 hardware failures and launched a billion dollar warranty program, thinks that the company has definitely recovered.
"I think we're getting to the point of critical mass in terms of the number of hits. I think we have the highest rated content ever to exist on a gaming system," he said.
Although he noted that the system would have a collection of exclusive and third-party hits next year, he mentioned only Grand Theft Auto IV, which he felt had the potential to be the "Halo equivalent" in the calendar year 2008.
Mattrick also said that he thinks the Xbox 360 has the potential to have the same shelf life as the PlayStation 3, which Sony is predicting will last a decade. Considering the challenge of getting the original Xbox to market and making the transition to the Xbox 360, he was pleased with the company's progress.
"I think we've got great fundamentals, and we're going to continue to drive against those fundamentals to over-deliver value and satisfaction to consumers," Mattrick concluded.
Microsoft has skirted around future plans to add television content to the European Video Marketplace.
We will be given new treats as time goes on, according to word-shaped noise from a spokesperson, but it was unwilling to comment specifically on series' from the telly.
However, the future looks bright; the US has had its Video Marketplace up and running for over a year, and offers all sorts of content including shows like Star Trek, South Park and CSI.
Earlier today Microsoft revealed that Europe would finally be granted the service next Tuesday, offering classics such as Demolition Man and The Matrix for download.
Today also hosts the bi-annual Live update, introducing new features such as downloadable Xbox titles to the online service.
A survey of 4000 parents across the UK, France, Germany and Italy has concluded that 75 per cent of respondents were concerned about the content in videogames that their children played.
Additionally 43 per cent claimed they were unaware of any ratings system in place, despite the PEGI system in place across Europe, and the BBFC in the UK, while 44 per cent believed that time spent playing should be limited to one hour per day.
The survey, carried out on behalf of Microsoft, is the latest research to highlight concerns over the use of videogames by children, despite the number of 18-rated titles available only making up a small percentage of games released.
It also went on to find that an average of 63 per cent of children played games on their own, without any kind of supervision, although most parents claimed that they identified and selected the most appropriate games for their children to play.
ELSPA set up the Askaboutgames web site to try and better inform parents about the content of videogames, and how to judge whether or not a game is suitable.
And in the UK Dr Tanya Byron is currently leading a government review into the subject of how children relate to videogames and the internet, the findings of which are due in the first half of 2008.
THQ's WWE Smackdown! Vs. RAW 2008 continues to top the charts in Spain according to sales data released by Media-Control GfK International.
The PS2 version of the game was in first place, with the PSP version coming in at number six.
Recent releases Assassin's Creed, Super Mario Galaxy, and Need for Speed ProStreet charted at number two, four, and five, respectively, but could not overcome Smackdown's continuing popularity.
Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, which has also been on the charts for some time, remained in the third spot.
The complete Top 10 list is as follows:
1. WWE Smackdown! Vs. RAW 2008 (PS2)
2. Assassin's Creed (PS3)
3. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PS2)
4. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
5. Need for Speed ProStreet (PS3)
6. WWE Smackdown! Vs. RAW 2008 (PSP)
7. Mas Brain Training (DS)
8. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PS3)
9. Imagina Ser Mama (DS)
10. DragonBall Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (PS2)
Culdcept is one of my all-time favorite PlayStation 2 titles, and next month it's getting an Xbox 360 sequel, Culdcept Saga. Quite popular in Japan, Culdcept combines the board game real-estate collection mechanics of Monopoly with Magic's monster card battles to create something I can only describe as geektastically blissful, and it will be that much more awesome when the 360 version introduces four-player online and the ability to customize your avatar with unlockable items. *squee!* It's much easier for you to try it out for yourself than for me to explain it, so clear off a good 620megs or so off of your 360's hard drive and download the demo. If you don't like it you aren't my friend anymore, and I want my lawnmower back. You've had it for months now, and you live in an apartment so it doesn't even make any sense.
The Air Tube wind tunnel matches perfectly XCM 360 full console replacement case to add more extreme tuning design to your console. Available in Chameleon LEDs and White LEDs.
