Just a quick note here for all of you stalking the Xbox Live Arcade in search of a new game this morning – It appears that there will be no "new" XBLA release this week, so unless you plan on picking up one of the two games reaching "Arcade Hits" status this week (as we filled you in on yesterday, Assault Heroes and Doom will be dropped to 400 points ($5) each), there's nothing to get excited about.
Move along, nothing to see here.
March 19, 2008
Posted by nylatenite |
Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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Microsoft has announced that two more titles will be joining the ranks of it's price reduced Xbox Live Arcade Hits series this Wednesday. Both Assault Heroes and Doom will see their prices slashed from 800 points ($10) to 400 points ($5) – not a bad deal if you've been thinking of grabbing either of the two titles
"Whether you’re avoiding spring cleaning or revving up for spring break, be sure to check out the latest Arcade Hits coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade on Wednesday, including “Assault Heroes” and “DOOM.” The Arcade Hits program offers some of the best-selling Xbox LIVE Arcade games at permanently reduced prices. They can be found within the Xbox LIVE Arcade section of the new Game Store, making it easier than ever to build a library of great downloadable games.
- “Assault Heroes” (Sierra Online). Become the only surviving member of an elite special forces unit searching for a secret underground lab. Play the mission alone or fight side-by-side with a friend in the two-player cooperative mode. The winner of IGN’s Xbox LIVE Arcade game of the year for 2006, “Assault Heroes” will be available for 400 Microsoft Points.
- “DOOM” (id Software). Originally released in 1993, “DOOM” introduced millions to the white-knuckle excitement of the first-person shooter (FPS). Relive the classic demon-blasting action with up to four players over Xbox LIVE*, complete with 5.1 surround sound and smoother graphics. “Doom” will be available for 400 Microsoft Points." – Microsoft press release
While Doom may not have held up to the test of time that well, Assault Heroes is definitely worth the soon to be reduced price. – even when you consider the fact that Assault Heroes 2 is coming soon. It's a great twin-stick top down shooter that captures that classic arcade feel – check it out, I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed.
March 18, 2008
Posted by nylatenite |
Announcements, Microsoft, Price Drop, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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While no one at Microsoft is shouting this one from the rafters, if you take a look at the product page for the Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player over at Xbox.com, you'll notice that the official MSRP is now $49.99.
I'm guessing the lack of any kind of fanfare over this second price drop centers around the fact that Microsoft has officially discontinued the drive and would probably like nothing better than to never hear the words HD-DVD again. Regardless of the reason, if you've been considering grabbing one for either the cheap movies or collectible reasons, now may be the best time to grab one.
(Once again, just in case you aren't aware, Toshiba has officially abandoned the format, and Microsoft has announced they are discontinuing the drive. You have been warned.)
February 26, 2008
Posted by nylatenite |
Discontinued, HD-DVD, Microsoft, Peripherals & Accessories, Price Drop, Rumor Confirmed, Xbox 360 |
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Well, I was planning on hitting the sack, but then I made one last stop in at Amazon.com to check on the Xbox 360 HD-DVD player and, as was the rumor this weekend, the drive is being sold (at least at Amazon right now) for $49.99 brand new. While I haven't seen the price drop at other retailers as of yet, I can't imagine Amazon will be the only one.
(Just in case you aren't aware, Toshiba has officially abandoned the format, and Microsoft has announced they are discontinuing the drive. You have been warned.)
UPDATE: 10:42AM – 2/25/08: It looks like the drive is now sold-out at Amazon.
February 25, 2008
Posted by nylatenite |
Amazon, Discontinued, HD-DVD, Microsoft, Peripherals & Accessories, Price Drop, Xbox 360 |
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You read that right, true believers, it’s official – Gears of War 2 is in production and slated for a November 2008 release exclusively on the Xbox 360. If you recall, this site was pretty much engulfed in Emergence Day fever back in 2006, and I fully expect to once again catch the bug for this next installment. I’d ramble on more and more about this right now, as well as all the other juicy announcements coming out of the 2008 Game Developer’s Conference, but I’m still not really feeling 100% and just want to crawl into bed.
Since this is a Lazy Day Trailers post, it wouldn’t be complete without a video courtesy of the fine people at GameTrailers.com – check it out below!
While we’re talking about Gears of War 2, a free Xbox 360 dashboard theme and gamerpicture set (as well as the above video) are currently available in the Xbox Live Marketplace.
Gears of War 2 will be coming exclusively to the Xbox 360 (though you can just about be sure a PC port will eventually follow) in November of 2008. Expect many updates in the months to come.
February 21, 2008
Posted by nylatenite |
Announcements, CliffyB, Epic Games, Gears of War, Lazy Day Trailers, Microsoft, Video, Woot!, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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According to Microsoft's in-house blog, Gamescore Blog, effective immediately the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive add-on will see a $50 price reduction, bringing it's cost down to $129.99.
"We’re happy to announce that we’re lowering the price of the popular Xbox 360 HD DVD player from $179 to $129 (estimated retail price) in the U.S. and Canada, effective immediately." – Gamerscore Blog
That's the whole text of the message – which makes me think that Microsoft isn't quite as happy to be making this announcement as they claim to be. I don't know about you, but this one has the smell of desperation written all over it. With the recent upswing in Blu-Ray's install base and the rumored departures of even more studios from the HD-DVD side, I do have to wonder if Microsoft will continue to produce the drives or if this is just their way of clearing inventory.
One thing is for certain, collectors should begin keeping an eye on the drive, because if history teaches us anything, it's that once the price bottoms out and the spare inventory is gone, the aftermarket cost will explode. It may not happen this month, next month or the even in the next six months depending on how the high-definition video format wars go, but I get the feeling at some point, the drive is going to wind up in the clearance bin.
February 7, 2008
Posted by nylatenite |
Announcements, HD-DVD, Microsoft, Peripherals & Accessories, Price Drop, Xbox 360 |
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This week, Xbox Live Arcade brings us another original title in the form of Void Star Creations' Poker Smash. What we've got here is your standard "match the objects" puzzle game mixed with everyone's favorite card game poker.
I was originally hoping the game would play more like the old Poker Solitaire game found on the Atari 2600 cartridge Casino, but while that little dream may have been crushed, Poker Smash does present an interesting twist to the standard puzzler and offers some fun gameplay all of it's own. Gameplay is simple enough, poker cards appear in columns that are moving towards the top of the screen. Your job is to move cards around sideways from column to column in an attempt to form poker hands. As you create hands, the cards are removed from the column and the game continues until one of the columns reaches the top of the screen. Players are also given the ability to destroy specific cards they target as well as change the speed of the columns movement. Put it all together and you've got a pretty decent puzzler.
Title: Poker Smash
Developer: Void Star Creations LLC
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 2/06/08
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2 / 2-5 Online
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone) Mild Language
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Poker Smash™ is an action-packed puzzle game with a poker twist. Poker Smash expands on the traditional match-three puzzle mechanic with elements of one of the world's most popular card games: poker. Make vertical and horizontal matches by forming poker hands, and play in seven different game modes, including multiplayer. Fast and fluid controls paired with radical features such as super-slow motion and card-blasting bombs make this game a whole new puzzle experience!
- Innovative gameplay: Match-three gameplay with a twist. Create poker hands and form chains to rack up the big score.
- Seven game modes: Intense game modes include action, timed, puzzle levels (55 of them), practice, custom playlist, split screen head-to-head, and multiplayer tournaments.
- Multiplayer experience: Two-player offline and multiplayer over Xbox LIVE® is featured.
- New leaderboards: In addition to the traditional leaderboards, Poker Smash features never-before-seen rivalry tracking and even movie recording with shared playback.
- Immersive environment: The next-gen 3-D graphics feature eleven different highly detailed environments and background themes, coupled with thirteen new original soundtracks for play." – Xbox.com
As for last week's Live Arcade releases, I'm going to keep this short as I've been experiencing technical difficulties all day long here and just want to get this up on the site…
As I mentioned in last week's post, I'm not the person to judge Chessmaster Live, so I have nothing to say about how well it plays a game of chess. You're still on your own on that one. Rez HD on the other hand, maintains all the trippiness of it's predecessors while still being a quality rail shooter. Try the demo and I'm sure you'll agree.
February 6, 2008
Posted by nylatenite |
Microsoft, Puzzle, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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This week, the Xbox Live Arcade brings us two new releases in the form of the Tetsuya Mizuguchi's highly anticipated shooter Rez HD and Chessmaster LIVE.
Many of you probably only know the original Rez from the famous internet story about the game and it's curious peripheral, the Trance Vibrator, posted at GameGirl Advance, but even without the more salacious aspect of the games history, Rez does have a cult following among former Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 owners.
At it's heart, Rez HD – like the original Rez, is a rail shooter that tries to draw the player in by presenting them with a world of color and sound that responds to their every action while simultaneously overloading the senses… and for those of you wondering, while the game does not support the original Trance Vibrator, it will support up to three Xbox 360 controllers for one player – allowing two to be used in that capacity.
Rez HD will be available for download via the Xbox Live Marketplace at a cost of 800 points ($10).
Title: Rez HD
Developer: Q Entertainment
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 1/30/08
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E – (Everyone) Mild Violence
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Set in a cyberworld, the legendary fast-paced action-shooter Rez HD, created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, will provide the ultimate audiovisual experience as the player targets the enemies and hacks the system while creating their own beats. Rez will open your senses … let's go to synaesthesia was the watchword when Rez released in 2001 to become a fan favorite. The dynamic, total integration of visual presentation, sound and player input provides the ultimate audiovisual experience.
- Legendary gaming experience: Old-school vector style graphics, sensory response, and beat synchronization sets the title apart and is perfectly recreated in this port for Xbox LIVE® Arcade in high-definition and 5.1 surround sound.
- The world of Rez: Rez consists of five different levels, each with its own unique visual theme and style, musical track and a boss battle at the end. The game also features several different modes and lots of unlockable elements, giving it plenty of replay value.
- Game modes: Play through the five areas in regular or Score Attack mode. Go to the Beyond mode and try Direct Assault, Lost Mode, the free play Trance Mission, or take on all the bosses consecutively in Boss Rush.
- Feel the rhythm: To further enhance the Rez experience, artists including Coldcut, Adam Freeland, Joujouka, Ken Ishii and Keiichi Sugiyama (SEGA's Wave Master) contributed tracks to the game." – Xbox.com
Next up, we have Chessmaster LIVE from Ubisoft – which is, quite naturally, a chess game. While graphics may play a huge role in many titles, I think anyone familiar with chess knows that a chess game can really only be as good as it's artificial intelligence. It's because of this that I really can't say much else about Chessmaster LIVE as I've yet to play the game, not am I a good enough chess player to accurately judge how well the game plays. My advice to you is to try the demo and read any reviews that are released regarding the game before investing your 800 points ($10) in the title.
Title: Chessmaster LIVE
Developer: Ubisoft Sofia
Publisher: Ubisoft Entertainment
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 1/30/08
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E – (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Enjoy playing as a real strategist with the Xbox LIVE® version of the most-acclaimed chess franchise. Chessmaster LIVE allows you to challenge friends and players all over the world in thrilling contests and determine who's the real champ. Choose among several 3-D (or 2-D) sets and play against virtual characters or real opponents over Xbox LIVE. Solve puzzles and discover exciting variations of this classic board game. Beginners can learn the basics of chess, and veteran players can improve their mastery of the game with the advanced scenario. The game is yours … it's your move!
- The challenge of chess: Compete against advanced A.I. characters or challenge other Xbox LIVE members to a match.
- New message chess system: Start a game without any time limit, and play the game at your leisure over the course of days or even weeks.
- Chess puzzles and chess variations: Puzzle over a series of classic challenges such as "find the fork" or "mate in one," and experience new ways of playing chess including Dark Chess, Losing Chess, Extinction Chess, and Progressive Chess.
- Customizable environments: Choose from six 3-D chess sets and three traditional sets, each with their own distinct sound effects, piece and board design.
- Interact with opponents: Video options allow you to see your challenger during the course of the game." – Xbox.com
As for last week's Live Arcade title, Boogie Bunnies just really didn't do anything for me. Sure, there were plenty of cute bunnies line dancing, but the game itself felt much like so many other puzzlers that I just didn't feel it justified the 800 point ($10) price tag attached to it.
January 30, 2008
Posted by nylatenite |
Microsoft, Q Entertainment, Rez, Shooter, Tetsuya Mizuguchi, Ubisoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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Just a quick reminder to all – starting this morning at 5am EST and running through 2:59am EST, Monday, January 28th, Chair Entertainment's Undertow will be made available for free to all Xbox Live members worldwide.
"Marc announced that all Xbox LIVE members (Gold and Silver) around the world would have access to a full Xbox LIVE Arcade game to download free of charge. We’re pleased to announce that beginning next Wednesday, 2:00 a.m. PST through Sunday, 11:59 p.m. PST, Xbox LIVE members worldwide can download the full version of the recent award-winning Xbox LIVE Arcade game, Undertow." – Gamerscore Blog
Microsoft has also been very clear that they are not leaving out those of you who have already purchased this title. If you've already bought Undertow, simply contact Xbox support at 1-800-4MY-XBOX during the promotional period and they will see to it that you get credited the 800 Microsoft points you spent on the game.
Regardless of what you may think of Undertow, free is still free, so I'd definitely suggest downloading this one regardless of whether or not you feel Microsoft could have chosen a better title to offer Live members to make up for all the problems of late.
January 23, 2008
Posted by nylatenite |
Apology, Free Games, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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If you remember, last week we reported on a rumor that Microsoft was considering compensating Xbox Live members for the recent string of outages and issues with the service by giving away a free game – as it would turn out, that rumor has now been partially confirmed by Microsoft.
In a recent post on MajorNelson.com, Xbox Live General Manager Marc Whitten confirmed that the company does plan on giving away a free Live Arcade title to Live subscribers.
"During this past holiday season you helped us break a number of Xbox LIVE records. This included our largest sign-up of new members to Xbox LIVE in our 5 year history and just yesterday you broke the record for the single biggest day of concurrent members ever on the service.
As a result of this massive increase in usage we know that some of you experienced intermittent Xbox LIVE issues over the holiday break. While the service was not completely offline at any given time, we are disappointed in our performance. I would like to take this moment to thank each and every one of you for your patience and understanding as our team has worked around the clock to return the service to a stable state.
At the same time we would like to offer a token of our appreciation to all of you in celebration of record success for the service. And as a thank you for your loyalty during this holiday period, we will be offering all of our Xbox LIVE members around the world access to a full Xbox LIVE Arcade game that will be available to download free of charge. In the coming weeks we will be sharing the specific details of this offer with you.
Thank you again for helping make Xbox LIVE everything that it is today!" – Marc Whitten
Interestingly, the above statement doesn't state that the game is being given out because of the issues, but rather as a gift to members because of the growth of the service – something which certainly may have led to the opening several people in Texas felt was needed to file a class-action lawsuit against Microsoft for the aforementioned issues.
It still remains to be seen just what game Microsoft plans on giving away, though at this point anything other than a quality title that no one currently owns is certain to just fan the internet flames even more.
January 6, 2008
Posted by nylatenite |
Downtime, Free Games, Microsoft, Rumor Confirmed, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, Xbox Live Arcade |
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As many of you have no doubt noticed, Xbox Live has been a bit wonky since just after Christmas. Numerous reports of issues with signing in, buying marketplace content, accessing downloaded content and matchmaking problems in both Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 have been flooding in since just after the start of the holidays.
Rest assured, the folks at Microsoft are well aware of the situation and, according to Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb, have been working around the clock to get the problems resolved. While most of the service is back up and running, some users may still be experiencing issues – and unfortunately, there is still no ETA on a full fix.
"You may have noticed that the LIVE service has been having a few issues over the past few days. This includes things like signing in, matchmaking and account recovery. Not everyone has had problems, but I know some of you have and I wanted to give you and update. While the service was never completely offline, problems like this are not acceptable. The entire LIVE team has been working day and night to ensure that you can have a great LIVE experience. While we’re not done yet, I wanted to let you know that things are getting better each hour and that no one on the team is going anywhere until the job is done. Thanks for your patience.
Edit: As people have noticed, we have made good progress. We have a bit more work to do, but we’re doing much better now. I know some of you still may be having issues, and we’re working on those. Oh, and Happy New Year to those that are celebrating." – Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb
Before anyone runs off to get the torches, according to a gaming blog called The Bitbag (found by way of Kotaku), an unnamed source at Microsoft confirmed that the company does plan on compensating Xbox Live Gold members for the outage, though no exact details on what that would entail were given.
"I got some info from my Microsoft contact after questioning whether or not Gold Members will get thrown a bone for all the downtime they had to sit through. While nothing has been officially announced, they have stated, “…we will definitely be doing something for our Gold members that weren’t able to get online over the last week.”" – Torrence Davis, The Bitbag
While it's just an unconfirmed rumor at this point, I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see at least a few days added onto everyone's expiry dates or the like.
January 1, 2008
Posted by nylatenite |
Downtime, Major Nelson, Microsoft, Rumors, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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A demo of Microsoft's Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in Asia, Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and The United States via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Approximate download size is 1.2GB.
Please note: As of late November, it appears that Microsoft has re-instituted the one week wait before free content becomes available to Xbox Live Silver members. As such, if you're not an Xbox Live Gold member, this demo most likely won't be available for download until sometime next week.
December 28, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Demo, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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After months of build-up, Microsoft is finally ready to release the Xbox 360 Fall 2007 Dashboard Update. While the most anticipated features will certainly be the ability to buy downloadable versions of original Xbox games via the Xbox Live Marketplace and expanded support for video codecs (DivX Support included), there are a wealth of other little features in there that should further refine the 360's online experience.
"As promised, Microsoft is bringing some early gifts to your Xbox 360® just prior to the holiday season. Beginning at 0200 A.M. PST on December 4, 2007, the Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard Update will be available for all connected Xbox 360 consoles free of charge, bringing an array of new features and enhancements to the leading gaming and entertainment system.
Among the key new enhancements are the previously announced Xbox Originals game download service, Family Timer parental control feature, and expanded social networking experiences. Xbox 360 owners can also look forward to enhanced navigation, profile, and video features and Xbox LIVE® Arcade Hits.
This free update will be digitally distributed over Xbox LIVE to the more than eight million Xbox LIVE members worldwide (Xbox LIVE Silver and Gold) with no disc or hard drive required. If you don't have an Xbox LIVE account, you can easily sign up for the free network by connecting your console to a broadband Internet connection. New features and enhancements include:
MORE DOWNLOAD OPTIONS
- Xbox Originals: With this new service, announced on November 13, you can download-to-own full original Xbox® games that were previously only available at retail. The digital shelves will always be stocked with classic titles, such as Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, Crimson Skies®: High Road to Revenge™, Halo®, Fable®, Fuzion Frenzy®, Psychonauts™, and more as the catalogue grows over time, at 1200 Microsoft Points per game.
- Xbox LIVE Arcade Hits: On Xbox LIVE Arcade, the Arcade Hits program kicks off as some of the best-selling Xbox LIVE Arcade games become available at permanently reduced prices, making it easier than ever for everyone to build a library of downloadable games! The first games to become Arcade Hits will be Bankshot Billiards 2™ and Lumines™ Live!, which will be available for 800 Microsoft Points each, and Marble Blast Ultra, Small Arms™, and Zuma® Deluxe, which will be available for 400 Microsoft Points each. With free trial downloads for every game and over 100 games to choose from, Xbox LIVE Arcade offers something for every member of the family.
NEW WAYS TO KEEP UP TO DATE AND CONNECTED
- Inside Xbox: A new direct feed brings current news straight from Xbox.com into the Xbox LIVE Dashboard providing an easy, predictable entry point where you can discover what's new in game releases, events, Xbox LIVE Marketplace offers, and lots more.
- Enhanced online profile: If you're interested in sharing a few more details about yourself you can go beyond your motto and further personalize your profile with an expanded bio. The extended bios will be visible to "Friends Only" or the entire Xbox LIVE community.
- Expanded Friends List access: A quick and easy way for gamers to expand their personal community on Xbox LIVE, members will be able to see the Friends Lists of other Xbox LIVE members, boosting their social networking experience on the service.
ENHANCED OVERALL EXPERIENCE AND CONTROL
- Enhanced Parental Controls: Family Timer, a strong and flexible new addition to the Xbox 360 Family Settings, enables parents to set the amount of time their Xbox 360 can be used on a per-day or per-week basis by their children or other members of the household.
- New video features: The convenience of full-screen movie previews and enhanced video codec support further expand the options when it comes to the Xbox 360 entertainment experience.
- Easy-to-use navigation features: With several noteworthy changes in the Xbox LIVE Dashboard, from the new Game Store button to the Video Store button to enhanced visuals and descriptions in the video library, Xbox LIVE members can find what they want, when they want it." – Xbox.com
Those of you wishing to check out the full list of features added in the Fall 2007 Dashboard Update should be sure to check out the "December 2007 System Update" post from Gamerscore Blog linked below. While we're at it, let's also all keep our fingers crossed that the update doesn't cause a mass-bricking.
December 4, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Announcements, Dashboard Update, Microsoft, Xbox 360 |
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Xbox Live turns five years old today, and to celebrate Microsoft is rolling out a bunch of freebies for the masses via the Xbox Live Marketplace. That's right – Xbox Live is having a birthday, but we get the presents.
"Wait… presents? What presents?", you ask – well, let me tell you all about them;
- Carcassonne
- On Thursday, November 15th and Friday, November 16th, Carcassonne – the Xbox Live version of the classic European board game – will be made available to all Xbox Live subscribers as a free download. The game is normally priced at 800 points ($10), so be sure to grab it during this 48 hour window.
- Xbox Dashboard Themes
- Microsoft will be offering the following "special edition" Dashboard Themes available as free downloads;
- Live is 5ive – A dashboard theme celebrating five years of Xbox Live.
- Return to Castle Wolfenstein – A dashboard theme based on the game of the same name.
- Gears of War – A dashboard theme based on the game of the same name.
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 – A dashboard theme based on the game of the same name.
- Halo 2 – A dashboard theme based on the game of the same name.
- Mech Assault – A dashboard theme based on the game of the same name.
- Special 5 Year Member Bonus
- Xbox Live members who have been with the service since the very beginning will be receiving 500 Microsoft points ($6.25) and a few bits of "exclusive content" as Microsoft's way of saying "Thank You". According to the promotional page, those eligible will be receiving more details via e-mail. I've been a member since day one and haven't seen that e-mail yet, so I'm assuming it won't be sent out until the promotion is fully underway.
It's definitely been a fun five years and I think just about everyone will agree that Xbox Live is without a doubt THE defining feature of the Xbox 360. It really is amazing when you stop and think just how fast the service has grown since the launch of the 360.
Think about it – at the time Live was launched, many people said it would never work, that no one would be willing to pay for the privilege of playing their games online. Microsoft took that challenge and presented a solid service on the original Xbox that many (myself included) felt was well worth the price and then massively expanded the concept with the Xbox 360 while raising the quality of that service even farther. If there is one thing Microsoft has done right since their entry into the console market, it would have to be Xbox Live.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY XBOX LIVE – SEE YOU AT THE 10 YEAR MARK!
November 15, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Announcements, Free Games, Free Stuff, Microsoft, Woot!, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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Just a quick note here – according to Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb, Xbox Live (and Xbox.com) will be down for maintenance in the early hours of this morning (11/13) and should be back online some time after 5:00am EST.
"On Tuesday November 13th from 0000-0200 PT our engineering team will be performing server maintenance.
Specifically, Xbox.com maintenance will begin at 0000 while the Xbox LIVE service maintenance will begin at 0100.
That means you can stay on LIVE until approximately 0100.
Click this link to find out what time the maintenance will begin in your time zone
Both Xbox.com and Xbox LIVE will be available again at 0200.
This is for maintenance only, there will be no new features that will appear on Xbox.com, your dashboard or Xbox Live when we return to service. It’s not time for the dashboard update…yet." – Major Nelson
I'll keep my fingers crossed that everything goes as planned for those of you who happen to have the day off and were hoping to get some online gaming in today.
November 13, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Announcements, Maintenance, Major Nelson, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live |
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Now this is what Lazy Day Trailers are all about! I’m not talking about Mass Effect, I’m talking about days where I’ve overslept so badly that I need something I can toss online to entertain you. See? I do really care about you and your entertainment needs!
Today we’ve got an exclusive look at Mass Effect direct from the good folks over at GameTrailers.com. Check it out!
Mass Effect will be hitting retail on November 20th exclusively for the Xbox 360.
November 10, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Bioware, Lazy Day Trailers, Mass Effect, Microsoft, RPG, Video, Xbox 360 |
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Another Wednesday, another two Xbox Live Arcade titles. This week we have two offbeat titles in the form of Switchball and Word Puzzle. These two titles have been completely off my radar, so I really don't know what to expect beyond that which their descriptions and screen shots would seem to imply. What I can say based on that is that I'm really not too enthusiastic about either title given the fact that both are tagged at 800 points ($10) apiece.
According to it's description, Switchball seems to be a game very much along the lines of Atari Games' classic arcade title Marble Madness. Players control a ball that must be guided through a maze packed with obstacles within a set time limit. Let's take a look;
Title: Switchball
Developer: Atomic Elbow
Publisher: Sierra Online
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 11/07/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E – Everyone
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Control an ever-changing ball along a narrow winding maze suspended in midair in Switchball™. Stunning 3-D environments including Skyworld, Iceworld, and Caveworld are the background for this puzzle game based on real-world physics. Maneuver your way through challenging levels jam-packed with obstacles and traps. Transform the marbleball with metal, electric and lighter-than-air properties to quickly get through each area. Then go online and play the competitive multiplayer courses.
- Action puzzler: Inventive and fun puzzle-driven play is based on real world physical interactions.
- Exciting game environments: Beautiful and elegant 3-D graphics offer panoramic views of 30 single player levels in five amazing environments: Skyworld, Iceworld, Caveworld, Cloudworld, and Lavaworld.
- Traps and obstacles: Navigate more than 40 interactive objects including wooden blocks, sheets of cloth, spinning fans, magnets, cannons, and many more.
- Transform: Morph your marble to take advantage of the unique physical properties of the dense and heavy metalball, the super-charged powerball, or the floating airball, and find your way through the level.
- Multiplayer modes: Join in the fun with co-op and competitive racing courses." – Xbox.com
Next up we have… Word Puzzle. Seriously. Could they have tried any less on this game's title? Probably not seeing how this seems to just be an electronic version of the word search games we all played as children. How this is going to relate to a fun experience or even come close to being worth 800 points ($10) is beyond me.
Title: Word Puzzle
Developer: Interserv International Inc.
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 11/07/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2 / 2-4
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E – (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"You'll never think about word search puzzles the same way again.Word Puzzle takes a new spin on the classic game, plunging you into an action-packed arcade experience complete with combos, exploding word bombs, unique 3-D boards, achievements, and the chance to prove your textual superiority against other players. Five different game modes and frequently updated downloadable word packs give you nearly unlimited flexibility and excitement. So put down that pen and paper, because this is a word search for the 21st century!
- New twists: Exploding word bombs, prop cards used to distract your opponents, 3-D game boards, and other effects combine to provide a word search game like you've never played before.
- Five unique gameplay modes: Try Freeplay for traditional word search fun, Arcade mode to score impressive combos, Local Battle for competitive play on a single console, Live Multiplayer with support for up to 4 players online, and check out the unique Survival Mode where word bombs can explode, and have to be defused.
- Camera-enabled: The game supports the Xbox LIVE® Vision camera during live match play.
- Achievements and leaderboard: Twelve new achievements to master and a leaderboard to compare your word search skills with others." – Xbox.com
As for last week's Live Arcade title, Mutant Storm Empire was a bit of a let down. The game simply felt uninspired – and given the fact that while they did indeed remove the loading screens between levels, they did it by making the player travel through another area where nothing happens. So really, they just replaced a static loading screen with an interactive one. I had high hopes for MS:E, but the levels felt too short and there was that feeling that I'd "been there and done that" in every part of the game I played. It's another game that I'd have to say isn't a bad game, but certainly isn't one that I'd purchase.
November 7, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Microsoft, Sierra, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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Another Wednesday, another two Xbox Live Arcade titles. This week we have two offbeat titles in the form of Switchball and Word Puzzle. These two titles have been completely off my radar, so I really don't know what to expect beyond that which their descriptions and screen shots would seem to imply. What I can say based on that is that I'm really not too enthusiastic about either title given the fact that both are tagged at 800 points ($10) apiece.
According to it's description, Switchball seems to be a game very much along the lines of Atari Games' classic arcade title Marble Madness. Players control a ball that must be guided through a maze packed with obstacles within a set time limit. Let's take a look;
Title: Switchball
Developer: Atomic Elbow
Publisher: Sierra Online
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 11/07/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E – Everyone
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Control an ever-changing ball along a narrow winding maze suspended in midair in Switchball™. Stunning 3-D environments including Skyworld, Iceworld, and Caveworld are the background for this puzzle game based on real-world physics. Maneuver your way through challenging levels jam-packed with obstacles and traps. Transform the marbleball with metal, electric and lighter-than-air properties to quickly get through each area. Then go online and play the competitive multiplayer courses.
- Action puzzler: Inventive and fun puzzle-driven play is based on real world physical interactions.
- Exciting game environments: Beautiful and elegant 3-D graphics offer panoramic views of 30 single player levels in five amazing environments: Skyworld, Iceworld, Caveworld, Cloudworld, and Lavaworld.
- Traps and obstacles: Navigate more than 40 interactive objects including wooden blocks, sheets of cloth, spinning fans, magnets, cannons, and many more.
- Transform: Morph your marble to take advantage of the unique physical properties of the dense and heavy metalball, the super-charged powerball, or the floating airball, and find your way through the level.
- Multiplayer modes: Join in the fun with co-op and competitive racing courses." – Xbox.com
Next up we have… Word Puzzle. Seriously. Could they have tried any less on this game's title? Probably not seeing how this seems to just be an electronic version of the word search games we all played as children. How this is going to relate to a fun experience or even come close to being worth 800 points ($10) is beyond me.
Title: Word Puzzle
Developer: Interserv International Inc.
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 11/07/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2 / 2-4
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E – (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"You'll never think about word search puzzles the same way again.Word Puzzle takes a new spin on the classic game, plunging you into an action-packed arcade experience complete with combos, exploding word bombs, unique 3-D boards, achievements, and the chance to prove your textual superiority against other players. Five different game modes and frequently updated downloadable word packs give you nearly unlimited flexibility and excitement. So put down that pen and paper, because this is a word search for the 21st century!
- New twists: Exploding word bombs, prop cards used to distract your opponents, 3-D game boards, and other effects combine to provide a word search game like you've never played before.
- Five unique gameplay modes: Try Freeplay for traditional word search fun, Arcade mode to score impressive combos, Local Battle for competitive play on a single console, Live Multiplayer with support for up to 4 players online, and check out the unique Survival Mode where word bombs can explode, and have to be defused.
- Camera-enabled: The game supports the Xbox LIVE® Vision camera during live match play.
- Achievements and leaderboard: Twelve new achievements to master and a leaderboard to compare your word search skills with others." – Xbox.com
As for last week's Live Arcade title, Mutant Storm Empire was a bit of a let down. The game simply felt uninspired – and given the fact that while they did indeed remove the loading screens between levels, they did it by making the player travel through another area where nothing happens. So really, they just replaced a static loading screen with an interactive one. I had high hopes for MS:E, but the levels felt too short and there was that feeling that I'd "been there and done that" in every part of the game I played. It's another game that I'd have to say isn't a bad game, but certainly isn't one that I'd purchase.
November 7, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Microsoft, Sierra, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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You'll have to pardon how brief I keep this post, but I'm feeling quite a bit under the weather at the moment and really want nothing more than to crawl back into bed and go to sleep.
My health aside, what we're here to talk about is the Xbox Live Arcade – namely the fact that Microsoft not only announced which title would be seeing release this week (Mutant Storm Empire – 800 points), but also gave us a peek into what games will be coming in the immediate future.
While Castle Crashers is still nowhere in sight, here are a few of the titles we can expect to see in the coming weeks;
- N+ (Slick Entertainment and Metanet Software) – Play as an acrobatic ninja in this addictive action-puzzle platformer. N+ features inadvertently homicidal robots, stylish graphics, a level editor and intense multiplayer awesomeness.
- Screwjumper! (THQ) – Players take the plunge in "Screwjumper!" and free-fall into the depths of the chaotic underworld as a Screwjumper, driving aliens back to their home world by destroying their precious mining equipment.
- SHREK-N-ROLL (Activision) – Gamers join "Shrek®," "Fiona," "Donkey," "Puss in Boots" and 20 other twisted fairy tale friends in this hilarious puzzle game designed for ogres of all ages.
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam (Nickelodeon and THQ) – In this quick and fun game, players search the kitchen of the Krusty Krab, the Flying Dutchman's ship and the Armoury of Atlantis for 99 pairs of underpants.
- Switchball (Sierra Online) – Based on real-world physics, "Switchball" is an intricate puzzle game set in a stunning 3-D world where players control an ever-changing ball along a narrow, winding course suspended in midair.
- Undertow (Chair Entertainment Group) – This fast-paced action-shooter sends gamers underwater as they battle up to 16 players for control of the oceans! Players race to upgrade their units as they engage in non-stop conquest-style battles through multiple levels of combat action with some of the most stunning graphics ever seen in an Xbox LIVE Arcade title.
- Word Puzzle (InterServ International) – The classic pen-and-paper word search game is brought to a new level of excitement on Xbox LIVE Arcade, complete with combos, high-score achievements and the ability to compete against others online.
While a few of those titles sound like they could have potential, I have to say that nothing there really gets me excited – then again, the way I'm feeling right now, not much probably would. It's kind of hard to sound enthusiastic when your only goal in life at the moment is to go back to bed.
October 30, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Announcements, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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About an hour ago, I went out in search of a store that would have the Wood Swarm theme deck for The Eye of Judgment in stock, and happened to stop in my local Walmart on the long shot that they would have it. While I didn't find the theme deck, what I did find were a few accessories for the Xbox 360 on clearance.
While I can't say for certain that the same will be in effect at every Walmart, this store had the following items on clearance;
While many gamers won't care about the remote or memory card, the Wireless Gaming Receiver is a nifty little item that will allow you to use your wireless Xbox 360 accessories on your PC.
Bottom line? If you're in the vicinity of a Walmart anytime soon, you may want to stop in and check out the gaming section to see if there are any deals available.
October 27, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Microsoft, Original Content, Sale, Walmart, Xbox 360 |
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Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays returns to the two-game format this week with the release of the ever-addictive Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords and Yaris, a free combat racing game sponsored by Toyota.
We’ll open with a look at Puzzle Quest, the game that has already taken the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP by storm. Puzzle Quest is a highly addictive mix of classic puzzle-game strategy with a heavy dose of RPG gameplay built in. As you can probably tell, I’m a big fan of this game and have spent more than a few hours playing it on the DS.
The gameplay premise itself is simple – the game presents a standard map-based RPG experience until the player becomes involved in combat. Once facing an enemy, the game switches to a puzzle grid where players take turns moving colored orbs around to create groups of three or more. Based on the color of the matched orbs, players will either do damage to their opponent or gain magic points related to the color that can be sued to cast spells or use special abilities. As you can imagine with an RPG, items and allies found during your adventures can help tip the balance in your favor for each fight.
The game is one of the higher priced Xbox Live Arcade releases, but at 1,200 points ($15) it’s actually the cheapest version of the game available on any system – and if you don’t already own it on another system, it’s one hell of a bargain.
Title: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Developer: Infinite Interactive
Publisher: D3 Publisher of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/10/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 1200 points ($15)
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) – Suggestive Themes
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords™ delivers, for the first time ever, classic puzzle-game action backed with an epic story of good versus evil. Challenge your puzzle skills in single-player campaign mode, or battle your friends in multiplayer action. Experience a puzzle game with role-playing elements. It’s like nothing you’ve played before.
- Unique gameplay: Classic puzzle gameplay is enhanced with the addition of RPG-style character and story elements. The game is incredibly simple to learn for casual players, with seasoned gamers able to utilize deeper strategies.
- Quests: For the first-time ever in a puzzle game, embark on an epic single-player campaign comprising more than 150 challenging quests.
- Role-playing game elements: Create and build a persistent hero from one of four unique classes. Gain skills, spells, weapons, and more over the course of the game. Customize your characters to give them an advantage in battle.
- Battles and conquest: Build your empire as you capture cities, build castles and gain a party of companions that will aid you in battle. Battle other warlords for supremacy in multiplayer mode." – Xbox.com
Next up, we’ve got Yaris, a free combat racer where players can battle it out across eight different tracks… oh hell, let’s face it – this one is an advergame from the folks over at Toyota. I really don’t have high hopes for it at all, and the best thing I can find to say about it is that it’s free. Free is always good.
Title: Yaris
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/10/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: Free
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) – Cartoon Violence
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Hop into a Toyota Yaris and drive it on crazy tracks loaded with stubborn obstacles, cool powerups, and intense enemy action. The relentlessly twisted courses in Yaris might have loops or even be tube-shaped, but the Yaris never has to worry about sliding off track, as it defies gravity by scaling side-walls and going all topsy-turvy. Equip your Yaris with an arsenal of weapons to take out your adversaries, but be careful to avoid enemy fire, because once your shields are depleted, so is the game.
- Customizable cars: Drive either a Yaris Sedan, Sports Sedan, or the Liftback. Collect coins on the track and outfit your Yaris with weapons, shields, and tire configurations.
- Game modes: Race and take out your enemies in either single player or player vs. player game mode.
- Wild tracks: Drive on eight different tracks of progressive difficulty.
- FREE download: Yaris is a free Xbox LIVE® Arcade game. Play it today.
- Gallery feature: Browse through the game’s cast of characters, including all the Yaris cars.
- Twelve new achievements and new Leaderboard: Twelve new achievements to unlock, and a new Xbox LIVE® Arcade leaderboard for you to dominate. Get in your Yaris and drive!" – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade release, Tetris Splash, as expected it was… well, Tetris. There’s really not much else to say about that, now is there?
October 10, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
D3 Publisher, Infinite Interactive, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
1 Comment
Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays returns to the two-game format this week with the release of the ever-addictive Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords and Yaris, a free combat racing game sponsored by Toyota.
We’ll open with a look at Puzzle Quest, the game that has already taken the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP by storm. Puzzle Quest is a highly addictive mix of classic puzzle-game strategy with a heavy dose of RPG gameplay built in. As you can probably tell, I’m a big fan of this game and have spent more than a few hours playing it on the DS.
The gameplay premise itself is simple – the game presents a standard map-based RPG experience until the player becomes involved in combat. Once facing an enemy, the game switches to a puzzle grid where players take turns moving colored orbs around to create groups of three or more. Based on the color of the matched orbs, players will either do damage to their opponent or gain magic points related to the color that can be sued to cast spells or use special abilities. As you can imagine with an RPG, items and allies found during your adventures can help tip the balance in your favor for each fight.
The game is one of the higher priced Xbox Live Arcade releases, but at 1,200 points ($15) it’s actually the cheapest version of the game available on any system – and if you don’t already own it on another system, it’s one hell of a bargain.
Title: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Developer: Infinite Interactive
Publisher: D3 Publisher of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/10/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 1200 points ($15)
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) – Suggestive Themes
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords™ delivers, for the first time ever, classic puzzle-game action backed with an epic story of good versus evil. Challenge your puzzle skills in single-player campaign mode, or battle your friends in multiplayer action. Experience a puzzle game with role-playing elements. It’s like nothing you’ve played before.
- Unique gameplay: Classic puzzle gameplay is enhanced with the addition of RPG-style character and story elements. The game is incredibly simple to learn for casual players, with seasoned gamers able to utilize deeper strategies.
- Quests: For the first-time ever in a puzzle game, embark on an epic single-player campaign comprising more than 150 challenging quests.
- Role-playing game elements: Create and build a persistent hero from one of four unique classes. Gain skills, spells, weapons, and more over the course of the game. Customize your characters to give them an advantage in battle.
- Battles and conquest: Build your empire as you capture cities, build castles and gain a party of companions that will aid you in battle. Battle other warlords for supremacy in multiplayer mode." – Xbox.com
Next up, we’ve got Yaris, a free combat racer where players can battle it out across eight different tracks… oh hell, let’s face it – this one is an advergame from the folks over at Toyota. I really don’t have high hopes for it at all, and the best thing I can find to say about it is that it’s free. Free is always good.
Title: Yaris
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/10/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: Free
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) – Cartoon Violence
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Hop into a Toyota Yaris and drive it on crazy tracks loaded with stubborn obstacles, cool powerups, and intense enemy action. The relentlessly twisted courses in Yaris might have loops or even be tube-shaped, but the Yaris never has to worry about sliding off track, as it defies gravity by scaling side-walls and going all topsy-turvy. Equip your Yaris with an arsenal of weapons to take out your adversaries, but be careful to avoid enemy fire, because once your shields are depleted, so is the game.
- Customizable cars: Drive either a Yaris Sedan, Sports Sedan, or the Liftback. Collect coins on the track and outfit your Yaris with weapons, shields, and tire configurations.
- Game modes: Race and take out your enemies in either single player or player vs. player game mode.
- Wild tracks: Drive on eight different tracks of progressive difficulty.
- FREE download: Yaris is a free Xbox LIVE® Arcade game. Play it today.
- Gallery feature: Browse through the game’s cast of characters, including all the Yaris cars.
- Twelve new achievements and new Leaderboard: Twelve new achievements to unlock, and a new Xbox LIVE® Arcade leaderboard for you to dominate. Get in your Yaris and drive!" – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade release, Tetris Splash, as expected it was… well, Tetris. There’s really not much else to say about that, now is there?
October 10, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
D3 Publisher, Infinite Interactive, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
1 Comment
Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays returns to the two-game format this week with the release of the ever-addictive Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords and Yaris, a free combat racing game sponsored by Toyota.
We’ll open with a look at Puzzle Quest, the game that has already taken the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP by storm. Puzzle Quest is a highly addictive mix of classic puzzle-game strategy with a heavy dose of RPG gameplay built in. As you can probably tell, I’m a big fan of this game and have spent more than a few hours playing it on the DS.
The gameplay premise itself is simple – the game presents a standard map-based RPG experience until the player becomes involved in combat. Once facing an enemy, the game switches to a puzzle grid where players take turns moving colored orbs around to create groups of three or more. Based on the color of the matched orbs, players will either do damage to their opponent or gain magic points related to the color that can be sued to cast spells or use special abilities. As you can imagine with an RPG, items and allies found during your adventures can help tip the balance in your favor for each fight.
The game is one of the higher priced Xbox Live Arcade releases, but at 1,200 points ($15) it’s actually the cheapest version of the game available on any system – and if you don’t already own it on another system, it’s one hell of a bargain.
Title: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Developer: Infinite Interactive
Publisher: D3 Publisher of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/10/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 1200 points ($15)
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) – Suggestive Themes
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords™ delivers, for the first time ever, classic puzzle-game action backed with an epic story of good versus evil. Challenge your puzzle skills in single-player campaign mode, or battle your friends in multiplayer action. Experience a puzzle game with role-playing elements. It’s like nothing you’ve played before.
- Unique gameplay: Classic puzzle gameplay is enhanced with the addition of RPG-style character and story elements. The game is incredibly simple to learn for casual players, with seasoned gamers able to utilize deeper strategies.
- Quests: For the first-time ever in a puzzle game, embark on an epic single-player campaign comprising more than 150 challenging quests.
- Role-playing game elements: Create and build a persistent hero from one of four unique classes. Gain skills, spells, weapons, and more over the course of the game. Customize your characters to give them an advantage in battle.
- Battles and conquest: Build your empire as you capture cities, build castles and gain a party of companions that will aid you in battle. Battle other warlords for supremacy in multiplayer mode." – Xbox.com
Next up, we’ve got Yaris, a free combat racer where players can battle it out across eight different tracks… oh hell, let’s face it – this one is an advergame from the folks over at Toyota. I really don’t have high hopes for it at all, and the best thing I can find to say about it is that it’s free. Free is always good.
Title: Yaris
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/10/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: Free
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) – Cartoon Violence
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Hop into a Toyota Yaris and drive it on crazy tracks loaded with stubborn obstacles, cool powerups, and intense enemy action. The relentlessly twisted courses in Yaris might have loops or even be tube-shaped, but the Yaris never has to worry about sliding off track, as it defies gravity by scaling side-walls and going all topsy-turvy. Equip your Yaris with an arsenal of weapons to take out your adversaries, but be careful to avoid enemy fire, because once your shields are depleted, so is the game.
- Customizable cars: Drive either a Yaris Sedan, Sports Sedan, or the Liftback. Collect coins on the track and outfit your Yaris with weapons, shields, and tire configurations.
- Game modes: Race and take out your enemies in either single player or player vs. player game mode.
- Wild tracks: Drive on eight different tracks of progressive difficulty.
- FREE download: Yaris is a free Xbox LIVE® Arcade game. Play it today.
- Gallery feature: Browse through the game’s cast of characters, including all the Yaris cars.
- Twelve new achievements and new Leaderboard: Twelve new achievements to unlock, and a new Xbox LIVE® Arcade leaderboard for you to dominate. Get in your Yaris and drive!" – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade release, Tetris Splash, as expected it was… well, Tetris. There’s really not much else to say about that, now is there?
October 10, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
D3 Publisher, Infinite Interactive, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays returns to the two-game format this week with the release of the ever-addictive Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords and Yaris, a free combat racing game sponsored by Toyota.