The Air Tube Chameleon version comes with a light system that changes between 6 colors in rotation. It fits any model of Xbox 360 to replace the original wind tunnel, with more style!
New from Divineo China comes a new replacement case in 2 different colours, Black and White, heres a look at both:
For Xbox 360 that include a HDMI port (Elite etc.), this is the ultimate case mod: Great design, XCM Chameleon system with rotating colors, full custom Black or White case. And matching HD and Wireless controller case.
The ultimate case mod for Xbox 360 with HDMI port! Includes everything: Full case, HD case, Wireless controller case, Chamelon lighting (rotation multi color enlightment of your console).
Hollywood director Michael Bay has lashed out at Microsoft and its HD-DVD format, claiming its purpose is to make other formats fail rather than succeed itself.
His angry swipe was made on the "Ask Michael Bay" sub-forum (well spotted, Kotaku) after a fan pushed him on the unavailability of his films on Blu-ray.
"What you don't understand is corporate politics. Microsoft wants both formats to fail so they can be heroes and make the world move to digital downloads. That is the dirty secret no one is talking about," fumed Bay.
"That is why Microsoft is handing out USD 100 million cheques to studios just embrace the HD-DVD and not the leading, and superior Blu-ray. They want confusion in the market until they perfect the digital downloads. Time will tell and you will see the truth."
Conspiracies like robots disguised as trucks on Earth, then.
Recently we heard Blu-ray films accounted for 73 per cent of the high definition market in Europe, although the keen-eyed among you attributed it to HD-DVD being region free.
So, is Michael Bay right? Or has he pulled your Armageddon?
Doing anything on Friday afternoon? Of course you're not. So why not come along and interview some of the people who made Halo 3?
Yep, following on from chats with Peter Molyneux and Evan Wells, this week we're happy to welcome Bungie Studios production director Jonty Barnes and writing lead Frank O'Connor to our LiveText interview booth.
Both men will be here from 3pm GMT on Friday, 7th December, to take your questions about Halo 3 and anything else you might like to ask them. You will be able to submit questions through moderators and then watch their answers bounce back without having to refresh the web-page at all.
"I'm really looking forward to being grilled by Eurogamer readers on Friday. When I lived in the UK, it was one of my favourite gaming sites," said Barnes, implying that it's all gone wrong for us. "It always had the reputation as being hard yet fair. I expect nothing less from its readers on Friday!"
Frank O'Connor added: "I have been studying European culture carefully since finding out about this interview and I believe that the authoritative piece on the continent and its people, National Lampoon's European Vacation, will be an excellent preparation for me. I have no worries about the types of question these Aussies and Kiwis have planned for us."
So join Jonty, Frank, Super Moderating Hero and all your friends on Friday at 3pm GMT when we'll find out once and for all whether they wear hats, what colour they think snakes should be, and anything else you can think up.
Microsoft has confirmed that Silver Xbox Live members will have to wait a week to access free downloadable content.
Restricted downloads will have a red circle with a slash through it to make it clear, and a message that will pop up confirming its exclusivity to paying Gold subscribers.
Title updates (or patches in real language) should still be applied automatically for everyone connected to Live, but content like demos or the recent free plasmid pack for BioShock will be unobtainable for a week.
"This is not done to annoy our Silver members - limited time exclusive access to content is just one of the many benefits of having a Gold Xbox Live account," said Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, MS community champion, on his blog.
The autumn Live update was applied yesterday and revamped the dashboard appearance and added downloadable Xbox titles to the Marketplace.
More interestingly it also added support for Xvid and DivX playback.
For two organizations that claim to have the same interests in mind, one would think the ESRB and NIMF would get along just fine. But the two organizations who place parents and children on a pedestal are butting heads once again.
Following the release of this year's annual Video Game Report Card, in which NIMF gave the games industry a lukewarm "C" overall, ESRB president Patricia Vance defended strides made in the ratings system and parental awareness.