We’ll open with a look at Puzzle Quest, the game that has already taken the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP by storm. Puzzle Quest is a highly addictive mix of classic puzzle-game strategy with a heavy dose of RPG gameplay built in. As you can probably tell, I’m a big fan of this game and have spent more than a few hours playing it on the DS.
The gameplay premise itself is simple – the game presents a standard map-based RPG experience until the player becomes involved in combat. Once facing an enemy, the game switches to a puzzle grid where players take turns moving colored orbs around to create groups of three or more. Based on the color of the matched orbs, players will either do damage to their opponent or gain magic points related to the color that can be sued to cast spells or use special abilities. As you can imagine with an RPG, items and allies found during your adventures can help tip the balance in your favor for each fight.
The game is one of the higher priced Xbox Live Arcade releases, but at 1,200 points ($15) it’s actually the cheapest version of the game available on any system – and if you don’t already own it on another system, it’s one hell of a bargain.
Title: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Developer: Infinite Interactive
Publisher: D3 Publisher of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/10/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 1200 points ($15)
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) – Suggestive Themes
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords™ delivers, for the first time ever, classic puzzle-game action backed with an epic story of good versus evil. Challenge your puzzle skills in single-player campaign mode, or battle your friends in multiplayer action. Experience a puzzle game with role-playing elements. It’s like nothing you’ve played before.
- Unique gameplay: Classic puzzle gameplay is enhanced with the addition of RPG-style character and story elements. The game is incredibly simple to learn for casual players, with seasoned gamers able to utilize deeper strategies.
- Quests: For the first-time ever in a puzzle game, embark on an epic single-player campaign comprising more than 150 challenging quests.
- Role-playing game elements: Create and build a persistent hero from one of four unique classes. Gain skills, spells, weapons, and more over the course of the game. Customize your characters to give them an advantage in battle.
- Battles and conquest: Build your empire as you capture cities, build castles and gain a party of companions that will aid you in battle. Battle other warlords for supremacy in multiplayer mode." – Xbox.com
Next up, we’ve got Yaris, a free combat racer where players can battle it out across eight different tracks… oh hell, let’s face it – this one is an advergame from the folks over at Toyota. I really don’t have high hopes for it at all, and the best thing I can find to say about it is that it’s free. Free is always good.
Title: Yaris
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/10/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: Free
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) – Cartoon Violence
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Hop into a Toyota Yaris and drive it on crazy tracks loaded with stubborn obstacles, cool powerups, and intense enemy action. The relentlessly twisted courses in Yaris might have loops or even be tube-shaped, but the Yaris never has to worry about sliding off track, as it defies gravity by scaling side-walls and going all topsy-turvy. Equip your Yaris with an arsenal of weapons to take out your adversaries, but be careful to avoid enemy fire, because once your shields are depleted, so is the game.
- Customizable cars: Drive either a Yaris Sedan, Sports Sedan, or the Liftback. Collect coins on the track and outfit your Yaris with weapons, shields, and tire configurations.
- Game modes: Race and take out your enemies in either single player or player vs. player game mode.
- Wild tracks: Drive on eight different tracks of progressive difficulty.
- FREE download: Yaris is a free Xbox LIVE® Arcade game. Play it today.
- Gallery feature: Browse through the game’s cast of characters, including all the Yaris cars.
- Twelve new achievements and new Leaderboard: Twelve new achievements to unlock, and a new Xbox LIVE® Arcade leaderboard for you to dominate. Get in your Yaris and drive!" – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade release, Tetris Splash, as expected it was… well, Tetris. There’s really not much else to say about that, now is there?
October 10, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
D3 Publisher, Infinite Interactive, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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The other day, we reported on a rumor from 8BitJoystick that stated that Bungie was about to break away from Microsoft and once again become an independent developer. At the time, it was hard to believe – even with the explanation 8BitJoystick gave for the split. It was also something that I said I believed was false, but given the recent news out of Microsoft, wouldn’t completely write off either.
Turns out, those rumors were true.
This morning, both Microsoft and Bungie have announced that the two companies will be parting ways, with Bungie returning to being an independent developer and Microsoft becoming an equity holder in the company. As reported before, Microsoft will hold the rights to the Halo franchise.
From what little of the press releases I’ve been able to read so far (damn you, work!), it appears that while Microsoft will hold some stake in Bungie and will continue to work with them on future Halo related projects, Bungie will be an independent entity, free to pursue whatever projects they choose without any input from Microsoft. Based on the wording of the releases, it also appears Microsoft may have the right of first refusal on whatever projects Bungie creates.
Don’t quote me on this though, as I have not had a chance to fully read both releases and other particulars. I could be wrong.
Microsoft Corp. today announced a plan for Bungie Studios, the developers of the Halo franchise, to embark on a path to become an independent company. Microsoft will retain an equity interest in Bungie at the same time continuing its long standing publishing agreement between Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie for the Microsoft owned Halo intellectual property as well as other future properties developed by Bungie. – Microsoft press release
“Bungie and Microsoft Corp. today announced a plan for Bungie Studios, the developers of Microsoft’s “Halo” franchise, to become a privately held independent company, Bungie, LLC, in which Microsoft will hold a minority equity interest. As part of this transaction, Bungie and Microsoft have forged a deep and long-term development and publishing relationship focused on the continued success of the “Halo” franchise. It is also the intent of both parties to expand their partnership to include new IP created and owned by Bungie.” – Bungie press release
I’ll be sure to talk more about this later this evening once I’ve gotten a chance to go over all the available information, but for now, I’ll just link the full press releases from both companies.
October 5, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Announcements, Bungie, Halo, Microsoft, Rumor Confirmed, Xbox 360 |
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As hard as it is to believe, that’s the rumor floating around the old internet water-cooler. It all started with a post over at 8BitJoystick (found by way of Kotaku) in which the poster stated that he had inside information from an unidentified Bungie staffer that the company would be parting ways with Microsoft.
“So heres my big secret. You should google Bungie + Microsoft + separation this week.
You know that big ol BILLION dollar franchise Bungie has created for Microsoft, to show their appreciate Microsoft is letting Bungie leave. Of course Microsoft gets to keep all rights to the Halo franchise, but as today Bungie no longer part of Microsoft. Ask anyone who works there to search the global address book, they’re no longer in there. Microsoft was supposed to release the press release today but if they wait till the 10/6 the impact wont effect the quarterly results. However today is the actual official date and the day the NDAs expire, however you still didn‘t hear this from me.” – 8BitJoystick source e-mail
Now I’ve certainly heard rumblings in the past that Bungie wanted to work on something other than the Halo franchise and were basically forced to work on Halo 3 instead, but this one is a little hard to swallow. I would have to imagine that Microsoft, having now completed the Halo trilogy, would love for Bungie to come up with a new franchise for them – and more importantly, given the cash cow that Bungie has been for the company, would probably do quite a bit to keep them happy.
Kotaku picked up the story and contacted Edelman Public Relations, the firm that handles PR for Microsoft, in order to see if they could get more information on what exactly is going on. The answer they received was not the most reassuring of statements;
“There’s been no such announcement. We continue to celebrate the tremendous success of the global phenomenon that is Halo 3” – Edelman Public Relations
Yeah, not a ringing endorsement of corporate stability there, is it? Then again, if most companies commented on every rumor floating around, they’d spend all day just releasing denial statements.
8BitJoystick then posted a follow-up article discussing possible reasons why they believe the story to be true. Namely that in most developer acquisition deals, the current staff of a company sign 3, 5 or 7 year contracts with the aquiring firm. Based on 8Bit’s math, that time could be just about up, meaning that the core Bungie staff would suddenly be free to resign, seek employment elsewhere or start a new, independant development house – both of which would certainly bring them more money than they’re seeing now.
“The scenario is not hard to believe. You buy a company and you sign retention agreements for key employees, i.e. the team. These employees have HUGE financial incentive to stay so they do.
3 or 5 or 7 years later depending upon the contract, the time is up. MS formally acquired bungie about 7 years ago at this time… they announced intention on june 19th, add 3 months for presumed legal stuff, and you get september 19th, which is close today, give or take. So… retention contracts go POOF, and suddenly a bunch of key people can leave with no penalty.” – 8BitJoystick
If that is indeed the case, then it makes a great deal of sense for Microsoft to cut some form of a deal to keep Bungie working solely on the Xbox 360 for at least the time being.
How would they be able to do that? By allowing Bungie to break away from Microsoft, yet still keep all the tools it pioneered during the development of the Halo trilogy. In return, one would assume, Bungie would sign some sort of an exclusivity agreement with Microsoft stipulating that the next set number of titles would be exclusive to the Xbox 360 platform (or maybe 360 and PC).
So where in all of this does the truth lie? I really couldn’t tell you at this point, but if I had to bet on it, I’d say this one will turn out to be false. I will say this though, after the shocking departure of Peter Moore and Activision‘s acquisition of Bizarre Creations, I’m not willing to write off anything at this point.
October 2, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Bungie, Microsoft, Rumors, Xbox 360 |
1 Comment
As hard as it is to believe, that’s the rumor floating around the old internet water-cooler. It all started with a post over at 8BitJoystick (found by way of Kotaku) in which the poster stated that he had inside information from an unidentified Bungie staffer that the company would be parting ways with Microsoft.
“So heres my big secret. You should google Bungie + Microsoft + separation this week.
You know that big ol BILLION dollar franchise Bungie has created for Microsoft, to show their appreciate Microsoft is letting Bungie leave. Of course Microsoft gets to keep all rights to the Halo franchise, but as today Bungie no longer part of Microsoft. Ask anyone who works there to search the global address book, they’re no longer in there. Microsoft was supposed to release the press release today but if they wait till the 10/6 the impact wont effect the quarterly results. However today is the actual official date and the day the NDAs expire, however you still didn‘t hear this from me.” – 8BitJoystick source e-mail
Now I’ve certainly heard rumblings in the past that Bungie wanted to work on something other than the Halo franchise and were basically forced to work on Halo 3 instead, but this one is a little hard to swallow. I would have to imagine that Microsoft, having now completed the Halo trilogy, would love for Bungie to come up with a new franchise for them – and more importantly, given the cash cow that Bungie has been for the company, would probably do quite a bit to keep them happy.
Kotaku picked up the story and contacted Edelman Public Relations, the firm that handles PR for Microsoft, in order to see if they could get more information on what exactly is going on. The answer they received was not the most reassuring of statements;
“There’s been no such announcement. We continue to celebrate the tremendous success of the global phenomenon that is Halo 3” – Edelman Public Relations
Yeah, not a ringing endorsement of corporate stability there, is it? Then again, if most companies commented on every rumor floating around, they’d spend all day just releasing denial statements.
8BitJoystick then posted a follow-up article discussing possible reasons why they believe the story to be true. Namely that in most developer acquisition deals, the current staff of a company sign 3, 5 or 7 year contracts with the aquiring firm. Based on 8Bit’s math, that time could be just about up, meaning that the core Bungie staff would suddenly be free to resign, seek employment elsewhere or start a new, independant development house – both of which would certainly bring them more money than they’re seeing now.
“The scenario is not hard to believe. You buy a company and you sign retention agreements for key employees, i.e. the team. These employees have HUGE financial incentive to stay so they do.
3 or 5 or 7 years later depending upon the contract, the time is up. MS formally acquired bungie about 7 years ago at this time… they announced intention on june 19th, add 3 months for presumed legal stuff, and you get september 19th, which is close today, give or take. So… retention contracts go POOF, and suddenly a bunch of key people can leave with no penalty.” – 8BitJoystick
If that is indeed the case, then it makes a great deal of sense for Microsoft to cut some form of a deal to keep Bungie working solely on the Xbox 360 for at least the time being.
How would they be able to do that? By allowing Bungie to break away from Microsoft, yet still keep all the tools it pioneered during the development of the Halo trilogy. In return, one would assume, Bungie would sign some sort of an exclusivity agreement with Microsoft stipulating that the next set number of titles would be exclusive to the Xbox 360 platform (or maybe 360 and PC).
So where in all of this does the truth lie? I really couldn’t tell you at this point, but if I had to bet on it, I’d say this one will turn out to be false. I will say this though, after the shocking departure of Peter Moore and Activision‘s acquisition of Bizarre Creations, I’m not willing to write off anything at this point.
October 2, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Bungie, Microsoft, Rumors, Xbox 360 |
1 Comment
As hard as it is to believe, that’s the rumor floating around the old internet water-cooler. It all started with a post over at 8BitJoystick (found by way of Kotaku) in which the poster stated that he had inside information from an unidentified Bungie staffer that the company would be parting ways with Microsoft.
“So heres my big secret. You should google Bungie + Microsoft + separation this week.
You know that big ol BILLION dollar franchise Bungie has created for Microsoft, to show their appreciate Microsoft is letting Bungie leave. Of course Microsoft gets to keep all rights to the Halo franchise, but as today Bungie no longer part of Microsoft. Ask anyone who works there to search the global address book, they’re no longer in there. Microsoft was supposed to release the press release today but if they wait till the 10/6 the impact wont effect the quarterly results. However today is the actual official date and the day the NDAs expire, however you still didn‘t hear this from me.” – 8BitJoystick source e-mail
Now I’ve certainly heard rumblings in the past that Bungie wanted to work on something other than the Halo franchise and were basically forced to work on Halo 3 instead, but this one is a little hard to swallow. I would have to imagine that Microsoft, having now completed the Halo trilogy, would love for Bungie to come up with a new franchise for them – and more importantly, given the cash cow that Bungie has been for the company, would probably do quite a bit to keep them happy.
Kotaku picked up the story and contacted Edelman Public Relations, the firm that handles PR for Microsoft, in order to see if they could get more information on what exactly is going on. The answer they received was not the most reassuring of statements;
“There’s been no such announcement. We continue to celebrate the tremendous success of the global phenomenon that is Halo 3” – Edelman Public Relations
Yeah, not a ringing endorsement of corporate stability there, is it? Then again, if most companies commented on every rumor floating around, they’d spend all day just releasing denial statements.
8BitJoystick then posted a follow-up article discussing possible reasons why they believe the story to be true. Namely that in most developer acquisition deals, the current staff of a company sign 3, 5 or 7 year contracts with the aquiring firm. Based on 8Bit’s math, that time could be just about up, meaning that the core Bungie staff would suddenly be free to resign, seek employment elsewhere or start a new, independant development house – both of which would certainly bring them more money than they’re seeing now.
“The scenario is not hard to believe. You buy a company and you sign retention agreements for key employees, i.e. the team. These employees have HUGE financial incentive to stay so they do.
3 or 5 or 7 years later depending upon the contract, the time is up. MS formally acquired bungie about 7 years ago at this time… they announced intention on june 19th, add 3 months for presumed legal stuff, and you get september 19th, which is close today, give or take. So… retention contracts go POOF, and suddenly a bunch of key people can leave with no penalty.” – 8BitJoystick
If that is indeed the case, then it makes a great deal of sense for Microsoft to cut some form of a deal to keep Bungie working solely on the Xbox 360 for at least the time being.
How would they be able to do that? By allowing Bungie to break away from Microsoft, yet still keep all the tools it pioneered during the development of the Halo trilogy. In return, one would assume, Bungie would sign some sort of an exclusivity agreement with Microsoft stipulating that the next set number of titles would be exclusive to the Xbox 360 platform (or maybe 360 and PC).
So where in all of this does the truth lie? I really couldn’t tell you at this point, but if I had to bet on it, I’d say this one will turn out to be false. I will say this though, after the shocking departure of Peter Moore and Activision‘s acquisition of Bizarre Creations, I’m not willing to write off anything at this point.
October 2, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Bungie, Microsoft, Rumors, Xbox 360 |
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As hard as it is to believe, that’s the rumor floating around the old internet water-cooler. It all started with a post over at 8BitJoystick (found by way of Kotaku) in which the poster stated that he had inside information from an unidentified Bungie staffer that the company would be parting ways with Microsoft.
“So heres my big secret. You should google Bungie + Microsoft + separation this week.
You know that big ol BILLION dollar franchise Bungie has created for Microsoft, to show their appreciate Microsoft is letting Bungie leave. Of course Microsoft gets to keep all rights to the Halo franchise, but as today Bungie no longer part of Microsoft. Ask anyone who works there to search the global address book, they’re no longer in there. Microsoft was supposed to release the press release today but if they wait till the 10/6 the impact wont effect the quarterly results. However today is the actual official date and the day the NDAs expire, however you still didn‘t hear this from me.” – 8BitJoystick source e-mail
Now I’ve certainly heard rumblings in the past that Bungie wanted to work on something other than the Halo franchise and were basically forced to work on Halo 3 instead, but this one is a little hard to swallow. I would have to imagine that Microsoft, having now completed the Halo trilogy, would love for Bungie to come up with a new franchise for them – and more importantly, given the cash cow that Bungie has been for the company, would probably do quite a bit to keep them happy.
Kotaku picked up the story and contacted Edelman Public Relations, the firm that handles PR for Microsoft, in order to see if they could get more information on what exactly is going on. The answer they received was not the most reassuring of statements;
“There’s been no such announcement. We continue to celebrate the tremendous success of the global phenomenon that is Halo 3” – Edelman Public Relations
Yeah, not a ringing endorsement of corporate stability there, is it? Then again, if most companies commented on every rumor floating around, they’d spend all day just releasing denial statements.
8BitJoystick then posted a follow-up article discussing possible reasons why they believe the story to be true. Namely that in most developer acquisition deals, the current staff of a company sign 3, 5 or 7 year contracts with the aquiring firm. Based on 8Bit’s math, that time could be just about up, meaning that the core Bungie staff would suddenly be free to resign, seek employment elsewhere or start a new, independant development house – both of which would certainly bring them more money than they’re seeing now.
“The scenario is not hard to believe. You buy a company and you sign retention agreements for key employees, i.e. the team. These employees have HUGE financial incentive to stay so they do.
3 or 5 or 7 years later depending upon the contract, the time is up. MS formally acquired bungie about 7 years ago at this time… they announced intention on june 19th, add 3 months for presumed legal stuff, and you get september 19th, which is close today, give or take. So… retention contracts go POOF, and suddenly a bunch of key people can leave with no penalty.” – 8BitJoystick
If that is indeed the case, then it makes a great deal of sense for Microsoft to cut some form of a deal to keep Bungie working solely on the Xbox 360 for at least the time being.
How would they be able to do that? By allowing Bungie to break away from Microsoft, yet still keep all the tools it pioneered during the development of the Halo trilogy. In return, one would assume, Bungie would sign some sort of an exclusivity agreement with Microsoft stipulating that the next set number of titles would be exclusive to the Xbox 360 platform (or maybe 360 and PC).
So where in all of this does the truth lie? I really couldn’t tell you at this point, but if I had to bet on it, I’d say this one will turn out to be false. I will say this though, after the shocking departure of Peter Moore and Activision‘s acquisition of Bizarre Creations, I’m not willing to write off anything at this point.
October 2, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Bungie, Microsoft, Rumors, Xbox 360 |
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As hard as it is to believe, that’s the rumor floating around the old internet water-cooler. It all started with a post over at 8BitJoystick (found by way of Kotaku) in which the poster stated that he had inside information from an unidentified Bungie staffer that the company would be parting ways with Microsoft.
“So heres my big secret. You should google Bungie + Microsoft + separation this week.
You know that big ol BILLION dollar franchise Bungie has created for Microsoft, to show their appreciate Microsoft is letting Bungie leave. Of course Microsoft gets to keep all rights to the Halo franchise, but as today Bungie no longer part of Microsoft. Ask anyone who works there to search the global address book, they’re no longer in there. Microsoft was supposed to release the press release today but if they wait till the 10/6 the impact wont effect the quarterly results. However today is the actual official date and the day the NDAs expire, however you still didn‘t hear this from me.” – 8BitJoystick source e-mail
Now I’ve certainly heard rumblings in the past that Bungie wanted to work on something other than the Halo franchise and were basically forced to work on Halo 3 instead, but this one is a little hard to swallow. I would have to imagine that Microsoft, having now completed the Halo trilogy, would love for Bungie to come up with a new franchise for them – and more importantly, given the cash cow that Bungie has been for the company, would probably do quite a bit to keep them happy.
Kotaku picked up the story and contacted Edelman Public Relations, the firm that handles PR for Microsoft, in order to see if they could get more information on what exactly is going on. The answer they received was not the most reassuring of statements;
“There’s been no such announcement. We continue to celebrate the tremendous success of the global phenomenon that is Halo 3” – Edelman Public Relations
Yeah, not a ringing endorsement of corporate stability there, is it? Then again, if most companies commented on every rumor floating around, they’d spend all day just releasing denial statements.
8BitJoystick then posted a follow-up article discussing possible reasons why they believe the story to be true. Namely that in most developer acquisition deals, the current staff of a company sign 3, 5 or 7 year contracts with the aquiring firm. Based on 8Bit’s math, that time could be just about up, meaning that the core Bungie staff would suddenly be free to resign, seek employment elsewhere or start a new, independant development house – both of which would certainly bring them more money than they’re seeing now.
“The scenario is not hard to believe. You buy a company and you sign retention agreements for key employees, i.e. the team. These employees have HUGE financial incentive to stay so they do.
3 or 5 or 7 years later depending upon the contract, the time is up. MS formally acquired bungie about 7 years ago at this time… they announced intention on june 19th, add 3 months for presumed legal stuff, and you get september 19th, which is close today, give or take. So… retention contracts go POOF, and suddenly a bunch of key people can leave with no penalty.” – 8BitJoystick
If that is indeed the case, then it makes a great deal of sense for Microsoft to cut some form of a deal to keep Bungie working solely on the Xbox 360 for at least the time being.
How would they be able to do that? By allowing Bungie to break away from Microsoft, yet still keep all the tools it pioneered during the development of the Halo trilogy. In return, one would assume, Bungie would sign some sort of an exclusivity agreement with Microsoft stipulating that the next set number of titles would be exclusive to the Xbox 360 platform (or maybe 360 and PC).
So where in all of this does the truth lie? I really couldn’t tell you at this point, but if I had to bet on it, I’d say this one will turn out to be false. I will say this though, after the shocking departure of Peter Moore and Activision‘s acquisition of Bizarre Creations, I’m not willing to write off anything at this point.
October 2, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Bungie, Microsoft, Rumors, Xbox 360 |
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Things have finally calmed down enough around here for me to get around to posting some images and my impressions of the Legendary Edition of Halo 3. Since this post is going to be somewhat image heavy, I’ve set up the full article on another page so that those of you who don’t want to be bothered with more Halo 3 news than absolutely necessary don’t have to deal with a ton of images slowing down your surfing. Fair enough?
A teaser of a few of the images in the full article
September 26, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Bungie, FPS, Halo, Hands-on, Limited Edition, Microsoft, Original Content, Xbox 360 |
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A demo of Microsoft’s Viva Pinata Party Animals for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in all regions via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Approximate file size is 971.17MB.