She said in a statement she appreciates the praise given to the ESRB in the report (the ESRB received a "B"), but added, "...In many significant ways, this year's NIMF Report Card contradicts recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) findings related to parents' awareness, use and satisfaction with ESRB ratings, as well as retailer support of the ratings."
Vance noted how the FTC found in a recent study that 87 percent of parents were satisfied with the ESRB ratings and found them helpful.
NIMF accused the ESRB of mishandling Manhunt 2, a game that the ESRB initially rated "adults only," essentially barring the title from release in a public controversy. Developer Rockstar censored the intense violence that had been flagged, and achieved a less restrictive "mature" rating for the game months after the game was originally scheduled for release.
However, the PSP version of Manhunt 2 still contained violent content, although it was only made accessible by users who hacked into the handheld. NIMF in effect said the "ratings process has not kept up with technological advances."
Vance added in her response, "NIMF exhibits a significant lack of understanding of and, as a result, grossly misrepresents the facts surrounding last month's hack into pirated versions of Manhunt 2.
"...At a time of year when parents are looking for helpful guidance about video games, this year's Report Card does little more than sow unwarranted doubt about effective tools like ESRB ratings."
Nintendo's Wii was the most searched-for product in November, according to a survey of British online shoppers, reports Reuters. DS came in just behind at the second most searched for product.
The survey was done by online search analyst Hitwise who pointed out the obvious that Wii was well ahead of rivals such as Xbox 360. It didn't even mention PS3.
In third place were Ugg boots (ask your daughter or sister because your mum really should have grown up by now). They're "chunky sheepskin boots" worn by celebs such as Kate Moss, Sienna Miller and Kylie Minogue.
Highest traditional Christmas toy was Lego with those awful Bratz dolls at five. iPhone came in sixth and iPod ranked seventh. Been around the block Barbie was the eighth most searched product, followed by the iPod Nano and... the Xbox 360!
They must have stopped searching after that because there was no 11 or 12.
The ten most dangerous games, as called by US group National Institute on Media and the Family, have been revealed. Though it's probably a little too late for the Christmas spending frenzy that's already in full swing.
The list has been designed to help parents decide what games are appropriate for their children, just in case they can't see the massive 'M For Mature' rating on the box.
"There's an endless stream of new games that will never be suitable for children," said Rep. Betty McCollum. That's because adults like games too.
The report also took a pop at retailers, mums and dads and us, citing "growing complacency" among game retailers, parents and the gaming industry on ratings and enforcing them. Sounds a bit like panic fire.
"Unfortunately, we're seeing some steps backwards," said institute president David Walsh. You're not helping.
But the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) stepped up as official defenders of the faith. "At a time of year when parents are looking for helpful guidance about video games, this year's report card does little more than sow unwarranted doubt about effective tools like ESRB ratings," said ESRB president Patricia Vance.
All ten games are indeed rated M-rated. They are:
Assassin's Creed
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Conan
The Darkness
Clive Barker's Jericho
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
Manhunt 2
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
John Woo Presents Stranglehold
Timeshift
Just for fun, what game's the picture from, seen here?
I think this is only in the states, but neither the less is a great deal for something that can work on both a Xbox 360 and a PC! You can check your local Toy's R Us, and see if they have it, or Amazon!
A new version of TVersity Media Server(info) has been released. TVersity allows you to stream pretty much any media (music/pictures and video) format to your Xbox 360 (with on-the-fly transconding if required) from a Windows PC.
What's new/fixed:
* Support for Xbox 360 2007 Fall update, Divx/Xvid can play natively.
* Support fast-forward, rewind and skipping with Xbox 360 while transcoding, within the portion of the media that was already transcoded.
* Include all the patches for the Sony PS3 firmware verison 2, including support for WMA lossless and FLAC.
* Revert HR20 profile to use PCM audio since many users do not have a firmware with WAV support, and add two new profiles for HR20 with WAV support and for HR20 with MP3 support to be set manually by users that have an adequate firmware.
* Support fast forward and rewind within transcoded media with PS3 firmware 2.
* Add experimental support for Windows Mobile - downloading and streaming audio is now supported with Windows Mobile 5.0 or higher, only MSIE and WMP are required.
Since Ritek and CMC Magnetics expanded their 2.4x dual-layer DVD production capacity starting in 2007, pricing has dropped from NT$70-80 (US$2.17-2.48) to NT$55-60, which has helped to boost market demand, according the market sources.
The demand for dual-layer DVDs in 2007 is to be around 190 million units and is expected to go up to 400 million units in 2008, according to disc makers citing a report from BOC.
Additionally, optical disc makers pointed to the popularity of Xbox 360 games consoles and the potential for backup game copies running on modified systems to further drive blank disc sales.
After running through the system update I attempted to purchase Magatama [with a Japanese Silver account on a Xbox360 located in the US]. I haven't played it before so I was looking forward to giving it a go. I got ready to expend 1,200 Microsoft Points when an error message popped up explaining the download was not available in my region. The same problem occurred with Puyo Pop Fever. I turned off my 360 and tried again, but this time the option to download the games was not present. I was able to download the freebies (themes and icons), but it appears Microsoft closed off a path to downloadable import games.
Ivc confirmed on the XBH forums that he managed to perform the Timing Attack on kernel 6683 (fall 07 update) and boot back into kernel 1888:
The timing attack works on the fall update!
I just downgraded a machine with the latest 6683 kernel to 1888 using the PIC timing attack. The CB/CD sections didn't change after the update and is still 1920 after the update. This might suggest CB 1888/1903/1920 on current machines can't be changed/updated, and a newer CB can only be applied to new machines from the factory/rma.
To verify that machines with CB/CD 1888 and CE/CF 6683 could be downgraded, I ran a timing attack on another machine I had and it booted 1888 after timing attacking it for an hour. Both runs was done on Xenon (initial) motherboards.
Yes, the fuse resistor [R6T3] is in place on both machines. No major problems encountered on either machines after the update and downgrade.
Geremia posted some details about the changes he found in the new kernel:
On my early 2006 console, with R6T3 resistor removed, i see only changes in the kernel+filesystem (as usual) and probably an updated consoleravocationlist, and a few bytes increased at quite end of nand @0xFF3C00, don't know, probably some settings, don't know.
No changes in KV and in CB,CD,CE (still 1888), so games are still open
The Xbox 360 supports DivX and XviD as of today, which may make some of you with big file collections (like us) as giddy as a kid in store with puppies made of candy. We threw our entire collection of movies, TV shows and random clips at it and found that the 360 can play back pretty much anything. Here are some notes.
You can play files off of a CD/DVD. This feature wasn't listed on the Xbox Team's website as one of the supported locations for playing back content, but this is fantastic for homes that have wireless networks (or no network at all). In fact, reading off a disc is probably the best way to ensure your movie won't cut out in the middle due to network congestion (unlikely) or someone turning off the computer accidentally (fairly likely).
It supports almost all files. It played back all TV shows we threw at it, including My Name is Earl, 30 Rock, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Battlestar Galactica, and The Venture Bros.. Most of these, and most TV downloaded TV shows, are encoded in XviD format. As for DivX, that's supported back to version 5.0.
AC3 Audio is supported. Nice! AC3 support was added in the Spring Update, but it's nice to see it working with DivX/XviD. 5.1 is supported!
It's not entirely perfect. It's 90% of the way there, improved handling of different video dimensions, better playback controls and Windows Media Center Extender support will make this the perfect DivX/Xvid implementation.
Following the huge success of Xbox LIVE™ Marketplace Video Store in the US, where it has changed the way Xbox 360™ owners view and enjoy video, Microsoft® today announced that Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store will open for business in the UK on 11th December.
Xbox 360 owners will be able to rent full-length films such as 300, The Good German, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from as little as 250 Microsoft Points (*ERP £2) for Standard Definition movies and from 380 Microsoft Points (*ERP £3.20 [1]) for High Definition movies. This is in addition to over 100 music videos currently available to download from partners Ministry of Sound, Sony BMG, PIAS and Vid Zone.