September 21, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Demo, Microsoft, Xbox 360 |
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According to Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb, Xbox 360 users should see a small update the next time they log onto the Xbox Live service. This update is not the oft-mentioned Fall Dashboard Update, but rather just another minor tweak to the 360 to allow use of the specialized controller that will be included with "Scene It?".
"Today the team is releasing a minor system update via Xbox Live. Over the next few hours, when you sign in to Xbox LIVE, you’ll receive a prompt to accept this mandatory update. What’s in this update? Much like the update last month, the only thing this minor release will do is prepare your Xbox 360 for the Big Button Pad that is being released this holiday. Why do we need to release this update now? Simple: The certification team needs time to test the new controller against the retail hardware/software combination before it hits stores.
One more thing: no new features beyond this big button pad support are included in this update and, once again, this is not the ‘fall dashboard upgrade.’ When I have firm details on the next major update, I will share them." – Major Nelson
Despite the Major’s explanation, I really do question the wisdom behind this move. All too often these updates seem to cause mass console brickings and with Halo 3 launching in just a few days, it seems like taking an unnecessary public relations risk. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for everyone – please do the same for me.
September 21, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Microsoft, Update, Xbox 360 |
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There were a lot of rumors during Shadowrun’s development that Microsoft would be shutting down FASA Studio once the game was complete. Well, it looks like the rumors were true as according to a post on the official Shadowrun message boards (found by way of Kotaku) the studio has indeed been shut down.
"It is my sad duty to announce that FASA Studio has officially closed its doors. Today was the official last day of employment for those of us who had not moved on to other positions within Microsoft Game Studios. While the rumors have been circulating forever, we chose to wait on an official announcement because we didn’t want people’s attention distracted from our last product, Shadowrun, a game we love." – Mitch Getelman, producer – Shadowrun
According to the same post, roughly half of the employees from FASA have taken positions elsewhere within Microsoft Game Studios and Microsoft proper, and I’m quite sure that Microsoft will continue to hold whatever intellectual property rights they gained from their purchase of FASA. Still, it’s sad to see one of the last remnants of FASA Corporation go down.
September 13, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Announcements, Microsoft |
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The big news coming out of Microsoft’s pre-show press conference for the Tokyo Game Show was the confirmation that Ninja Gaiden 2 is indeed in the works for the Xbox 360. While we don’t have any gameplay footage to show you yet (though apparently there was a gameplay demonstration by Tomonobu Itagaki) we do have the first teaser trailer for the game ready for your perusal. Check it out.
According to Gamespot, Microsoft will be both financing and publishing Ninja Gaiden 2 with Tecmo, meaning that it’s highly doubtful that the game will appear in any form on another system other than the Xbox 360.
“Currently, Ninja Gaiden 2 is set for a worldwide release on the Xbox 360 sometime in 2008. However, unlike its predecessors, it won’t be ported to other consoles down the line. Instead of being published by Tecmo, holder of the Ninja Gaiden license, the game is being bankrolled and distributed directly by Microsoft Game Studios.” – Gamespot
As stated above, there is no specific release date for the game at this time. Let the drooling begin.
September 12, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Lazy Day Trailers, Microsoft, Ninja Gaiden, Tecmo, Video, Xbox 360 |
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Yes gang, another piece of Microsoft hardware is being labeled as faulty. Microsoft has announced that due to a possible flaw in one of the components of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel that could result in overheating, smoking and an implied potential fire hazard, they are requesting that all owners stop using the powered functions of the wheel until they can get a retrofit kit from Microsoft to correct the problem.
The wheel itself can be used in the meantime with no risk if not plugged in, however that does eliminate all force feedback functionality.
“As a precautionary measure, Microsoft Corporation is voluntarily providing its customers with a free retrofit to the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel. The Wheels were manufactured during 2006 – 2007. A component in the Wheel chassis may in rare cases overheat and release smoke when the AC-DC power supply is used to energize the Wheel.
There have been no reported incidences of fire, personal injury or property damage due to the Wheel malfunction. Despite no known safety incidents, we are advising our customers about this because of our strong commitment to ensuring that our products are safe and perform to our design specifications.” – Xbox.com
Now I’m not sure what exactly this retrofit kit includes, but whatever it is, it’s apparently a simple enough installation that Microsoft feels you can make the change yourself – because that’s what you’re going to have to do. Owners of the Wireless Racing Wheel should either contact Xbox support by phone at 1-800-4MY-XBOX or use the form located at this link to have the kit sent out to them. Once mine arrives, I’ll be sure to at least post what you can expect to find in the kit and what is involved in making the required repair.
Racing wheel requires retrofit kit – say that ten times fast. Microsoft, I love my Xbox 360, but you guys have GOT to get your act together on the hardware reliability front. Seriously.
September 6, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Defective, Microsoft, Oops, Quick Fix, Xbox 360 |
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I’m still feeling a bit under the weather, so I’m keeping today’s update short. As promised by Microsoft, the Hidden Fronts map pack for Gears of War is now available as a free download. The pack includes four new multiplayer maps which I’ve taken the liberty of listing below;
- Bullet Marsh
- In this Kryll-infested swamp, an old generator still powers the area lights. A few stray bullets could easily knock out the generator, leaving you to fend for yourself against the Kryll.
- Garden
- This overgrown and crumbling conservatory still has a working fertilization and pesticide system. This system can pose a serious hazard to anyone who ventures into the greenhouse without first venting the air.
- Process
- Fight for control of this subterranean Imulsion processing plant, still active despite the cessation of the Pendulum wars.
- Subway
- Timgad’s Central Subway station used to serve as a central hub for commuters. Now the tunnels are crawling with Locust.
So there you have it – if you’ve been waiting for this pack to go free, head on over to the Live Marketplace and download it.
September 4, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Downloadable Content, Epic Games, Free Stuff, Gears of War, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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Major Nelson has announced that Microsoft has decided to have a little bit of a Labor Day sale on four of the older Xbox Live Arcade titles. Starting on Sunday, September 2nd and ending on Monday, September 3rd, Dig Dug, Gauntlet, Small Arms and Zuma Deluxe will all be offered for half price.
- Dig Dug – 200 points ($2.50)
- Gauntlet – 200 points ($2.50)
- Small Arms – 400 points ($5.00)
- Zuma Deluxe – 400 points ($5.00)
Hopefully sales for these four titles during the promotion will increase dramatically enough to convince Microsoft to offer price reductions on many of the other older Arcade titles – even if only on a temporary basis.
August 31, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Arcade, Microsoft, Promotion, Sale, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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Major Nelson has announced that Microsoft has decided to have a little bit of a Labor Day sale on four of the older Xbox Live Arcade titles. Starting on Sunday, September 2nd and ending on Monday, September 3rd, Dig Dug, Gauntlet, Small Arms and Zuma Deluxe will all be offered for half price.
- Dig Dug – 200 points ($2.50)
- Gauntlet – 200 points ($2.50)
- Small Arms – 400 points ($5.00)
- Zuma Deluxe – 400 points ($5.00)
Hopefully sales for these four titles during the promotion will increase dramatically enough to convince Microsoft to offer price reductions on many of the other older Arcade titles – even if only on a temporary basis.
August 31, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Arcade, Microsoft, Promotion, Sale, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
Leave a comment
Major Nelson has announced that Microsoft has decided to have a little bit of a Labor Day sale on four of the older Xbox Live Arcade titles. Starting on Sunday, September 2nd and ending on Monday, September 3rd, Dig Dug, Gauntlet, Small Arms and Zuma Deluxe will all be offered for half price.
- Dig Dug – 200 points ($2.50)
- Gauntlet – 200 points ($2.50)
- Small Arms – 400 points ($5.00)
- Zuma Deluxe – 400 points ($5.00)
Hopefully sales for these four titles during the promotion will increase dramatically enough to convince Microsoft to offer price reductions on many of the other older Arcade titles – even if only on a temporary basis.
August 31, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Arcade, Microsoft, Promotion, Sale, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
Leave a comment
Major Nelson has announced that Microsoft has decided to have a little bit of a Labor Day sale on four of the older Xbox Live Arcade titles. Starting on Sunday, September 2nd and ending on Monday, September 3rd, Dig Dug, Gauntlet, Small Arms and Zuma Deluxe will all be offered for half price.
- Dig Dug – 200 points ($2.50)
- Gauntlet – 200 points ($2.50)
- Small Arms – 400 points ($5.00)
- Zuma Deluxe – 400 points ($5.00)
Hopefully sales for these four titles during the promotion will increase dramatically enough to convince Microsoft to offer price reductions on many of the other older Arcade titles – even if only on a temporary basis.
August 31, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Arcade, Microsoft, Promotion, Sale, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
Leave a comment
Major Nelson has announced that Microsoft has decided to have a little bit of a Labor Day sale on four of the older Xbox Live Arcade titles. Starting on Sunday, September 2nd and ending on Monday, September 3rd, Dig Dug, Gauntlet, Small Arms and Zuma Deluxe will all be offered for half price.
- Dig Dug – 200 points ($2.50)
- Gauntlet – 200 points ($2.50)
- Small Arms – 400 points ($5.00)
- Zuma Deluxe – 400 points ($5.00)
Hopefully sales for these four titles during the promotion will increase dramatically enough to convince Microsoft to offer price reductions on many of the other older Arcade titles – even if only on a temporary basis.
August 31, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Arcade, Microsoft, Promotion, Sale, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
Leave a comment
Major Nelson has announced that Microsoft has decided to have a little bit of a Labor Day sale on four of the older Xbox Live Arcade titles. Starting on Sunday, September 2nd and ending on Monday, September 3rd, Dig Dug, Gauntlet, Small Arms and Zuma Deluxe will all be offered for half price.
- Dig Dug – 200 points ($2.50)
- Gauntlet – 200 points ($2.50)
- Small Arms – 400 points ($5.00)
- Zuma Deluxe – 400 points ($5.00)
Hopefully sales for these four titles during the promotion will increase dramatically enough to convince Microsoft to offer price reductions on many of the other older Arcade titles – even if only on a temporary basis.
August 31, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Arcade, Microsoft, Promotion, Sale, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
Leave a comment
Major Nelson has announced that Microsoft has decided to have a little bit of a Labor Day sale on four of the older Xbox Live Arcade titles. Starting on Sunday, September 2nd and ending on Monday, September 3rd, Dig Dug, Gauntlet, Small Arms and Zuma Deluxe will all be offered for half price.
- Dig Dug – 200 points ($2.50)
- Gauntlet – 200 points ($2.50)
- Small Arms – 400 points ($5.00)
- Zuma Deluxe – 400 points ($5.00)
Hopefully sales for these four titles during the promotion will increase dramatically enough to convince Microsoft to offer price reductions on many of the other older Arcade titles – even if only on a temporary basis.
August 31, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Arcade, Microsoft, Promotion, Sale, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
Leave a comment
Just a quick note here, Nissan is making a free Forza Motorsport 2 theme and set of gamer pics available via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Here are the details as per Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb.
- Theme: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Theme
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
- Gamer Picture: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Gamer Picture
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
Sure it may only be a bunch of promotional materials for the Sentra, but free is free.
August 21, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Forza Motorsport, Free Stuff, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
Leave a comment
Just a quick note here, Nissan is making a free Forza Motorsport 2 theme and set of gamer pics available via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Here are the details as per Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb.
- Theme: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Theme
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
- Gamer Picture: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Gamer Picture
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
Sure it may only be a bunch of promotional materials for the Sentra, but free is free.
August 21, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Forza Motorsport, Free Stuff, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
Leave a comment
Just a quick note here, Nissan is making a free Forza Motorsport 2 theme and set of gamer pics available via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Here are the details as per Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb.
- Theme: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Theme
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
- Gamer Picture: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Gamer Picture
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
Sure it may only be a bunch of promotional materials for the Sentra, but free is free.
August 21, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Forza Motorsport, Free Stuff, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
Leave a comment
Just a quick note here, Nissan is making a free Forza Motorsport 2 theme and set of gamer pics available via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Here are the details as per Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb.
- Theme: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Theme
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
- Gamer Picture: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Gamer Picture
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
Sure it may only be a bunch of promotional materials for the Sentra, but free is free.
August 21, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Forza Motorsport, Free Stuff, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
Leave a comment
Just a quick note here, Nissan is making a free Forza Motorsport 2 theme and set of gamer pics available via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Here are the details as per Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb.
- Theme: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Theme
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
- Gamer Picture: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Gamer Picture
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
Sure it may only be a bunch of promotional materials for the Sentra, but free is free.
August 21, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Forza Motorsport, Free Stuff, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
Leave a comment
Just a quick note here, Nissan is making a free Forza Motorsport 2 theme and set of gamer pics available via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Here are the details as per Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb.
- Theme: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Theme
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
- Gamer Picture: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Gamer Picture
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
Sure it may only be a bunch of promotional materials for the Sentra, but free is free.
August 21, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Forza Motorsport, Free Stuff, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
Leave a comment
Just a quick note here, Nissan is making a free Forza Motorsport 2 theme and set of gamer pics available via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Here are the details as per Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb.
- Theme: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Theme
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
- Gamer Picture: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Gamer Picture
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
Sure it may only be a bunch of promotional materials for the Sentra, but free is free.
August 21, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Forza Motorsport, Free Stuff, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
Leave a comment
Just a quick note here, Nissan is making a free Forza Motorsport 2 theme and set of gamer pics available via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Here are the details as per Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb.
- Theme: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Theme
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
- Gamer Picture: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Gamer Picture
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
Sure it may only be a bunch of promotional materials for the Sentra, but free is free.
August 21, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Forza Motorsport, Free Stuff, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
Leave a comment
Just a quick note here, Nissan is making a free Forza Motorsport 2 theme and set of gamer pics available via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Here are the details as per Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb.
- Theme: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Theme
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
- Gamer Picture: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Gamer Picture
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
Sure it may only be a bunch of promotional materials for the Sentra, but free is free.
August 21, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Forza Motorsport, Free Stuff, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
Leave a comment
Just a quick note here, Nissan is making a free Forza Motorsport 2 theme and set of gamer pics available via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Here are the details as per Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb.
- Theme: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Theme
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
- Gamer Picture: Forza Motorsport 2
- Content: Nissan Sentra SE-R Gamer Picture
- Price: Free
- Availability: United States
- Dash Text: Download the Forza 2 Theme and you will be registered in the Nissan Sentra SE-R Forza 2 Challenge (subject to verification of eligibility) where you can race to win a trip to Los Angeles and a new car! For rules and details, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/Tournament.aspx?t=forzatwochallenge.
Sure it may only be a bunch of promotional materials for the Sentra, but free is free.
August 21, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Forza Motorsport, Free Stuff, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
Leave a comment
The Xbox Live Arcade returns to it’s two-a-week release format with today’s launch of Hexic 2 and Ecco the Dolphin. I can’t say that I’m particularly enthused about either release, as the original Hexic HD (as included on the Xbox 360 HD) bored me to tears – and while I was a huge Sega Genesis fan back in the day, Ecco was a title that would not even rank in my top 25 titles for that system.
That said, I will admit to being completely unaware that Alexey Pajitnov was behind Hexic until I read it in the Xbox.com product description for the game. I guess if you’re going to be a puzzle game and have a pedigree, Pajitnov’s name is the one to have. It’s not going to make me buy the game – or probably even try the demo – but it at least made me think twice. (Mind you, I’m not saying Hexic 2 is going to be a bad game, I’m just saying it’s not my kind of game – if you enjoyed the original Hexic, you’ll probably want to download the trial for Hexic 2 at the very least.)
Title: Hexic 2
Developer: Carbonated Games
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“Building on the success of Hexic HD, Hexic™ 2 brings all-new pieces to the board and a new multiplayer mode, so you can compete with friends in your living room or over Xbox LIVE®.
The basic gameplay is straightforward, familiar, and addictive—just spin a trio of hexes to create a group of three or more matching colors, or build a formation of hexes to create more advanced pieces. Whether you want a relaxing puzzle break or a frantic race against the clock, Hexic 2 has you covered!
- Acclaimed developer: Hexic 2 is another challenging puzzle hit from Alexey Pajitnov, the original creator of Tetris®.
- New challenges: All-new special pieces, different formations, and modes keep Hexic 2 challenging even for the veteran Hexic player.
- Multiplayer competition: Amp up the gaming excitement playing multiplayer on the same console or over Xbox LIVE (up to two players) in Battle Mode.
- Easy to learn: The gameplay is straightforward, approachable, and highly addictive.
- Stunning visuals: The game is rendered in full 3-D with stunning special effects such as reflections, glow, and spectacular highlights.” – Xbox.com
I have even less to say about Ecco as I’ve only played the original source material a few times and those brief encounters were enough to tell me it also wasn’t a game for me. As with Hexic 2, your mileage may vary.
Title: Ecco the Dolphin
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Sega of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone) – Animated Blood
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“A terrible storm has swept the family of Ecco the Dolphin from their watery home. Now, Ecco must search for them through a vast underwater world. Danger and adventure awaits you in Ecco the Dolphin™. Use Ecco’s sonar to discover hidden caverns and unlock the secrets of the crystal glyphs. Take on schools of ravenous sharks. Discover the mysteries of the deep, save your dolphin family, and protect the world from the Vortex. The fate of the whole world rests on your fins.
- Huge world to explore: Over 25 giant underwater levels of fighting action and puzzle-solving.
- Intriguing storyline: Solve the mystery of the Vortex and the fate of your dolphin family.
- Real-world movement: Knife through the waters and flip above the waves with animated motions created from real dolphins.
- Classic gameplay: All the classic gameplay from the original console game now brought to the next-gen world of Xbox 360™” – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade release of Track & Field, I’ve got to say that I found that the game was actually easier to play using the 360’s controller as opposed to the original arcade controls – at least as far as the demo events went. Ultimately, while it was a nice blast of nostalgia for a little while, the demo never convinced me that it was worth shelling out even $5 for. It was one of those games that had I purchased, I knew would have just wound up sitting on my hard drive collecting dust.
The only thing at this point that could change that decision for me would be if several friends grabbed the game and a genuine competition started over the event scores. Yeah, I’m a bit of a nut about that – it still pisses me off whenever I see that I’ve lost the top score or dropped further down on my friend’s list leaderboard.
August 15, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Sega, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
Leave a comment
The Xbox Live Arcade returns to it’s two-a-week release format with today’s launch of Hexic 2 and Ecco the Dolphin. I can’t say that I’m particularly enthused about either release, as the original Hexic HD (as included on the Xbox 360 HD) bored me to tears – and while I was a huge Sega Genesis fan back in the day, Ecco was a title that would not even rank in my top 25 titles for that system.
That said, I will admit to being completely unaware that Alexey Pajitnov was behind Hexic until I read it in the Xbox.com product description for the game. I guess if you’re going to be a puzzle game and have a pedigree, Pajitnov’s name is the one to have. It’s not going to make me buy the game – or probably even try the demo – but it at least made me think twice. (Mind you, I’m not saying Hexic 2 is going to be a bad game, I’m just saying it’s not my kind of game – if you enjoyed the original Hexic, you’ll probably want to download the trial for Hexic 2 at the very least.)
Title: Hexic 2
Developer: Carbonated Games
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“Building on the success of Hexic HD, Hexic™ 2 brings all-new pieces to the board and a new multiplayer mode, so you can compete with friends in your living room or over Xbox LIVE®.
The basic gameplay is straightforward, familiar, and addictive—just spin a trio of hexes to create a group of three or more matching colors, or build a formation of hexes to create more advanced pieces. Whether you want a relaxing puzzle break or a frantic race against the clock, Hexic 2 has you covered!
- Acclaimed developer: Hexic 2 is another challenging puzzle hit from Alexey Pajitnov, the original creator of Tetris®.
- New challenges: All-new special pieces, different formations, and modes keep Hexic 2 challenging even for the veteran Hexic player.
- Multiplayer competition: Amp up the gaming excitement playing multiplayer on the same console or over Xbox LIVE (up to two players) in Battle Mode.
- Easy to learn: The gameplay is straightforward, approachable, and highly addictive.
- Stunning visuals: The game is rendered in full 3-D with stunning special effects such as reflections, glow, and spectacular highlights.” – Xbox.com
I have even less to say about Ecco as I’ve only played the original source material a few times and those brief encounters were enough to tell me it also wasn’t a game for me. As with Hexic 2, your mileage may vary.
Title: Ecco the Dolphin
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Sega of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone) – Animated Blood
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“A terrible storm has swept the family of Ecco the Dolphin from their watery home. Now, Ecco must search for them through a vast underwater world. Danger and adventure awaits you in Ecco the Dolphin™. Use Ecco’s sonar to discover hidden caverns and unlock the secrets of the crystal glyphs. Take on schools of ravenous sharks. Discover the mysteries of the deep, save your dolphin family, and protect the world from the Vortex. The fate of the whole world rests on your fins.
- Huge world to explore: Over 25 giant underwater levels of fighting action and puzzle-solving.
- Intriguing storyline: Solve the mystery of the Vortex and the fate of your dolphin family.
- Real-world movement: Knife through the waters and flip above the waves with animated motions created from real dolphins.
- Classic gameplay: All the classic gameplay from the original console game now brought to the next-gen world of Xbox 360™” – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade release of Track & Field, I’ve got to say that I found that the game was actually easier to play using the 360’s controller as opposed to the original arcade controls – at least as far as the demo events went. Ultimately, while it was a nice blast of nostalgia for a little while, the demo never convinced me that it was worth shelling out even $5 for. It was one of those games that had I purchased, I knew would have just wound up sitting on my hard drive collecting dust.
The only thing at this point that could change that decision for me would be if several friends grabbed the game and a genuine competition started over the event scores. Yeah, I’m a bit of a nut about that – it still pisses me off whenever I see that I’ve lost the top score or dropped further down on my friend’s list leaderboard.
August 15, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Sega, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
Leave a comment
The Xbox Live Arcade returns to it’s two-a-week release format with today’s launch of Hexic 2 and Ecco the Dolphin. I can’t say that I’m particularly enthused about either release, as the original Hexic HD (as included on the Xbox 360 HD) bored me to tears – and while I was a huge Sega Genesis fan back in the day, Ecco was a title that would not even rank in my top 25 titles for that system.
That said, I will admit to being completely unaware that Alexey Pajitnov was behind Hexic until I read it in the Xbox.com product description for the game. I guess if you’re going to be a puzzle game and have a pedigree, Pajitnov’s name is the one to have. It’s not going to make me buy the game – or probably even try the demo – but it at least made me think twice. (Mind you, I’m not saying Hexic 2 is going to be a bad game, I’m just saying it’s not my kind of game – if you enjoyed the original Hexic, you’ll probably want to download the trial for Hexic 2 at the very least.)
Title: Hexic 2
Developer: Carbonated Games
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“Building on the success of Hexic HD, Hexic™ 2 brings all-new pieces to the board and a new multiplayer mode, so you can compete with friends in your living room or over Xbox LIVE®.
The basic gameplay is straightforward, familiar, and addictive—just spin a trio of hexes to create a group of three or more matching colors, or build a formation of hexes to create more advanced pieces. Whether you want a relaxing puzzle break or a frantic race against the clock, Hexic 2 has you covered!
- Acclaimed developer: Hexic 2 is another challenging puzzle hit from Alexey Pajitnov, the original creator of Tetris®.
- New challenges: All-new special pieces, different formations, and modes keep Hexic 2 challenging even for the veteran Hexic player.
- Multiplayer competition: Amp up the gaming excitement playing multiplayer on the same console or over Xbox LIVE (up to two players) in Battle Mode.
- Easy to learn: The gameplay is straightforward, approachable, and highly addictive.
- Stunning visuals: The game is rendered in full 3-D with stunning special effects such as reflections, glow, and spectacular highlights.” – Xbox.com
I have even less to say about Ecco as I’ve only played the original source material a few times and those brief encounters were enough to tell me it also wasn’t a game for me. As with Hexic 2, your mileage may vary.
Title: Ecco the Dolphin
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Sega of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone) – Animated Blood
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“A terrible storm has swept the family of Ecco the Dolphin from their watery home. Now, Ecco must search for them through a vast underwater world. Danger and adventure awaits you in Ecco the Dolphin™. Use Ecco’s sonar to discover hidden caverns and unlock the secrets of the crystal glyphs. Take on schools of ravenous sharks. Discover the mysteries of the deep, save your dolphin family, and protect the world from the Vortex. The fate of the whole world rests on your fins.
- Huge world to explore: Over 25 giant underwater levels of fighting action and puzzle-solving.
- Intriguing storyline: Solve the mystery of the Vortex and the fate of your dolphin family.
- Real-world movement: Knife through the waters and flip above the waves with animated motions created from real dolphins.
- Classic gameplay: All the classic gameplay from the original console game now brought to the next-gen world of Xbox 360™” – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade release of Track & Field, I’ve got to say that I found that the game was actually easier to play using the 360’s controller as opposed to the original arcade controls – at least as far as the demo events went. Ultimately, while it was a nice blast of nostalgia for a little while, the demo never convinced me that it was worth shelling out even $5 for. It was one of those games that had I purchased, I knew would have just wound up sitting on my hard drive collecting dust.
The only thing at this point that could change that decision for me would be if several friends grabbed the game and a genuine competition started over the event scores. Yeah, I’m a bit of a nut about that – it still pisses me off whenever I see that I’ve lost the top score or dropped further down on my friend’s list leaderboard.
August 15, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Sega, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
Leave a comment
The Xbox Live Arcade returns to it’s two-a-week release format with today’s launch of Hexic 2 and Ecco the Dolphin. I can’t say that I’m particularly enthused about either release, as the original Hexic HD (as included on the Xbox 360 HD) bored me to tears – and while I was a huge Sega Genesis fan back in the day, Ecco was a title that would not even rank in my top 25 titles for that system.
That said, I will admit to being completely unaware that Alexey Pajitnov was behind Hexic until I read it in the Xbox.com product description for the game. I guess if you’re going to be a puzzle game and have a pedigree, Pajitnov’s name is the one to have. It’s not going to make me buy the game – or probably even try the demo – but it at least made me think twice. (Mind you, I’m not saying Hexic 2 is going to be a bad game, I’m just saying it’s not my kind of game – if you enjoyed the original Hexic, you’ll probably want to download the trial for Hexic 2 at the very least.)
Title: Hexic 2
Developer: Carbonated Games
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“Building on the success of Hexic HD, Hexic™ 2 brings all-new pieces to the board and a new multiplayer mode, so you can compete with friends in your living room or over Xbox LIVE®.
The basic gameplay is straightforward, familiar, and addictive—just spin a trio of hexes to create a group of three or more matching colors, or build a formation of hexes to create more advanced pieces. Whether you want a relaxing puzzle break or a frantic race against the clock, Hexic 2 has you covered!
- Acclaimed developer: Hexic 2 is another challenging puzzle hit from Alexey Pajitnov, the original creator of Tetris®.
- New challenges: All-new special pieces, different formations, and modes keep Hexic 2 challenging even for the veteran Hexic player.
- Multiplayer competition: Amp up the gaming excitement playing multiplayer on the same console or over Xbox LIVE (up to two players) in Battle Mode.
- Easy to learn: The gameplay is straightforward, approachable, and highly addictive.
- Stunning visuals: The game is rendered in full 3-D with stunning special effects such as reflections, glow, and spectacular highlights.” – Xbox.com
I have even less to say about Ecco as I’ve only played the original source material a few times and those brief encounters were enough to tell me it also wasn’t a game for me. As with Hexic 2, your mileage may vary.
Title: Ecco the Dolphin
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Sega of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone) – Animated Blood
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“A terrible storm has swept the family of Ecco the Dolphin from their watery home. Now, Ecco must search for them through a vast underwater world. Danger and adventure awaits you in Ecco the Dolphin™. Use Ecco’s sonar to discover hidden caverns and unlock the secrets of the crystal glyphs. Take on schools of ravenous sharks. Discover the mysteries of the deep, save your dolphin family, and protect the world from the Vortex. The fate of the whole world rests on your fins.
- Huge world to explore: Over 25 giant underwater levels of fighting action and puzzle-solving.
- Intriguing storyline: Solve the mystery of the Vortex and the fate of your dolphin family.
- Real-world movement: Knife through the waters and flip above the waves with animated motions created from real dolphins.
- Classic gameplay: All the classic gameplay from the original console game now brought to the next-gen world of Xbox 360™” – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade release of Track & Field, I’ve got to say that I found that the game was actually easier to play using the 360’s controller as opposed to the original arcade controls – at least as far as the demo events went. Ultimately, while it was a nice blast of nostalgia for a little while, the demo never convinced me that it was worth shelling out even $5 for. It was one of those games that had I purchased, I knew would have just wound up sitting on my hard drive collecting dust.
The only thing at this point that could change that decision for me would be if several friends grabbed the game and a genuine competition started over the event scores. Yeah, I’m a bit of a nut about that – it still pisses me off whenever I see that I’ve lost the top score or dropped further down on my friend’s list leaderboard.
August 15, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Sega, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
1 Comment
The Xbox Live Arcade returns to it’s two-a-week release format with today’s launch of Hexic 2 and Ecco the Dolphin. I can’t say that I’m particularly enthused about either release, as the original Hexic HD (as included on the Xbox 360 HD) bored me to tears – and while I was a huge Sega Genesis fan back in the day, Ecco was a title that would not even rank in my top 25 titles for that system.
That said, I will admit to being completely unaware that Alexey Pajitnov was behind Hexic until I read it in the Xbox.com product description for the game. I guess if you’re going to be a puzzle game and have a pedigree, Pajitnov’s name is the one to have. It’s not going to make me buy the game – or probably even try the demo – but it at least made me think twice. (Mind you, I’m not saying Hexic 2 is going to be a bad game, I’m just saying it’s not my kind of game – if you enjoyed the original Hexic, you’ll probably want to download the trial for Hexic 2 at the very least.)
Title: Hexic 2
Developer: Carbonated Games
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“Building on the success of Hexic HD, Hexic™ 2 brings all-new pieces to the board and a new multiplayer mode, so you can compete with friends in your living room or over Xbox LIVE®.
The basic gameplay is straightforward, familiar, and addictive—just spin a trio of hexes to create a group of three or more matching colors, or build a formation of hexes to create more advanced pieces. Whether you want a relaxing puzzle break or a frantic race against the clock, Hexic 2 has you covered!
- Acclaimed developer: Hexic 2 is another challenging puzzle hit from Alexey Pajitnov, the original creator of Tetris®.
- New challenges: All-new special pieces, different formations, and modes keep Hexic 2 challenging even for the veteran Hexic player.
- Multiplayer competition: Amp up the gaming excitement playing multiplayer on the same console or over Xbox LIVE (up to two players) in Battle Mode.
- Easy to learn: The gameplay is straightforward, approachable, and highly addictive.
- Stunning visuals: The game is rendered in full 3-D with stunning special effects such as reflections, glow, and spectacular highlights.” – Xbox.com
I have even less to say about Ecco as I’ve only played the original source material a few times and those brief encounters were enough to tell me it also wasn’t a game for me. As with Hexic 2, your mileage may vary.
Title: Ecco the Dolphin
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Sega of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone) – Animated Blood
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“A terrible storm has swept the family of Ecco the Dolphin from their watery home. Now, Ecco must search for them through a vast underwater world. Danger and adventure awaits you in Ecco the Dolphin™. Use Ecco’s sonar to discover hidden caverns and unlock the secrets of the crystal glyphs. Take on schools of ravenous sharks. Discover the mysteries of the deep, save your dolphin family, and protect the world from the Vortex. The fate of the whole world rests on your fins.
- Huge world to explore: Over 25 giant underwater levels of fighting action and puzzle-solving.
- Intriguing storyline: Solve the mystery of the Vortex and the fate of your dolphin family.
- Real-world movement: Knife through the waters and flip above the waves with animated motions created from real dolphins.
- Classic gameplay: All the classic gameplay from the original console game now brought to the next-gen world of Xbox 360™” – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade release of Track & Field, I’ve got to say that I found that the game was actually easier to play using the 360’s controller as opposed to the original arcade controls – at least as far as the demo events went. Ultimately, while it was a nice blast of nostalgia for a little while, the demo never convinced me that it was worth shelling out even $5 for. It was one of those games that had I purchased, I knew would have just wound up sitting on my hard drive collecting dust.
The only thing at this point that could change that decision for me would be if several friends grabbed the game and a genuine competition started over the event scores. Yeah, I’m a bit of a nut about that – it still pisses me off whenever I see that I’ve lost the top score or dropped further down on my friend’s list leaderboard.
August 15, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Sega, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
Leave a comment
The Xbox Live Arcade returns to it’s two-a-week release format with today’s launch of Hexic 2 and Ecco the Dolphin. I can’t say that I’m particularly enthused about either release, as the original Hexic HD (as included on the Xbox 360 HD) bored me to tears – and while I was a huge Sega Genesis fan back in the day, Ecco was a title that would not even rank in my top 25 titles for that system.
That said, I will admit to being completely unaware that Alexey Pajitnov was behind Hexic until I read it in the Xbox.com product description for the game. I guess if you’re going to be a puzzle game and have a pedigree, Pajitnov’s name is the one to have. It’s not going to make me buy the game – or probably even try the demo – but it at least made me think twice. (Mind you, I’m not saying Hexic 2 is going to be a bad game, I’m just saying it’s not my kind of game – if you enjoyed the original Hexic, you’ll probably want to download the trial for Hexic 2 at the very least.)
Title: Hexic 2
Developer: Carbonated Games
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“Building on the success of Hexic HD, Hexic™ 2 brings all-new pieces to the board and a new multiplayer mode, so you can compete with friends in your living room or over Xbox LIVE®.
The basic gameplay is straightforward, familiar, and addictive—just spin a trio of hexes to create a group of three or more matching colors, or build a formation of hexes to create more advanced pieces. Whether you want a relaxing puzzle break or a frantic race against the clock, Hexic 2 has you covered!
- Acclaimed developer: Hexic 2 is another challenging puzzle hit from Alexey Pajitnov, the original creator of Tetris®.
- New challenges: All-new special pieces, different formations, and modes keep Hexic 2 challenging even for the veteran Hexic player.
- Multiplayer competition: Amp up the gaming excitement playing multiplayer on the same console or over Xbox LIVE (up to two players) in Battle Mode.
- Easy to learn: The gameplay is straightforward, approachable, and highly addictive.
- Stunning visuals: The game is rendered in full 3-D with stunning special effects such as reflections, glow, and spectacular highlights.” – Xbox.com
I have even less to say about Ecco as I’ve only played the original source material a few times and those brief encounters were enough to tell me it also wasn’t a game for me. As with Hexic 2, your mileage may vary.
Title: Ecco the Dolphin
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Sega of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone) – Animated Blood
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“A terrible storm has swept the family of Ecco the Dolphin from their watery home. Now, Ecco must search for them through a vast underwater world. Danger and adventure awaits you in Ecco the Dolphin™. Use Ecco’s sonar to discover hidden caverns and unlock the secrets of the crystal glyphs. Take on schools of ravenous sharks. Discover the mysteries of the deep, save your dolphin family, and protect the world from the Vortex. The fate of the whole world rests on your fins.
- Huge world to explore: Over 25 giant underwater levels of fighting action and puzzle-solving.
- Intriguing storyline: Solve the mystery of the Vortex and the fate of your dolphin family.
- Real-world movement: Knife through the waters and flip above the waves with animated motions created from real dolphins.
- Classic gameplay: All the classic gameplay from the original console game now brought to the next-gen world of Xbox 360™” – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade release of Track & Field, I’ve got to say that I found that the game was actually easier to play using the 360’s controller as opposed to the original arcade controls – at least as far as the demo events went. Ultimately, while it was a nice blast of nostalgia for a little while, the demo never convinced me that it was worth shelling out even $5 for. It was one of those games that had I purchased, I knew would have just wound up sitting on my hard drive collecting dust.
The only thing at this point that could change that decision for me would be if several friends grabbed the game and a genuine competition started over the event scores. Yeah, I’m a bit of a nut about that – it still pisses me off whenever I see that I’ve lost the top score or dropped further down on my friend’s list leaderboard.
August 15, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Sega, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
Leave a comment
The Xbox Live Arcade returns to it’s two-a-week release format with today’s launch of Hexic 2 and Ecco the Dolphin. I can’t say that I’m particularly enthused about either release, as the original Hexic HD (as included on the Xbox 360 HD) bored me to tears – and while I was a huge Sega Genesis fan back in the day, Ecco was a title that would not even rank in my top 25 titles for that system.
That said, I will admit to being completely unaware that Alexey Pajitnov was behind Hexic until I read it in the Xbox.com product description for the game. I guess if you’re going to be a puzzle game and have a pedigree, Pajitnov’s name is the one to have. It’s not going to make me buy the game – or probably even try the demo – but it at least made me think twice. (Mind you, I’m not saying Hexic 2 is going to be a bad game, I’m just saying it’s not my kind of game – if you enjoyed the original Hexic, you’ll probably want to download the trial for Hexic 2 at the very least.)
Title: Hexic 2
Developer: Carbonated Games
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“Building on the success of Hexic HD, Hexic™ 2 brings all-new pieces to the board and a new multiplayer mode, so you can compete with friends in your living room or over Xbox LIVE®.
The basic gameplay is straightforward, familiar, and addictive—just spin a trio of hexes to create a group of three or more matching colors, or build a formation of hexes to create more advanced pieces. Whether you want a relaxing puzzle break or a frantic race against the clock, Hexic 2 has you covered!
- Acclaimed developer: Hexic 2 is another challenging puzzle hit from Alexey Pajitnov, the original creator of Tetris®.
- New challenges: All-new special pieces, different formations, and modes keep Hexic 2 challenging even for the veteran Hexic player.
- Multiplayer competition: Amp up the gaming excitement playing multiplayer on the same console or over Xbox LIVE (up to two players) in Battle Mode.
- Easy to learn: The gameplay is straightforward, approachable, and highly addictive.
- Stunning visuals: The game is rendered in full 3-D with stunning special effects such as reflections, glow, and spectacular highlights.” – Xbox.com
I have even less to say about Ecco as I’ve only played the original source material a few times and those brief encounters were enough to tell me it also wasn’t a game for me. As with Hexic 2, your mileage may vary.
Title: Ecco the Dolphin
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Sega of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone) – Animated Blood
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“A terrible storm has swept the family of Ecco the Dolphin from their watery home. Now, Ecco must search for them through a vast underwater world. Danger and adventure awaits you in Ecco the Dolphin™. Use Ecco’s sonar to discover hidden caverns and unlock the secrets of the crystal glyphs. Take on schools of ravenous sharks. Discover the mysteries of the deep, save your dolphin family, and protect the world from the Vortex. The fate of the whole world rests on your fins.
- Huge world to explore: Over 25 giant underwater levels of fighting action and puzzle-solving.
- Intriguing storyline: Solve the mystery of the Vortex and the fate of your dolphin family.
- Real-world movement: Knife through the waters and flip above the waves with animated motions created from real dolphins.
- Classic gameplay: All the classic gameplay from the original console game now brought to the next-gen world of Xbox 360™” – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade release of Track & Field, I’ve got to say that I found that the game was actually easier to play using the 360’s controller as opposed to the original arcade controls – at least as far as the demo events went. Ultimately, while it was a nice blast of nostalgia for a little while, the demo never convinced me that it was worth shelling out even $5 for. It was one of those games that had I purchased, I knew would have just wound up sitting on my hard drive collecting dust.
The only thing at this point that could change that decision for me would be if several friends grabbed the game and a genuine competition started over the event scores. Yeah, I’m a bit of a nut about that – it still pisses me off whenever I see that I’ve lost the top score or dropped further down on my friend’s list leaderboard.
August 15, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Sega, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
Leave a comment
The Xbox Live Arcade returns to it’s two-a-week release format with today’s launch of Hexic 2 and Ecco the Dolphin. I can’t say that I’m particularly enthused about either release, as the original Hexic HD (as included on the Xbox 360 HD) bored me to tears – and while I was a huge Sega Genesis fan back in the day, Ecco was a title that would not even rank in my top 25 titles for that system.
That said, I will admit to being completely unaware that Alexey Pajitnov was behind Hexic until I read it in the Xbox.com product description for the game. I guess if you’re going to be a puzzle game and have a pedigree, Pajitnov’s name is the one to have. It’s not going to make me buy the game – or probably even try the demo – but it at least made me think twice. (Mind you, I’m not saying Hexic 2 is going to be a bad game, I’m just saying it’s not my kind of game – if you enjoyed the original Hexic, you’ll probably want to download the trial for Hexic 2 at the very least.)
Title: Hexic 2
Developer: Carbonated Games
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“Building on the success of Hexic HD, Hexic™ 2 brings all-new pieces to the board and a new multiplayer mode, so you can compete with friends in your living room or over Xbox LIVE®.
The basic gameplay is straightforward, familiar, and addictive—just spin a trio of hexes to create a group of three or more matching colors, or build a formation of hexes to create more advanced pieces. Whether you want a relaxing puzzle break or a frantic race against the clock, Hexic 2 has you covered!
- Acclaimed developer: Hexic 2 is another challenging puzzle hit from Alexey Pajitnov, the original creator of Tetris®.
- New challenges: All-new special pieces, different formations, and modes keep Hexic 2 challenging even for the veteran Hexic player.
- Multiplayer competition: Amp up the gaming excitement playing multiplayer on the same console or over Xbox LIVE (up to two players) in Battle Mode.
- Easy to learn: The gameplay is straightforward, approachable, and highly addictive.
- Stunning visuals: The game is rendered in full 3-D with stunning special effects such as reflections, glow, and spectacular highlights.” – Xbox.com
I have even less to say about Ecco as I’ve only played the original source material a few times and those brief encounters were enough to tell me it also wasn’t a game for me. As with Hexic 2, your mileage may vary.
Title: Ecco the Dolphin
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Sega of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone) – Animated Blood
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“A terrible storm has swept the family of Ecco the Dolphin from their watery home. Now, Ecco must search for them through a vast underwater world. Danger and adventure awaits you in Ecco the Dolphin™. Use Ecco’s sonar to discover hidden caverns and unlock the secrets of the crystal glyphs. Take on schools of ravenous sharks. Discover the mysteries of the deep, save your dolphin family, and protect the world from the Vortex. The fate of the whole world rests on your fins.
- Huge world to explore: Over 25 giant underwater levels of fighting action and puzzle-solving.
- Intriguing storyline: Solve the mystery of the Vortex and the fate of your dolphin family.
- Real-world movement: Knife through the waters and flip above the waves with animated motions created from real dolphins.
- Classic gameplay: All the classic gameplay from the original console game now brought to the next-gen world of Xbox 360™” – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade release of Track & Field, I’ve got to say that I found that the game was actually easier to play using the 360’s controller as opposed to the original arcade controls – at least as far as the demo events went. Ultimately, while it was a nice blast of nostalgia for a little while, the demo never convinced me that it was worth shelling out even $5 for. It was one of those games that had I purchased, I knew would have just wound up sitting on my hard drive collecting dust.
The only thing at this point that could change that decision for me would be if several friends grabbed the game and a genuine competition started over the event scores. Yeah, I’m a bit of a nut about that – it still pisses me off whenever I see that I’ve lost the top score or dropped further down on my friend’s list leaderboard.
August 15, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Sega, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
Leave a comment
The Xbox Live Arcade returns to it’s two-a-week release format with today’s launch of Hexic 2 and Ecco the Dolphin. I can’t say that I’m particularly enthused about either release, as the original Hexic HD (as included on the Xbox 360 HD) bored me to tears – and while I was a huge Sega Genesis fan back in the day, Ecco was a title that would not even rank in my top 25 titles for that system.
That said, I will admit to being completely unaware that Alexey Pajitnov was behind Hexic until I read it in the Xbox.com product description for the game. I guess if you’re going to be a puzzle game and have a pedigree, Pajitnov’s name is the one to have. It’s not going to make me buy the game – or probably even try the demo – but it at least made me think twice. (Mind you, I’m not saying Hexic 2 is going to be a bad game, I’m just saying it’s not my kind of game – if you enjoyed the original Hexic, you’ll probably want to download the trial for Hexic 2 at the very least.)
Title: Hexic 2
Developer: Carbonated Games
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“Building on the success of Hexic HD, Hexic™ 2 brings all-new pieces to the board and a new multiplayer mode, so you can compete with friends in your living room or over Xbox LIVE®.
The basic gameplay is straightforward, familiar, and addictive—just spin a trio of hexes to create a group of three or more matching colors, or build a formation of hexes to create more advanced pieces. Whether you want a relaxing puzzle break or a frantic race against the clock, Hexic 2 has you covered!
- Acclaimed developer: Hexic 2 is another challenging puzzle hit from Alexey Pajitnov, the original creator of Tetris®.
- New challenges: All-new special pieces, different formations, and modes keep Hexic 2 challenging even for the veteran Hexic player.
- Multiplayer competition: Amp up the gaming excitement playing multiplayer on the same console or over Xbox LIVE (up to two players) in Battle Mode.
- Easy to learn: The gameplay is straightforward, approachable, and highly addictive.
- Stunning visuals: The game is rendered in full 3-D with stunning special effects such as reflections, glow, and spectacular highlights.” – Xbox.com
I have even less to say about Ecco as I’ve only played the original source material a few times and those brief encounters were enough to tell me it also wasn’t a game for me. As with Hexic 2, your mileage may vary.
Title: Ecco the Dolphin
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Sega of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone) – Animated Blood
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“A terrible storm has swept the family of Ecco the Dolphin from their watery home. Now, Ecco must search for them through a vast underwater world. Danger and adventure awaits you in Ecco the Dolphin™. Use Ecco’s sonar to discover hidden caverns and unlock the secrets of the crystal glyphs. Take on schools of ravenous sharks. Discover the mysteries of the deep, save your dolphin family, and protect the world from the Vortex. The fate of the whole world rests on your fins.