With this launch, Xbox LIVE Marketplace becomes the first video on demand service to be available in six countries - US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France and Germany - and cements its place as the worldwide leader in online distribution of high-definition gaming and entertainment content.
A national watchdog group that monitors the impact of media on minors gave the videogame industry a grade of "C" this year and also took parents and retailers to task for largely failing to keep Mature-rated games out of the hands of children.
The twelfth-annual MediaWise Video Game Report Card, issued by the National Institute on Media and the Family, docked the gaming industry for marketing adult games to children, which it called "a disgustingly familiar practice." The Institute also criticized Nintendo and Rockstar for producing a Manhunt 2-themed blood-splattered Wii; knocked game companies for failing to "disclose when games are stolen from their facilities and leaked onto the Internet;" and slammed developers Eidos and Rockstar, who it says "dredged the well of poor taste" with Kane & Lynch and Manhunt 2.
The group commended the Entertainment Software Ratings Board for its efforts to educate parents about the game rating system but urged the board to do much more to extend its reach and engage with government groups.
An interactive Harris Poll conducted by the Institute found that 52 percent of parents claim to use the ESRB rating system but that 72 percent know little or nothing about the rating system overall, and many could not identify the meanings of specific ratings like AO (Adults Only) and EC (Early Childhood).
To test the rate of mature game sales to minors, the Institute conducted a sting operation which found that underage, undercover shoppers were able to buy M-rated games nearly 50 percent of the time. That's an increase over the Institute's findings in 2006, according to the report.
In a statement, the ESRB today refuted the Institute's findings that parents are either unaware of or unsure of the videogame ratings system.
"In many significant ways, this year's NIMF Report Card contradicts recent Federal Trade Commission findings related to parents' awareness, use and satisfaction with ESRB ratings, as well as retailer support of the ratings," said ESRB president Patricia Vance. "In addition, NIMF exhibits a significant lack of understanding of and, as a result, grossly misrepresents the facts surrounding last month's hack into pirated versions of Manhunt 2, a game rated for ages 17 and older that carried prominent and explicit warnings to consumers about its violent content. At a time of year when parents are looking for helpful guidance about video games, this year's Report Card does little more than sow unwarranted doubt about effective tools like ESRB ratings"
A recent Federal Trade Commission study found that unaccompanied minors have been having less and less success buying M-rated games since 2000. According to the FTC, 85 percent of kids were able to buy such games in 2000 – that number decreased to 78 percent in 2001, 69 percent in 2003 and 42 percent in 2006.
The Institute's answer to what it sees as the problems of parental ignorance, apathy and confusion toward videogame ratings is to migrate toward a universal U.S. media rating system that would encompass games, music, film and television. Of the six recommendations included in the group's report, a universal ratings system is at the top.
"The advantage is, parents would have a clear understanding. Right now it's a big bowl of alphabet soup," said Institute spokesman Blois Olson in an interview with IGN. "Parents are deluged with these messages. It's one thing for TV shows, it's another for film – we're in an age where, in many homes, it's all one medium. If [media companies'] goal is convergence, than a universal ratings system is needed."
A universal media rating system has been suggested in the past, but individual media segments have remained steadfastly committed to their own systems. The Institute also called for a change to the ESRB's practice or rating games based solely on content playable by legal means. So if hackers can illegally gain access to mature content in a game, the ESRB should rate that game as Mature, according to the Institute.
"Ultimately, the market needs to decide, parents need to decide, and we need to have confidence that the system is going to work," said Olson.
This is the first year the Institute gave the overall videogame industry a separate rating. Last year, the group gave separate grades to console manufacturers (A), retailer policies (B), large retailer enforcement (A), specialty retailer enforcement (F), ratings education (B) and parental involvement (Incomplete).
This year, despite their apparent lack of understanding of videogame ratings, parents received a C, ratings education received a B-, the ESRB received a C+, and retailer rankings ranged from B to F.
Aside from its plea for a universal rating system, the Institute had no recommendations for the game industry as a whole, focusing its attention mainly on retailers, parents and consumers.