- Huge world to explore: Over 25 giant underwater levels of fighting action and puzzle-solving.
- Intriguing storyline: Solve the mystery of the Vortex and the fate of your dolphin family.
- Real-world movement: Knife through the waters and flip above the waves with animated motions created from real dolphins.
- Classic gameplay: All the classic gameplay from the original console game now brought to the next-gen world of Xbox 360™” – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade release of Track & Field, I’ve got to say that I found that the game was actually easier to play using the 360’s controller as opposed to the original arcade controls – at least as far as the demo events went. Ultimately, while it was a nice blast of nostalgia for a little while, the demo never convinced me that it was worth shelling out even $5 for. It was one of those games that had I purchased, I knew would have just wound up sitting on my hard drive collecting dust.
The only thing at this point that could change that decision for me would be if several friends grabbed the game and a genuine competition started over the event scores. Yeah, I’m a bit of a nut about that – it still pisses me off whenever I see that I’ve lost the top score or dropped further down on my friend’s list leaderboard.
August 15, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Sega, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
Leave a comment
The Xbox Live Arcade returns to it’s two-a-week release format with today’s launch of Hexic 2 and Ecco the Dolphin. I can’t say that I’m particularly enthused about either release, as the original Hexic HD (as included on the Xbox 360 HD) bored me to tears – and while I was a huge Sega Genesis fan back in the day, Ecco was a title that would not even rank in my top 25 titles for that system.
That said, I will admit to being completely unaware that Alexey Pajitnov was behind Hexic until I read it in the Xbox.com product description for the game. I guess if you’re going to be a puzzle game and have a pedigree, Pajitnov’s name is the one to have. It’s not going to make me buy the game – or probably even try the demo – but it at least made me think twice. (Mind you, I’m not saying Hexic 2 is going to be a bad game, I’m just saying it’s not my kind of game – if you enjoyed the original Hexic, you’ll probably want to download the trial for Hexic 2 at the very least.)
Title: Hexic 2
Developer: Carbonated Games
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“Building on the success of Hexic HD, Hexic™ 2 brings all-new pieces to the board and a new multiplayer mode, so you can compete with friends in your living room or over Xbox LIVE®.
The basic gameplay is straightforward, familiar, and addictive—just spin a trio of hexes to create a group of three or more matching colors, or build a formation of hexes to create more advanced pieces. Whether you want a relaxing puzzle break or a frantic race against the clock, Hexic 2 has you covered!
- Acclaimed developer: Hexic 2 is another challenging puzzle hit from Alexey Pajitnov, the original creator of Tetris®.
- New challenges: All-new special pieces, different formations, and modes keep Hexic 2 challenging even for the veteran Hexic player.
- Multiplayer competition: Amp up the gaming excitement playing multiplayer on the same console or over Xbox LIVE (up to two players) in Battle Mode.
- Easy to learn: The gameplay is straightforward, approachable, and highly addictive.
- Stunning visuals: The game is rendered in full 3-D with stunning special effects such as reflections, glow, and spectacular highlights.” – Xbox.com
I have even less to say about Ecco as I’ve only played the original source material a few times and those brief encounters were enough to tell me it also wasn’t a game for me. As with Hexic 2, your mileage may vary.
Title: Ecco the Dolphin
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Sega of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone) – Animated Blood
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“A terrible storm has swept the family of Ecco the Dolphin from their watery home. Now, Ecco must search for them through a vast underwater world. Danger and adventure awaits you in Ecco the Dolphin™. Use Ecco’s sonar to discover hidden caverns and unlock the secrets of the crystal glyphs. Take on schools of ravenous sharks. Discover the mysteries of the deep, save your dolphin family, and protect the world from the Vortex. The fate of the whole world rests on your fins.
- Huge world to explore: Over 25 giant underwater levels of fighting action and puzzle-solving.
- Intriguing storyline: Solve the mystery of the Vortex and the fate of your dolphin family.
- Real-world movement: Knife through the waters and flip above the waves with animated motions created from real dolphins.
- Classic gameplay: All the classic gameplay from the original console game now brought to the next-gen world of Xbox 360™” – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade release of Track & Field, I’ve got to say that I found that the game was actually easier to play using the 360’s controller as opposed to the original arcade controls – at least as far as the demo events went. Ultimately, while it was a nice blast of nostalgia for a little while, the demo never convinced me that it was worth shelling out even $5 for. It was one of those games that had I purchased, I knew would have just wound up sitting on my hard drive collecting dust.
The only thing at this point that could change that decision for me would be if several friends grabbed the game and a genuine competition started over the event scores. Yeah, I’m a bit of a nut about that – it still pisses me off whenever I see that I’ve lost the top score or dropped further down on my friend’s list leaderboard.
August 15, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Sega, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
Leave a comment
The Xbox Live Arcade returns to it’s two-a-week release format with today’s launch of Hexic 2 and Ecco the Dolphin. I can’t say that I’m particularly enthused about either release, as the original Hexic HD (as included on the Xbox 360 HD) bored me to tears – and while I was a huge Sega Genesis fan back in the day, Ecco was a title that would not even rank in my top 25 titles for that system.
That said, I will admit to being completely unaware that Alexey Pajitnov was behind Hexic until I read it in the Xbox.com product description for the game. I guess if you’re going to be a puzzle game and have a pedigree, Pajitnov’s name is the one to have. It’s not going to make me buy the game – or probably even try the demo – but it at least made me think twice. (Mind you, I’m not saying Hexic 2 is going to be a bad game, I’m just saying it’s not my kind of game – if you enjoyed the original Hexic, you’ll probably want to download the trial for Hexic 2 at the very least.)
Title: Hexic 2
Developer: Carbonated Games
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“Building on the success of Hexic HD, Hexic™ 2 brings all-new pieces to the board and a new multiplayer mode, so you can compete with friends in your living room or over Xbox LIVE®.
The basic gameplay is straightforward, familiar, and addictive—just spin a trio of hexes to create a group of three or more matching colors, or build a formation of hexes to create more advanced pieces. Whether you want a relaxing puzzle break or a frantic race against the clock, Hexic 2 has you covered!
- Acclaimed developer: Hexic 2 is another challenging puzzle hit from Alexey Pajitnov, the original creator of Tetris®.
- New challenges: All-new special pieces, different formations, and modes keep Hexic 2 challenging even for the veteran Hexic player.
- Multiplayer competition: Amp up the gaming excitement playing multiplayer on the same console or over Xbox LIVE (up to two players) in Battle Mode.
- Easy to learn: The gameplay is straightforward, approachable, and highly addictive.
- Stunning visuals: The game is rendered in full 3-D with stunning special effects such as reflections, glow, and spectacular highlights.” – Xbox.com
I have even less to say about Ecco as I’ve only played the original source material a few times and those brief encounters were enough to tell me it also wasn’t a game for me. As with Hexic 2, your mileage may vary.
Title: Ecco the Dolphin
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Sega of America
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/15/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone) – Animated Blood
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
“A terrible storm has swept the family of Ecco the Dolphin from their watery home. Now, Ecco must search for them through a vast underwater world. Danger and adventure awaits you in Ecco the Dolphin™. Use Ecco’s sonar to discover hidden caverns and unlock the secrets of the crystal glyphs. Take on schools of ravenous sharks. Discover the mysteries of the deep, save your dolphin family, and protect the world from the Vortex. The fate of the whole world rests on your fins.
- Huge world to explore: Over 25 giant underwater levels of fighting action and puzzle-solving.
- Intriguing storyline: Solve the mystery of the Vortex and the fate of your dolphin family.
- Real-world movement: Knife through the waters and flip above the waves with animated motions created from real dolphins.
- Classic gameplay: All the classic gameplay from the original console game now brought to the next-gen world of Xbox 360™” – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade release of Track & Field, I’ve got to say that I found that the game was actually easier to play using the 360’s controller as opposed to the original arcade controls – at least as far as the demo events went. Ultimately, while it was a nice blast of nostalgia for a little while, the demo never convinced me that it was worth shelling out even $5 for. It was one of those games that had I purchased, I knew would have just wound up sitting on my hard drive collecting dust.
The only thing at this point that could change that decision for me would be if several friends grabbed the game and a genuine competition started over the event scores. Yeah, I’m a bit of a nut about that – it still pisses me off whenever I see that I’ve lost the top score or dropped further down on my friend’s list leaderboard.
August 15, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Sega, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
1 Comment
Some of you may have noticed that there was a mandatory Xbox 360 system update waiting for you when you logged into Xbox Live yesterday. According to Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb, the update is a relatively minor one that doesn’t add any new features to the 360, but rather is just some background work to allow the use of wireless guitars later this year.
"The only thing this minor release will do is prepare your Xbox 360 for the wireless guitars that are being released in a few months.
No new features beyond this wireless support are included in this update." – Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb, Xbox Live director of programming
So there you have it – move along, nothing to see here.
August 8, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Microsoft, Update, Xbox 360 |
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Microsoft has now confirmed that the rumored price drop we told you about last week will be going into effect on August 8th. The price cut will affect all versions of the Xbox 360 including the upcoming Halo 3 Special Edition console.
While I’m sure many will agree that Microsoft had to do something to attempt to spur 360 sales heading into the fall, I question just how effective this price cut will be. Simply put, it’s just not that large of a drop. Despite Microsoft stating that this is a $50 price reduction, when you look at the updated prices of the different models of the 360, you’ll note that the real savings ranges between $20 and $50 depending on which model you buy.
Before we get to the text of the press release, let’s cut to the chase – here are the new retail prices that will be taking effect on the 8th;
Personally, I was hoping Microsoft would also take the initiative to drop the price on the 120GB hard drive – especially when you consider that it’s in the company’s best interest (Due to downloadable content and such) to get as many of the larger hard drives out there are possible. No luck on that end though.
“REDMOND, Wash. — Aug. 6, 2007 — Microsoft Corp. today kicked off the greatest holiday lineup in video game history by announcing it will reduce the estimated retail price (ERP) of Xbox 360™ by $50 (U.S.) beginning Aug. 8. Soon to follow, Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) will release its blockbuster video game title “Madden NFL 08” on Aug. 14. “Madden NFL Football,” one of the most important mass-appeal franchises in video games, was the top-selling game of 2006 and is the top-selling franchise of the past 10 years. Only Xbox 360 offers a console for all interests and budgets.
“The fact that we have been able to keep our launch price longer than any other console while retaining our leadership position demonstrates that consumers believe in the value of Xbox 360,” said Mitch Koch, corporate vice president, Global Retail Sales and Marketing Group, Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. “On the eve of the best holiday games lineup ever and the launch of ‘Madden NFL 08,’ there has never been a better time to jump into Xbox 360.”
Xbox 360 will enhance the value of its entire family of consoles beginning on Aug. 8. At a new ERP of $349.99 (U.S.), Xbox 360 offers an unsurpassed experience right out of the box with a 20GB hard drive, wireless controller, Xbox 360 headset, and more. For those looking for the ultimate value and the freedom to customize their console as they see fit, Xbox 360 Core System now has an ERP of $279.99 (U.S.). Xbox 360 Core System provides everything needed to start gaming while giving consumers the ability to add new features and accessories they want. Dressed in black and equipped with a 120GB hard drive, Xbox 360 Elite will be priced at an ERP of $449.99 (U.S.) for those who want the premium games and entertainment experience. In anticipation of this year’s largest blockbuster game launch, the Xbox 360 Halo® 3 Special Edition Console will hit store shelves in September with an ERP of $399.99 (U.S.). Featuring an authentic Spartan green-and-gold finish, this console will include a matching Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Xbox 360 20GB hard drive, Xbox 360 Headset, an Xbox 360 Play and Charge Kit, and more.” – Microsoft press release
Those of you looking for more information on the price drop or the full text of the press release should check out the below links.
August 7, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Announcements, Microsoft, Price Drop, Xbox 360 |
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In a post over at ForzaMotorsport.net, the folks at Turn 10 announced that Nissan will be sponsoring a free downloadable car pack for Forza Motorsport 2 along with several Nissan themed events to be held via Xbox Live.
Naturally, the most exciting thing about the announcement is the addition of three free cars starting today. The Nissan car pack will include the 2007 models of the Nissan 350Z, Sentra SE-R and Altima. I said it back when Cadillac sponsored a car pack for Project Gotham Racing 3, and I’ll say it again – this is the way in-game advertising should be done. It’s unobtrusive, shows off the product and is something people will actually go out of their way to obtain. Sure, this example really only works for racing games, but it’s still a case where the end user doesn’t feel like they’re being pimped out by a game they’ve spent sixty or more dollars on.
As if that’s not enough, Nissan will also be hosting several events including a Sentra SE-R tournament race as well as a car customization contest. As an avid collector for Forza 2 cars, I certainly can’t wait to see what people come up with for that one. (Though I wonder if we’re going to see some controversy surrounding people using unlocked vinyls and claiming them as their own.)
While we’re on the subject of Forza 2, I should also note that one “premium” car will be debuting in the Xbox Live Marketplace tomorrow. A paintable Peugeot 908 race car will be sold for 50 Microsoft Points ($0.63).
August 1, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Downloadable Content, Forza Motorsport, Free Stuff, Microsoft, Racing, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday continues it’s two-at-a-time streak as Marathon: Durundal and Spyglass Board Games make their debut in the Live Arcade.
We’ll start off with Bungie’s cult-classic Marathon: Durundal. I’ll freely admit I’ve never been a Mac gamer, in fact I’ve only used a Mac a handful of times in my life – and I’m pretty content with that. If I had been a Mac user though, i’d probably have many fond memories of the Marathon series. Released in 1994, Marathon was the Mac’s answer to Doom and was followed one year later by it’s sequel, and the topic of this discussion, Marathon 2: Durundal.
The game opens 17 years after the events of the original Marathon and takes the player to the alien’s homeworld in search of advanced technology. Since I don’t have much more direct knowledge of the game, I’ll leave it to the game’s demo to help you decide if it’s worth your ten dollars.
Title: Marathon: Durundal
Developer: Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 (2-8 via system link/Live)
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: M (Mature – Blood & Gore, Violence)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Seventeen years ago, you survived a vicious Pfhor assault on the U.E.S.C. Marathon. Now you have been awakened by the enigmatic, sentient A.I. called Durandal and sent to an alien world to uncover the mysteries of their advanced technology. In Marathon: Durandal, armed with only a pistol, you are humanity’s last champion!
- Epic story: Exclusive to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, Marathon: Durandal is a cult classic first-person shooter (FPS) that continues the tradition of great gameplay while remaining faithful to the spirit of Bungie lore as the predecessor to the Halo franchise.
- Upgraded visuals: All images in the game have been redrawn in high definition.
- Modern networking: Marathon: Durandal features a new modern networking layer built with Xbox LIVE in mind.
- Superior control: The redesigned controls take full advantage of the Xbox 360 Controller and enhance playing a first-person shooter on a home console." – Xbox.com
Next up, we have Spyglass Board Games. There’s not much to say here – it’s Chess, Checkers, Reversi and Mancala in one package. The only thing to really note here is that the game supports both multiplayer over Xbox Live as well as the Xbox Vision Camera. Beyond that, I’m going to guess that you already know whether or not these are games you want to shell out five bucks for.
One word of warning on this one – Freeverse has clearly stated that this is a game designed for casual players. Don’t go in expecting grandmaster level AI in the game’s single player mode.
Title: Spyglass Board Games
Developer: Strange Flavour/Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Spyglass Board Games offers a fun new take on classic board games, like Chess, Checkers, Mancala, and Reversi. Play and chat socially on Xbox LIVE®, or play against the computer. Use the Xbox LIVE Vision camera to personalize the game board, playing pieces, and video effects. Each game has custom pieces to choose from, such as a rook made of stone, or a furry checkers piece with cute gleaming eyes. Make each game your very own!
- Full featured games: Four classic board games to choose from. Play Chess, Checkers, Mancala, or Reversi.
- Video integration with Xbox LIVE Vision camera: Fully integrated video chat lets you see your opponent. Use the video effects to personalize your game.
- Customizable pieces: Choose custom game pieces that range from traditional marble, to metallic silver, to fuzzy and wiggling gel.
- Twelve achievements: Twelve achievements are offered ranging from easy, such as playing all four games, to more challenging, such as taking all four corners in Reversi." – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade titles, I passed on Super Contra for the reasons I mentioned in last week’s Live Arcade post, and found Wing Commander Arena to be a complete waste of time. Unless you were a fan of Super Contra in the arcades, avoid both like the plague.
August 1, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday continues it’s two-at-a-time streak as Marathon: Durundal and Spyglass Board Games make their debut in the Live Arcade.
We’ll start off with Bungie’s cult-classic Marathon: Durundal. I’ll freely admit I’ve never been a Mac gamer, in fact I’ve only used a Mac a handful of times in my life – and I’m pretty content with that. If I had been a Mac user though, i’d probably have many fond memories of the Marathon series. Released in 1994, Marathon was the Mac’s answer to Doom and was followed one year later by it’s sequel, and the topic of this discussion, Marathon 2: Durundal.
The game opens 17 years after the events of the original Marathon and takes the player to the alien’s homeworld in search of advanced technology. Since I don’t have much more direct knowledge of the game, I’ll leave it to the game’s demo to help you decide if it’s worth your ten dollars.
Title: Marathon: Durundal
Developer: Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 (2-8 via system link/Live)
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: M (Mature – Blood & Gore, Violence)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Seventeen years ago, you survived a vicious Pfhor assault on the U.E.S.C. Marathon. Now you have been awakened by the enigmatic, sentient A.I. called Durandal and sent to an alien world to uncover the mysteries of their advanced technology. In Marathon: Durandal, armed with only a pistol, you are humanity’s last champion!
- Epic story: Exclusive to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, Marathon: Durandal is a cult classic first-person shooter (FPS) that continues the tradition of great gameplay while remaining faithful to the spirit of Bungie lore as the predecessor to the Halo franchise.
- Upgraded visuals: All images in the game have been redrawn in high definition.
- Modern networking: Marathon: Durandal features a new modern networking layer built with Xbox LIVE in mind.
- Superior control: The redesigned controls take full advantage of the Xbox 360 Controller and enhance playing a first-person shooter on a home console." – Xbox.com
Next up, we have Spyglass Board Games. There’s not much to say here – it’s Chess, Checkers, Reversi and Mancala in one package. The only thing to really note here is that the game supports both multiplayer over Xbox Live as well as the Xbox Vision Camera. Beyond that, I’m going to guess that you already know whether or not these are games you want to shell out five bucks for.
One word of warning on this one – Freeverse has clearly stated that this is a game designed for casual players. Don’t go in expecting grandmaster level AI in the game’s single player mode.
Title: Spyglass Board Games
Developer: Strange Flavour/Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Spyglass Board Games offers a fun new take on classic board games, like Chess, Checkers, Mancala, and Reversi. Play and chat socially on Xbox LIVE®, or play against the computer. Use the Xbox LIVE Vision camera to personalize the game board, playing pieces, and video effects. Each game has custom pieces to choose from, such as a rook made of stone, or a furry checkers piece with cute gleaming eyes. Make each game your very own!
- Full featured games: Four classic board games to choose from. Play Chess, Checkers, Mancala, or Reversi.
- Video integration with Xbox LIVE Vision camera: Fully integrated video chat lets you see your opponent. Use the video effects to personalize your game.
- Customizable pieces: Choose custom game pieces that range from traditional marble, to metallic silver, to fuzzy and wiggling gel.
- Twelve achievements: Twelve achievements are offered ranging from easy, such as playing all four games, to more challenging, such as taking all four corners in Reversi." – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade titles, I passed on Super Contra for the reasons I mentioned in last week’s Live Arcade post, and found Wing Commander Arena to be a complete waste of time. Unless you were a fan of Super Contra in the arcades, avoid both like the plague.
August 1, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday continues it’s two-at-a-time streak as Marathon: Durundal and Spyglass Board Games make their debut in the Live Arcade.
We’ll start off with Bungie’s cult-classic Marathon: Durundal. I’ll freely admit I’ve never been a Mac gamer, in fact I’ve only used a Mac a handful of times in my life – and I’m pretty content with that. If I had been a Mac user though, i’d probably have many fond memories of the Marathon series. Released in 1994, Marathon was the Mac’s answer to Doom and was followed one year later by it’s sequel, and the topic of this discussion, Marathon 2: Durundal.
The game opens 17 years after the events of the original Marathon and takes the player to the alien’s homeworld in search of advanced technology. Since I don’t have much more direct knowledge of the game, I’ll leave it to the game’s demo to help you decide if it’s worth your ten dollars.
Title: Marathon: Durundal
Developer: Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 (2-8 via system link/Live)
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: M (Mature – Blood & Gore, Violence)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Seventeen years ago, you survived a vicious Pfhor assault on the U.E.S.C. Marathon. Now you have been awakened by the enigmatic, sentient A.I. called Durandal and sent to an alien world to uncover the mysteries of their advanced technology. In Marathon: Durandal, armed with only a pistol, you are humanity’s last champion!
- Epic story: Exclusive to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, Marathon: Durandal is a cult classic first-person shooter (FPS) that continues the tradition of great gameplay while remaining faithful to the spirit of Bungie lore as the predecessor to the Halo franchise.
- Upgraded visuals: All images in the game have been redrawn in high definition.
- Modern networking: Marathon: Durandal features a new modern networking layer built with Xbox LIVE in mind.
- Superior control: The redesigned controls take full advantage of the Xbox 360 Controller and enhance playing a first-person shooter on a home console." – Xbox.com
Next up, we have Spyglass Board Games. There’s not much to say here – it’s Chess, Checkers, Reversi and Mancala in one package. The only thing to really note here is that the game supports both multiplayer over Xbox Live as well as the Xbox Vision Camera. Beyond that, I’m going to guess that you already know whether or not these are games you want to shell out five bucks for.
One word of warning on this one – Freeverse has clearly stated that this is a game designed for casual players. Don’t go in expecting grandmaster level AI in the game’s single player mode.
Title: Spyglass Board Games
Developer: Strange Flavour/Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Spyglass Board Games offers a fun new take on classic board games, like Chess, Checkers, Mancala, and Reversi. Play and chat socially on Xbox LIVE®, or play against the computer. Use the Xbox LIVE Vision camera to personalize the game board, playing pieces, and video effects. Each game has custom pieces to choose from, such as a rook made of stone, or a furry checkers piece with cute gleaming eyes. Make each game your very own!
- Full featured games: Four classic board games to choose from. Play Chess, Checkers, Mancala, or Reversi.
- Video integration with Xbox LIVE Vision camera: Fully integrated video chat lets you see your opponent. Use the video effects to personalize your game.
- Customizable pieces: Choose custom game pieces that range from traditional marble, to metallic silver, to fuzzy and wiggling gel.
- Twelve achievements: Twelve achievements are offered ranging from easy, such as playing all four games, to more challenging, such as taking all four corners in Reversi." – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade titles, I passed on Super Contra for the reasons I mentioned in last week’s Live Arcade post, and found Wing Commander Arena to be a complete waste of time. Unless you were a fan of Super Contra in the arcades, avoid both like the plague.
August 1, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday continues it’s two-at-a-time streak as Marathon: Durundal and Spyglass Board Games make their debut in the Live Arcade.
We’ll start off with Bungie’s cult-classic Marathon: Durundal. I’ll freely admit I’ve never been a Mac gamer, in fact I’ve only used a Mac a handful of times in my life – and I’m pretty content with that. If I had been a Mac user though, i’d probably have many fond memories of the Marathon series. Released in 1994, Marathon was the Mac’s answer to Doom and was followed one year later by it’s sequel, and the topic of this discussion, Marathon 2: Durundal.
The game opens 17 years after the events of the original Marathon and takes the player to the alien’s homeworld in search of advanced technology. Since I don’t have much more direct knowledge of the game, I’ll leave it to the game’s demo to help you decide if it’s worth your ten dollars.
Title: Marathon: Durundal
Developer: Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 (2-8 via system link/Live)
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: M (Mature – Blood & Gore, Violence)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Seventeen years ago, you survived a vicious Pfhor assault on the U.E.S.C. Marathon. Now you have been awakened by the enigmatic, sentient A.I. called Durandal and sent to an alien world to uncover the mysteries of their advanced technology. In Marathon: Durandal, armed with only a pistol, you are humanity’s last champion!
- Epic story: Exclusive to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, Marathon: Durandal is a cult classic first-person shooter (FPS) that continues the tradition of great gameplay while remaining faithful to the spirit of Bungie lore as the predecessor to the Halo franchise.
- Upgraded visuals: All images in the game have been redrawn in high definition.
- Modern networking: Marathon: Durandal features a new modern networking layer built with Xbox LIVE in mind.
- Superior control: The redesigned controls take full advantage of the Xbox 360 Controller and enhance playing a first-person shooter on a home console." – Xbox.com
Next up, we have Spyglass Board Games. There’s not much to say here – it’s Chess, Checkers, Reversi and Mancala in one package. The only thing to really note here is that the game supports both multiplayer over Xbox Live as well as the Xbox Vision Camera. Beyond that, I’m going to guess that you already know whether or not these are games you want to shell out five bucks for.
One word of warning on this one – Freeverse has clearly stated that this is a game designed for casual players. Don’t go in expecting grandmaster level AI in the game’s single player mode.
Title: Spyglass Board Games
Developer: Strange Flavour/Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Spyglass Board Games offers a fun new take on classic board games, like Chess, Checkers, Mancala, and Reversi. Play and chat socially on Xbox LIVE®, or play against the computer. Use the Xbox LIVE Vision camera to personalize the game board, playing pieces, and video effects. Each game has custom pieces to choose from, such as a rook made of stone, or a furry checkers piece with cute gleaming eyes. Make each game your very own!
- Full featured games: Four classic board games to choose from. Play Chess, Checkers, Mancala, or Reversi.
- Video integration with Xbox LIVE Vision camera: Fully integrated video chat lets you see your opponent. Use the video effects to personalize your game.
- Customizable pieces: Choose custom game pieces that range from traditional marble, to metallic silver, to fuzzy and wiggling gel.
- Twelve achievements: Twelve achievements are offered ranging from easy, such as playing all four games, to more challenging, such as taking all four corners in Reversi." – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade titles, I passed on Super Contra for the reasons I mentioned in last week’s Live Arcade post, and found Wing Commander Arena to be a complete waste of time. Unless you were a fan of Super Contra in the arcades, avoid both like the plague.
August 1, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday continues it’s two-at-a-time streak as Marathon: Durundal and Spyglass Board Games make their debut in the Live Arcade.
We’ll start off with Bungie’s cult-classic Marathon: Durundal. I’ll freely admit I’ve never been a Mac gamer, in fact I’ve only used a Mac a handful of times in my life – and I’m pretty content with that. If I had been a Mac user though, i’d probably have many fond memories of the Marathon series. Released in 1994, Marathon was the Mac’s answer to Doom and was followed one year later by it’s sequel, and the topic of this discussion, Marathon 2: Durundal.
The game opens 17 years after the events of the original Marathon and takes the player to the alien’s homeworld in search of advanced technology. Since I don’t have much more direct knowledge of the game, I’ll leave it to the game’s demo to help you decide if it’s worth your ten dollars.
Title: Marathon: Durundal
Developer: Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 (2-8 via system link/Live)
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: M (Mature – Blood & Gore, Violence)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Seventeen years ago, you survived a vicious Pfhor assault on the U.E.S.C. Marathon. Now you have been awakened by the enigmatic, sentient A.I. called Durandal and sent to an alien world to uncover the mysteries of their advanced technology. In Marathon: Durandal, armed with only a pistol, you are humanity’s last champion!
- Epic story: Exclusive to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, Marathon: Durandal is a cult classic first-person shooter (FPS) that continues the tradition of great gameplay while remaining faithful to the spirit of Bungie lore as the predecessor to the Halo franchise.
- Upgraded visuals: All images in the game have been redrawn in high definition.
- Modern networking: Marathon: Durandal features a new modern networking layer built with Xbox LIVE in mind.
- Superior control: The redesigned controls take full advantage of the Xbox 360 Controller and enhance playing a first-person shooter on a home console." – Xbox.com
Next up, we have Spyglass Board Games. There’s not much to say here – it’s Chess, Checkers, Reversi and Mancala in one package. The only thing to really note here is that the game supports both multiplayer over Xbox Live as well as the Xbox Vision Camera. Beyond that, I’m going to guess that you already know whether or not these are games you want to shell out five bucks for.
One word of warning on this one – Freeverse has clearly stated that this is a game designed for casual players. Don’t go in expecting grandmaster level AI in the game’s single player mode.
Title: Spyglass Board Games
Developer: Strange Flavour/Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Spyglass Board Games offers a fun new take on classic board games, like Chess, Checkers, Mancala, and Reversi. Play and chat socially on Xbox LIVE®, or play against the computer. Use the Xbox LIVE Vision camera to personalize the game board, playing pieces, and video effects. Each game has custom pieces to choose from, such as a rook made of stone, or a furry checkers piece with cute gleaming eyes. Make each game your very own!
- Full featured games: Four classic board games to choose from. Play Chess, Checkers, Mancala, or Reversi.
- Video integration with Xbox LIVE Vision camera: Fully integrated video chat lets you see your opponent. Use the video effects to personalize your game.
- Customizable pieces: Choose custom game pieces that range from traditional marble, to metallic silver, to fuzzy and wiggling gel.
- Twelve achievements: Twelve achievements are offered ranging from easy, such as playing all four games, to more challenging, such as taking all four corners in Reversi." – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade titles, I passed on Super Contra for the reasons I mentioned in last week’s Live Arcade post, and found Wing Commander Arena to be a complete waste of time. Unless you were a fan of Super Contra in the arcades, avoid both like the plague.
August 1, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday continues it’s two-at-a-time streak as Marathon: Durundal and Spyglass Board Games make their debut in the Live Arcade.
We’ll start off with Bungie’s cult-classic Marathon: Durundal. I’ll freely admit I’ve never been a Mac gamer, in fact I’ve only used a Mac a handful of times in my life – and I’m pretty content with that. If I had been a Mac user though, i’d probably have many fond memories of the Marathon series. Released in 1994, Marathon was the Mac’s answer to Doom and was followed one year later by it’s sequel, and the topic of this discussion, Marathon 2: Durundal.
The game opens 17 years after the events of the original Marathon and takes the player to the alien’s homeworld in search of advanced technology. Since I don’t have much more direct knowledge of the game, I’ll leave it to the game’s demo to help you decide if it’s worth your ten dollars.
Title: Marathon: Durundal
Developer: Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 (2-8 via system link/Live)
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: M (Mature – Blood & Gore, Violence)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Seventeen years ago, you survived a vicious Pfhor assault on the U.E.S.C. Marathon. Now you have been awakened by the enigmatic, sentient A.I. called Durandal and sent to an alien world to uncover the mysteries of their advanced technology. In Marathon: Durandal, armed with only a pistol, you are humanity’s last champion!
- Epic story: Exclusive to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, Marathon: Durandal is a cult classic first-person shooter (FPS) that continues the tradition of great gameplay while remaining faithful to the spirit of Bungie lore as the predecessor to the Halo franchise.
- Upgraded visuals: All images in the game have been redrawn in high definition.
- Modern networking: Marathon: Durandal features a new modern networking layer built with Xbox LIVE in mind.
- Superior control: The redesigned controls take full advantage of the Xbox 360 Controller and enhance playing a first-person shooter on a home console." – Xbox.com
Next up, we have Spyglass Board Games. There’s not much to say here – it’s Chess, Checkers, Reversi and Mancala in one package. The only thing to really note here is that the game supports both multiplayer over Xbox Live as well as the Xbox Vision Camera. Beyond that, I’m going to guess that you already know whether or not these are games you want to shell out five bucks for.
One word of warning on this one – Freeverse has clearly stated that this is a game designed for casual players. Don’t go in expecting grandmaster level AI in the game’s single player mode.
Title: Spyglass Board Games
Developer: Strange Flavour/Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Spyglass Board Games offers a fun new take on classic board games, like Chess, Checkers, Mancala, and Reversi. Play and chat socially on Xbox LIVE®, or play against the computer. Use the Xbox LIVE Vision camera to personalize the game board, playing pieces, and video effects. Each game has custom pieces to choose from, such as a rook made of stone, or a furry checkers piece with cute gleaming eyes. Make each game your very own!
- Full featured games: Four classic board games to choose from. Play Chess, Checkers, Mancala, or Reversi.
- Video integration with Xbox LIVE Vision camera: Fully integrated video chat lets you see your opponent. Use the video effects to personalize your game.
- Customizable pieces: Choose custom game pieces that range from traditional marble, to metallic silver, to fuzzy and wiggling gel.
- Twelve achievements: Twelve achievements are offered ranging from easy, such as playing all four games, to more challenging, such as taking all four corners in Reversi." – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade titles, I passed on Super Contra for the reasons I mentioned in last week’s Live Arcade post, and found Wing Commander Arena to be a complete waste of time. Unless you were a fan of Super Contra in the arcades, avoid both like the plague.
August 1, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday continues it’s two-at-a-time streak as Marathon: Durundal and Spyglass Board Games make their debut in the Live Arcade.
We’ll start off with Bungie’s cult-classic Marathon: Durundal. I’ll freely admit I’ve never been a Mac gamer, in fact I’ve only used a Mac a handful of times in my life – and I’m pretty content with that. If I had been a Mac user though, i’d probably have many fond memories of the Marathon series. Released in 1994, Marathon was the Mac’s answer to Doom and was followed one year later by it’s sequel, and the topic of this discussion, Marathon 2: Durundal.
The game opens 17 years after the events of the original Marathon and takes the player to the alien’s homeworld in search of advanced technology. Since I don’t have much more direct knowledge of the game, I’ll leave it to the game’s demo to help you decide if it’s worth your ten dollars.
Title: Marathon: Durundal
Developer: Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 (2-8 via system link/Live)
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: M (Mature – Blood & Gore, Violence)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Seventeen years ago, you survived a vicious Pfhor assault on the U.E.S.C. Marathon. Now you have been awakened by the enigmatic, sentient A.I. called Durandal and sent to an alien world to uncover the mysteries of their advanced technology. In Marathon: Durandal, armed with only a pistol, you are humanity’s last champion!
- Epic story: Exclusive to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, Marathon: Durandal is a cult classic first-person shooter (FPS) that continues the tradition of great gameplay while remaining faithful to the spirit of Bungie lore as the predecessor to the Halo franchise.
- Upgraded visuals: All images in the game have been redrawn in high definition.
- Modern networking: Marathon: Durandal features a new modern networking layer built with Xbox LIVE in mind.
- Superior control: The redesigned controls take full advantage of the Xbox 360 Controller and enhance playing a first-person shooter on a home console." – Xbox.com
Next up, we have Spyglass Board Games. There’s not much to say here – it’s Chess, Checkers, Reversi and Mancala in one package. The only thing to really note here is that the game supports both multiplayer over Xbox Live as well as the Xbox Vision Camera. Beyond that, I’m going to guess that you already know whether or not these are games you want to shell out five bucks for.
One word of warning on this one – Freeverse has clearly stated that this is a game designed for casual players. Don’t go in expecting grandmaster level AI in the game’s single player mode.
Title: Spyglass Board Games
Developer: Strange Flavour/Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Spyglass Board Games offers a fun new take on classic board games, like Chess, Checkers, Mancala, and Reversi. Play and chat socially on Xbox LIVE®, or play against the computer. Use the Xbox LIVE Vision camera to personalize the game board, playing pieces, and video effects. Each game has custom pieces to choose from, such as a rook made of stone, or a furry checkers piece with cute gleaming eyes. Make each game your very own!
- Full featured games: Four classic board games to choose from. Play Chess, Checkers, Mancala, or Reversi.
- Video integration with Xbox LIVE Vision camera: Fully integrated video chat lets you see your opponent. Use the video effects to personalize your game.
- Customizable pieces: Choose custom game pieces that range from traditional marble, to metallic silver, to fuzzy and wiggling gel.
- Twelve achievements: Twelve achievements are offered ranging from easy, such as playing all four games, to more challenging, such as taking all four corners in Reversi." – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade titles, I passed on Super Contra for the reasons I mentioned in last week’s Live Arcade post, and found Wing Commander Arena to be a complete waste of time. Unless you were a fan of Super Contra in the arcades, avoid both like the plague.
August 1, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday continues it’s two-at-a-time streak as Marathon: Durundal and Spyglass Board Games make their debut in the Live Arcade.
We’ll start off with Bungie’s cult-classic Marathon: Durundal. I’ll freely admit I’ve never been a Mac gamer, in fact I’ve only used a Mac a handful of times in my life – and I’m pretty content with that. If I had been a Mac user though, i’d probably have many fond memories of the Marathon series. Released in 1994, Marathon was the Mac’s answer to Doom and was followed one year later by it’s sequel, and the topic of this discussion, Marathon 2: Durundal.
The game opens 17 years after the events of the original Marathon and takes the player to the alien’s homeworld in search of advanced technology. Since I don’t have much more direct knowledge of the game, I’ll leave it to the game’s demo to help you decide if it’s worth your ten dollars.
Title: Marathon: Durundal
Developer: Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 (2-8 via system link/Live)
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: M (Mature – Blood & Gore, Violence)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Seventeen years ago, you survived a vicious Pfhor assault on the U.E.S.C. Marathon. Now you have been awakened by the enigmatic, sentient A.I. called Durandal and sent to an alien world to uncover the mysteries of their advanced technology. In Marathon: Durandal, armed with only a pistol, you are humanity’s last champion!
- Epic story: Exclusive to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, Marathon: Durandal is a cult classic first-person shooter (FPS) that continues the tradition of great gameplay while remaining faithful to the spirit of Bungie lore as the predecessor to the Halo franchise.
- Upgraded visuals: All images in the game have been redrawn in high definition.
- Modern networking: Marathon: Durandal features a new modern networking layer built with Xbox LIVE in mind.
- Superior control: The redesigned controls take full advantage of the Xbox 360 Controller and enhance playing a first-person shooter on a home console." – Xbox.com
Next up, we have Spyglass Board Games. There’s not much to say here – it’s Chess, Checkers, Reversi and Mancala in one package. The only thing to really note here is that the game supports both multiplayer over Xbox Live as well as the Xbox Vision Camera. Beyond that, I’m going to guess that you already know whether or not these are games you want to shell out five bucks for.
One word of warning on this one – Freeverse has clearly stated that this is a game designed for casual players. Don’t go in expecting grandmaster level AI in the game’s single player mode.
Title: Spyglass Board Games
Developer: Strange Flavour/Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Spyglass Board Games offers a fun new take on classic board games, like Chess, Checkers, Mancala, and Reversi. Play and chat socially on Xbox LIVE®, or play against the computer. Use the Xbox LIVE Vision camera to personalize the game board, playing pieces, and video effects. Each game has custom pieces to choose from, such as a rook made of stone, or a furry checkers piece with cute gleaming eyes. Make each game your very own!
- Full featured games: Four classic board games to choose from. Play Chess, Checkers, Mancala, or Reversi.
- Video integration with Xbox LIVE Vision camera: Fully integrated video chat lets you see your opponent. Use the video effects to personalize your game.
- Customizable pieces: Choose custom game pieces that range from traditional marble, to metallic silver, to fuzzy and wiggling gel.
- Twelve achievements: Twelve achievements are offered ranging from easy, such as playing all four games, to more challenging, such as taking all four corners in Reversi." – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade titles, I passed on Super Contra for the reasons I mentioned in last week’s Live Arcade post, and found Wing Commander Arena to be a complete waste of time. Unless you were a fan of Super Contra in the arcades, avoid both like the plague.
August 1, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
Leave a comment
Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday continues it’s two-at-a-time streak as Marathon: Durundal and Spyglass Board Games make their debut in the Live Arcade.
We’ll start off with Bungie’s cult-classic Marathon: Durundal. I’ll freely admit I’ve never been a Mac gamer, in fact I’ve only used a Mac a handful of times in my life – and I’m pretty content with that. If I had been a Mac user though, i’d probably have many fond memories of the Marathon series. Released in 1994, Marathon was the Mac’s answer to Doom and was followed one year later by it’s sequel, and the topic of this discussion, Marathon 2: Durundal.
The game opens 17 years after the events of the original Marathon and takes the player to the alien’s homeworld in search of advanced technology. Since I don’t have much more direct knowledge of the game, I’ll leave it to the game’s demo to help you decide if it’s worth your ten dollars.
Title: Marathon: Durundal
Developer: Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 (2-8 via system link/Live)
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: M (Mature – Blood & Gore, Violence)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Seventeen years ago, you survived a vicious Pfhor assault on the U.E.S.C. Marathon. Now you have been awakened by the enigmatic, sentient A.I. called Durandal and sent to an alien world to uncover the mysteries of their advanced technology. In Marathon: Durandal, armed with only a pistol, you are humanity’s last champion!
- Epic story: Exclusive to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, Marathon: Durandal is a cult classic first-person shooter (FPS) that continues the tradition of great gameplay while remaining faithful to the spirit of Bungie lore as the predecessor to the Halo franchise.
- Upgraded visuals: All images in the game have been redrawn in high definition.
- Modern networking: Marathon: Durandal features a new modern networking layer built with Xbox LIVE in mind.
- Superior control: The redesigned controls take full advantage of the Xbox 360 Controller and enhance playing a first-person shooter on a home console." – Xbox.com
Next up, we have Spyglass Board Games. There’s not much to say here – it’s Chess, Checkers, Reversi and Mancala in one package. The only thing to really note here is that the game supports both multiplayer over Xbox Live as well as the Xbox Vision Camera. Beyond that, I’m going to guess that you already know whether or not these are games you want to shell out five bucks for.
One word of warning on this one – Freeverse has clearly stated that this is a game designed for casual players. Don’t go in expecting grandmaster level AI in the game’s single player mode.
Title: Spyglass Board Games
Developer: Strange Flavour/Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Spyglass Board Games offers a fun new take on classic board games, like Chess, Checkers, Mancala, and Reversi. Play and chat socially on Xbox LIVE®, or play against the computer. Use the Xbox LIVE Vision camera to personalize the game board, playing pieces, and video effects. Each game has custom pieces to choose from, such as a rook made of stone, or a furry checkers piece with cute gleaming eyes. Make each game your very own!
- Full featured games: Four classic board games to choose from. Play Chess, Checkers, Mancala, or Reversi.
- Video integration with Xbox LIVE Vision camera: Fully integrated video chat lets you see your opponent. Use the video effects to personalize your game.
- Customizable pieces: Choose custom game pieces that range from traditional marble, to metallic silver, to fuzzy and wiggling gel.
- Twelve achievements: Twelve achievements are offered ranging from easy, such as playing all four games, to more challenging, such as taking all four corners in Reversi." – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade titles, I passed on Super Contra for the reasons I mentioned in last week’s Live Arcade post, and found Wing Commander Arena to be a complete waste of time. Unless you were a fan of Super Contra in the arcades, avoid both like the plague.
August 1, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
Leave a comment
Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday continues it’s two-at-a-time streak as Marathon: Durundal and Spyglass Board Games make their debut in the Live Arcade.
We’ll start off with Bungie’s cult-classic Marathon: Durundal. I’ll freely admit I’ve never been a Mac gamer, in fact I’ve only used a Mac a handful of times in my life – and I’m pretty content with that. If I had been a Mac user though, i’d probably have many fond memories of the Marathon series. Released in 1994, Marathon was the Mac’s answer to Doom and was followed one year later by it’s sequel, and the topic of this discussion, Marathon 2: Durundal.
The game opens 17 years after the events of the original Marathon and takes the player to the alien’s homeworld in search of advanced technology. Since I don’t have much more direct knowledge of the game, I’ll leave it to the game’s demo to help you decide if it’s worth your ten dollars.
Title: Marathon: Durundal
Developer: Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 (2-8 via system link/Live)
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: M (Mature – Blood & Gore, Violence)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Seventeen years ago, you survived a vicious Pfhor assault on the U.E.S.C. Marathon. Now you have been awakened by the enigmatic, sentient A.I. called Durandal and sent to an alien world to uncover the mysteries of their advanced technology. In Marathon: Durandal, armed with only a pistol, you are humanity’s last champion!
- Epic story: Exclusive to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, Marathon: Durandal is a cult classic first-person shooter (FPS) that continues the tradition of great gameplay while remaining faithful to the spirit of Bungie lore as the predecessor to the Halo franchise.
- Upgraded visuals: All images in the game have been redrawn in high definition.
- Modern networking: Marathon: Durandal features a new modern networking layer built with Xbox LIVE in mind.
- Superior control: The redesigned controls take full advantage of the Xbox 360 Controller and enhance playing a first-person shooter on a home console." – Xbox.com
Next up, we have Spyglass Board Games. There’s not much to say here – it’s Chess, Checkers, Reversi and Mancala in one package. The only thing to really note here is that the game supports both multiplayer over Xbox Live as well as the Xbox Vision Camera. Beyond that, I’m going to guess that you already know whether or not these are games you want to shell out five bucks for.
One word of warning on this one – Freeverse has clearly stated that this is a game designed for casual players. Don’t go in expecting grandmaster level AI in the game’s single player mode.
Title: Spyglass Board Games
Developer: Strange Flavour/Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Spyglass Board Games offers a fun new take on classic board games, like Chess, Checkers, Mancala, and Reversi. Play and chat socially on Xbox LIVE®, or play against the computer. Use the Xbox LIVE Vision camera to personalize the game board, playing pieces, and video effects. Each game has custom pieces to choose from, such as a rook made of stone, or a furry checkers piece with cute gleaming eyes. Make each game your very own!
- Full featured games: Four classic board games to choose from. Play Chess, Checkers, Mancala, or Reversi.
- Video integration with Xbox LIVE Vision camera: Fully integrated video chat lets you see your opponent. Use the video effects to personalize your game.
- Customizable pieces: Choose custom game pieces that range from traditional marble, to metallic silver, to fuzzy and wiggling gel.
- Twelve achievements: Twelve achievements are offered ranging from easy, such as playing all four games, to more challenging, such as taking all four corners in Reversi." – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade titles, I passed on Super Contra for the reasons I mentioned in last week’s Live Arcade post, and found Wing Commander Arena to be a complete waste of time. Unless you were a fan of Super Contra in the arcades, avoid both like the plague.
August 1, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
Leave a comment
Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday continues it’s two-at-a-time streak as Marathon: Durundal and Spyglass Board Games make their debut in the Live Arcade.
We’ll start off with Bungie’s cult-classic Marathon: Durundal. I’ll freely admit I’ve never been a Mac gamer, in fact I’ve only used a Mac a handful of times in my life – and I’m pretty content with that. If I had been a Mac user though, i’d probably have many fond memories of the Marathon series. Released in 1994, Marathon was the Mac’s answer to Doom and was followed one year later by it’s sequel, and the topic of this discussion, Marathon 2: Durundal.
The game opens 17 years after the events of the original Marathon and takes the player to the alien’s homeworld in search of advanced technology. Since I don’t have much more direct knowledge of the game, I’ll leave it to the game’s demo to help you decide if it’s worth your ten dollars.
Title: Marathon: Durundal
Developer: Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 (2-8 via system link/Live)
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: M (Mature – Blood & Gore, Violence)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Seventeen years ago, you survived a vicious Pfhor assault on the U.E.S.C. Marathon. Now you have been awakened by the enigmatic, sentient A.I. called Durandal and sent to an alien world to uncover the mysteries of their advanced technology. In Marathon: Durandal, armed with only a pistol, you are humanity’s last champion!
- Epic story: Exclusive to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, Marathon: Durandal is a cult classic first-person shooter (FPS) that continues the tradition of great gameplay while remaining faithful to the spirit of Bungie lore as the predecessor to the Halo franchise.
- Upgraded visuals: All images in the game have been redrawn in high definition.
- Modern networking: Marathon: Durandal features a new modern networking layer built with Xbox LIVE in mind.
- Superior control: The redesigned controls take full advantage of the Xbox 360 Controller and enhance playing a first-person shooter on a home console." – Xbox.com
Next up, we have Spyglass Board Games. There’s not much to say here – it’s Chess, Checkers, Reversi and Mancala in one package. The only thing to really note here is that the game supports both multiplayer over Xbox Live as well as the Xbox Vision Camera. Beyond that, I’m going to guess that you already know whether or not these are games you want to shell out five bucks for.
One word of warning on this one – Freeverse has clearly stated that this is a game designed for casual players. Don’t go in expecting grandmaster level AI in the game’s single player mode.
Title: Spyglass Board Games
Developer: Strange Flavour/Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Spyglass Board Games offers a fun new take on classic board games, like Chess, Checkers, Mancala, and Reversi. Play and chat socially on Xbox LIVE®, or play against the computer. Use the Xbox LIVE Vision camera to personalize the game board, playing pieces, and video effects. Each game has custom pieces to choose from, such as a rook made of stone, or a furry checkers piece with cute gleaming eyes. Make each game your very own!
- Full featured games: Four classic board games to choose from. Play Chess, Checkers, Mancala, or Reversi.
- Video integration with Xbox LIVE Vision camera: Fully integrated video chat lets you see your opponent. Use the video effects to personalize your game.
- Customizable pieces: Choose custom game pieces that range from traditional marble, to metallic silver, to fuzzy and wiggling gel.
- Twelve achievements: Twelve achievements are offered ranging from easy, such as playing all four games, to more challenging, such as taking all four corners in Reversi." – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade titles, I passed on Super Contra for the reasons I mentioned in last week’s Live Arcade post, and found Wing Commander Arena to be a complete waste of time. Unless you were a fan of Super Contra in the arcades, avoid both like the plague.
August 1, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
Leave a comment
Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday continues it’s two-at-a-time streak as Marathon: Durundal and Spyglass Board Games make their debut in the Live Arcade.
We’ll start off with Bungie’s cult-classic Marathon: Durundal. I’ll freely admit I’ve never been a Mac gamer, in fact I’ve only used a Mac a handful of times in my life – and I’m pretty content with that. If I had been a Mac user though, i’d probably have many fond memories of the Marathon series. Released in 1994, Marathon was the Mac’s answer to Doom and was followed one year later by it’s sequel, and the topic of this discussion, Marathon 2: Durundal.
The game opens 17 years after the events of the original Marathon and takes the player to the alien’s homeworld in search of advanced technology. Since I don’t have much more direct knowledge of the game, I’ll leave it to the game’s demo to help you decide if it’s worth your ten dollars.
Title: Marathon: Durundal
Developer: Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 (2-8 via system link/Live)
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: M (Mature – Blood & Gore, Violence)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Seventeen years ago, you survived a vicious Pfhor assault on the U.E.S.C. Marathon. Now you have been awakened by the enigmatic, sentient A.I. called Durandal and sent to an alien world to uncover the mysteries of their advanced technology. In Marathon: Durandal, armed with only a pistol, you are humanity’s last champion!
- Epic story: Exclusive to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, Marathon: Durandal is a cult classic first-person shooter (FPS) that continues the tradition of great gameplay while remaining faithful to the spirit of Bungie lore as the predecessor to the Halo franchise.
- Upgraded visuals: All images in the game have been redrawn in high definition.
- Modern networking: Marathon: Durandal features a new modern networking layer built with Xbox LIVE in mind.
- Superior control: The redesigned controls take full advantage of the Xbox 360 Controller and enhance playing a first-person shooter on a home console." – Xbox.com
Next up, we have Spyglass Board Games. There’s not much to say here – it’s Chess, Checkers, Reversi and Mancala in one package. The only thing to really note here is that the game supports both multiplayer over Xbox Live as well as the Xbox Vision Camera. Beyond that, I’m going to guess that you already know whether or not these are games you want to shell out five bucks for.
One word of warning on this one – Freeverse has clearly stated that this is a game designed for casual players. Don’t go in expecting grandmaster level AI in the game’s single player mode.
Title: Spyglass Board Games
Developer: Strange Flavour/Freeverse
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 8/01/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Rating: E (Everyone)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Spyglass Board Games offers a fun new take on classic board games, like Chess, Checkers, Mancala, and Reversi. Play and chat socially on Xbox LIVE®, or play against the computer. Use the Xbox LIVE Vision camera to personalize the game board, playing pieces, and video effects. Each game has custom pieces to choose from, such as a rook made of stone, or a furry checkers piece with cute gleaming eyes. Make each game your very own!
- Full featured games: Four classic board games to choose from. Play Chess, Checkers, Mancala, or Reversi.
- Video integration with Xbox LIVE Vision camera: Fully integrated video chat lets you see your opponent. Use the video effects to personalize your game.
- Customizable pieces: Choose custom game pieces that range from traditional marble, to metallic silver, to fuzzy and wiggling gel.
- Twelve achievements: Twelve achievements are offered ranging from easy, such as playing all four games, to more challenging, such as taking all four corners in Reversi." – Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade titles, I passed on Super Contra for the reasons I mentioned in last week’s Live Arcade post, and found Wing Commander Arena to be a complete waste of time. Unless you were a fan of Super Contra in the arcades, avoid both like the plague.
August 1, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Classics, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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Well, here it is – the last of the content Microsoft has posted on Xbox Live for the Bringing it Home: Comic-Con 2007 promotion. Not much to get excited about here in my opinion, but there’s probably still a ton of stuff left from the day three update that you haven’t watched yet, so it all evens out in the end.
Now that Comic-Con is over, It should be interesting to see if Microsoft continues to add “Bringing it Home” events for things outside the direct sphere of gaming as they work on building their Video Marketplace brand. Anyway, enough of the speculation, let’s get on with the final content added to the Xbox Live Marketplace;
Videos & Trailers
Fable 2 – Lionhead Video Diary Episode 2 Video
Day 4 Wrap Up (HD)
Chuck Highlights (HD)
The Sarah Connor Chronicles Highlights (HD)
Supernatural Highlights (HD)
Chuck Full Panel Coverage
The Sarah Connor Chronicles Full Panel Coverage
Smallville Full Panel Coverage
Pushing Daisies Full Panel Coverage
July 31, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Bringing it Home, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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It may have taken over a year and a half, but it appears as if Microsoft is finally ready to lower the price of the Xbox 360. According to CheapAssGamer, flyers obtained for the week of August 12th from both Walmart and Toys R Us are showing a $50 price drop on the Xbox 360 premium model.
While a price drop has been rumored for some time due to the recent decline in Xbox 360 console sales and the lower costs associated with the upcoming 65nm processor, this is really the first time that we’ve seen any kind of concrete proof that it’s really going to happen. Now we’re left with the questions of whether a $50 drop will be enough to reinvigorate sales of the 360 and if the price drop will be spread across all models of the console, or if it will just be an inventory cleaning solution prior to the roll out of the 65nm processors.
Hopefully Microsoft will clear things up a bit over the course of the coming week. We’ll be sure to let you know of anything we find out about this as soon as possible.
July 30, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Microsoft, Price Drop, Rumors, Xbox 360 |
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Day three of the Bringing it Home: Comic-Con 2007 promotion has now passed and it looks like there’s been a ton of video content added to the Live Marketplace since our last report. Looking at the below list, I think I can safely say that there’s just not enough time in the day to check out everything I’d like to watch – I guess I’ll start with the Babylon 5 and Blade Runner stuff and go from there.
Trailers & Videos
Smallville Trailer
Big Bang Theory :30 Spot
Babylon 5: The Lost Tales Full Panel Coverage
Blade Runner Full Panel Coverage
300 Full Panel Coverage
Daily Wrap-up 7/28 (HD)
Return to House on Haunted Hill Panel/Interview Highlights (HD)
Babylon 5: The Lost Tales Interviews (HD)
Warner Bros. Upcoming Theatrical Releases (HD)
Looney Tunes ACME Arsenal Interview
Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale Clip
New Frontier teaser
Legion/Kids’ WB! Promo
Legion sizzle reel
James Marsters video greeting
Hanna-Barbera: From H to B video
Batman/The Joining Clip
Batman/Kids’ WB! promo
Batman sizzle
Adam Baldwin Video greeting
Daily Wrap-up
Hanna Barbera/Popeye Panel Coverage
Moonlight
Chuck
Simplicity: The Life and Art of Alex Toth
Sailor’s Horn Pipes: The Voices of Popeye
I am Legend trailer
Get Smart trailer
Fred Claus Trailer 2
Babylon 5: Lost Tales
10,000 B.C.
Superman Doomsday Panel & Interviews Highlights
Superman Doomsday Trailer
If you’re a big sci-fi and comic book fan, I’m willing to bet you wish you had that 120GB hard drive right now, don’t you?
July 30, 2007
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Bringing it Home, Microsoft, Promotion, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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Day two of the Bringing it Home: Comic-Con 2007 promotion has come and gone, and quite sadly, not much in the way of freebies hit the Live Marketplace during it’s reign, so this is going to be a pretty short post. In fact, there were only two free items on yesterday’s list, and both of them are promotional items for Rush Hour 3. Yeah, I’m as thrilled as you are.
Themes
Content: Rush Hour 3 Theme
Price: Free
Availability: Only in United States
Dash Text: This summer they’re kicking it in Paris. Make sure you download the Theme and Gamer pics of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in Rush Hour 3, in theaters August 10th.
Gamer Pictures
Content: Rush Hour 3 Picture Pack
Price: Free
Availability: Only in United States
Dash Text: This summer they’re kicking it in Paris. Download the Rush Hour 3 GamerPics and don’t forget the Theme. Rush Hour 3 in theaters August 10th.
Wow, those crickets sure are deafening, aren’t they?
July 28, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Bringing it Home, Microsoft, Promotion, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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While all of these items may not be specifically related to the Bringing it Home promotion for Comic-Con 2007, they do all have two things in common;
- They all appeared in the Xbox Live Marketplace on the first day of Comic-Con
- They’re all FREE downloads.
So, because we all love freebies, here’s the list of the free stuff that appeared in the Marketplace on July 26th.
Trailers
Content: New Resident Evil 5 2007 Trailer
Price: Free
Availability: All regions except Japan
Size: 143.45 MB
Dash Text: [ESRB: RP (Rating Pending)] The Resident Evil series continues with this highly anticipated sequel. Witness real-time footage from Resident Evil 5!The story unfolds in a land simmering in the heat of a merciless sun where the contrast between light and dark enhances the feeling of dread as a new evil draws closer.
Content: All-Pro Football 2K8 Trailer
Price: Free
Availability: Only in Canada, United States
Size: 67.56 MB
Dash Text: [ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10+) MILD LANGUAGE] Over 240 NFL legends make their return to the gridiron, including Hall of Famers such as Johnny Unitas, Dick Butkus, Joe Montana, Mike Singletary, Reggie White and Walter Payton. Legends have their own signature moves in the game – Barry’s spin, Walter’s scissors kick, and Jerry’s one-handed grab.
Content: Surf’s Up Trailer (HD)
Price: Free
Availability: All regions except Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan
Dash Text: [ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10+) CRUDE HUMOR,LANGUAGE] Surf’s Up Game Trailer
Content: Looney Tunes ACME Arsenal Trailer (HD)
Price: Free
Availability: Only in United States
Size: 54.96 MB
Dash Text: [ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10+) Cartoon Violence] Download this trailer.
Content: Looney Tunes ACME Arsenal Trailer (SD)
Price: Free
Availability: Only in United States
Dash Text: [ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10+) Cartoon Violence] Download this trailer.
Content: Looney Tunes ACME Arsenal Trailer 2 (SD)
Price: Free
Availability: Only in United States
Dash Text: [ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10+) Cartoon Violence] Download this trailer.
Content: Looney Tunes ACME Arsenal Trailer 2 (HD)
Price: Free
Availability: Only in United States
Size: 150.61 MB
Dash Text: [ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10+) Cartoon Violence] Download this trailer.
In Game Content
Game: Test Drive Unlimited
Content: Free Holden Efijy Concept
Price: Free
Availability: All regions
Dash Text: Download the Holden Efijy Concept for free (in-game currency still required for purchase at respective dealer).
Game: Splinter Cell Double Agent
Content: XBOX360 DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT
Price: Free
Availability: All regions
Dash Text: [ESRB: M (MATURE) BLOOD, LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE] 2 new multiplayer maps (Kinshasa and Secret base), 4 new challenges on those maps and a brand new character with 3 outfits : the Spy Girl.
Size: 83.48 MB
Game: Project Sylpheed
Content: 6 New Missions & Weapons + Leaderboards
Price: Free
Availability: All regions except Japan
Dash Text: [ESRB: T (Teen) FANTASY VIOLENCE,MILD BLOOD,MILD LANGUAGE,MILD SUGGESTIVE THEMES,USE OF ALCOHOL] Think you are truly an ace pilot? 6 new missions will challenge your skills and add 6 new super-weapons to your arsenal plus Xbox Live Leaderboard suppport to track your rank. Requires Project Sylpheed full retail game. Access Challenge Missions from the EXTRAS menu.
Game: Vamipire Rain
Content: VR Bonus Level 2
Price: Free
Availability: All regions except Japan, Korea, Taiwan
Dash Text: [ESRB: M (Mature) BLOOD AND GORE,INTENSE VIOLENCE] Thanks for supporting Vampire Rain. Ready for another gathering mission? Play as Duane Hanson in this bonus level to see how fast you can pick up all required equipment for your mission. Difficulty: 3 stars. Requires full retail game.
Gamer Pictures
Content: Comic-Con 2007 Gamer Picture
Price: Free
Availability: Only in United States
Dash Text: Download this gamer picture.
Content: Alien Hominid HD – Vehicle Picture Pack
Price: Free
Availability: All regions
Dash Text: [ESRB: T (Teen) BLOOD AND GORE,CARTOON VIOLENCE] This set of 5 pictures contains some of the most destructive vehiciles that our little yellow friend uses in the game. Get your hand on these 5 Gamer Pictures today!
Video
Content: MLG Heavyweight Match 1 Video (HD)
Price: Free
Availability: All regions
Size: 902.29 MB
Dash Text: [ESRB: RP (Rating Pending)] 2V2 Halo 2. The debut episode features up and coming pros Lunchbox and Roy vs. Halogod and VictoryX. Let the games begin!
July 27, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Bringing it Home, Downloadable Content, Free Stuff, Microsoft, Promotion, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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Microsoft has announced that they’ll be running an Xbox Live Bringing it Home promotion for Comic-Con ’07 from July 26th through August 7th.
"From July 26 to August 7, Xbox LIVE and Xbox.com/comiccon will feature full access to all of Warner’s Comic-Con featured game trailers, show panels, movie and TV trailers and sneak peeks, celebrity interviews, show exclusives and customization themes for Xbox LIVE. Plus, action film and comic book fans will have access to an array of exclusive themes from 300 and DC Comics available for download." – Microsoft Media Alert
We’ll keep you updates on all the free Live Marketplace happenings throughout the promotion.
July 26, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Microsoft, Promotion, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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In a completely unexpected and shocking turn of events, Peter Moore, corporate vice president of entertainment and devices at Microsoft, has tendered his resignation effective July 30th, 2007. Moore, who has essentially been the face of the Xbox 360 since it’s launch will be joining Electronic Arts as president of the EA Sports line of games.
You know, when I first saw the story break yesterday as a rumor at Kotaku, I could scarcely believe that it was possible. If it weren’t for the fact that I trust Kotaku’s Managing Editor, Brian Crecente, to not post every rumor he hears, I would have just written it off in my mind as wild speculation. By the time I got home, Microsoft and Electronic Arts had confirmed the story, MS had already spoken with most of the major game news outlets and Moore’s new salary had already been uncovered. It’s certainly a case of things happening at a lightning fast pace.
While rumors regarding the situation are certainly flooding the internet, Microsoft has stated that Moore’s decision to move on from the company was due to his desire to return to California. I’m sure the 1.5 million dollar signing bonus, $550,000 annual salary, possible $412,500 in bonuses, $330,000 in moving expenses and option to buy 400,000 shares of EA stock had something to do with it as well. Yeah, that’s a while lot of money.
Microsoft wasted no time in naming current external advisor to Microsoft and former EA Worldwide studios president Don Mattrick as Moore’s replacement. While Moore is due to step down on the 30th, he will be remaining with Microsoft for a few weeks beyond that date in order to assist during the transition period.
You know, I did think it was kind of strange that Moore didn’t really headline this year’s Microsoft E3 press conference, but I just chalked it up to someone in marketing having a “brilliant” idea for the show. I never would have thought that it could be a sign that Moore was on his way out. (Please note that I’m just speculating about that being the reason Moore wasn’t front and center at the E3 press conference)
I don’t know about you guys, but I’m going to miss Moore. He may have had a bit of a used car salesman vibe about him at times, but the man sure could talk a good game. Anyway, I’ll be in the corner picking up my jaw for the next few hours if anyone needs me.
July 18, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Corporate Shuffle, Don Mattrick, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Peter Moore, Xbox 360 |
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Here’s a list of the final batch of E3 2007 Xbox 360 trailers available in the Xbox Live Marketplace;
- Mercenaries 2: World in Flames™ – E3 2007 Trailer (HD)
- Stranglehold: The E3 Trailer (HD)
- Fatal Inertia (HD)
- Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground (HD)
- The Last Remnant (HD)
- Dynasty Warriors: Gundam (HD)
- Spider-man: Friend or Foe (HD)
- Half Life 2: The Orange Box – E3 2007 (HD)
- Fracture (HD)
- NHL 08 (HD)
- Skate
July 14, 2007
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Downloadable Content, E3, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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Microsoft has added another batch of original Xbox titles to the Xbox 360 Backwards Compatibility list. Here’s the list of what titles have either been added or updated this time around;
- America’s Army (New)
- Auto Modellista (New)
- Bass Pro Shops Trophy Hunter 2007 (New)
- Blinx 2 (New)
- Bloodrayne 2 (New)
- Burnout (New)
- Crash Bandicoot 4 (New)
- Crash Bandicoot 5: Wrath of Cortex (Updated)
- Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil (New)
- Drive to Survive (New)
- Drive to Survive (EM) (New)
- ESPN College Hoops (New)
- ESPN NHL 2K5 (New)
- Evil Dead Regeneration (New)
- Exaskeleton (New – Japan only)
- FIFA Street 2 (New)
- Full Spectrum Warrior: 10 Hammers (New)
- Guilty Gear XX #Reload (New)
- Harry Potter: And the Chamber of Secrets (New)
- Harry Potter: And the Prisoner of Azkaban (New)
- Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Challenge (New)
- Jet Set Radio Future (Updated)
- Justice League: Heroes (New)
- King Arthur (New)
- Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders (New – No Xbox Live Access)
- Magic: The Gathering: Battlegrounds (New)
- Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects (New)
- Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (New)
- Mech Assault 2 (New)
- MLB Slug Fest 2003 (New)
- Morrowind (New)
- MotoGP2 (New)
- Myst III: Exile (New)
- NBA Live 2002 (New)
- NCAA Football 06 (New)
- Nobunaga no Yabou Ranseiki (New – Japan only)
- Outlaw Golf 9 More Holes of X-mas (New)
- Outlaw Volleyball: Red Hot (New)
- Outrun 2 (New)
- Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast (New)
- Pac Man World 3 (New)
- Panzer Elite Action: Fields of Glory (New – EMEA only)
- Pro Cast Sports Fishing (New)
- Project Gotham Racing (New)
- Project Gotham Racing 2 (New)
- RoadKill (New – No Xbox Live Access)
- Rogue Ops (Updated)
- Sega GT 2002 (Updated)
- Sega GT Online (New)
- Shadow Ops (New)
- Showdown: Legends of Wrestling (New)
- Silent Hill 2: Dreams (New – US/EMEA only)
- Sponge Bob Square Pants: Lights, Camera, Pants! (New)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Melee (New)
- The DaVinci Code (New)
- The Sims 2 (New)
- The Urbz: Sims in the City (New)
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2X (New)
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (New)
- Transworld Surf (New)
- Trivial Pursuit Unhinged (New)
- Winning Eleven 8 (New)
- Without Warning (New)
- WWE Raw (New)
- Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dawn of Destiny (New)
Unfortunately, ESPN NFL 2K5 is still waiting to join the ranks of the backwards compatible – I had been hoping with APF2K8 on the horizon that the ESPN Football franchise would see some BC love. Click here to see the full list of Xbox games playable on the Xbox 360.
Sorry if today’s posts seem a little short, but my internet connection was down until roughly 3:30am. As you can imagine, I’m now not only trying to get everything online at once, but I’m also tired as all hell. At least it gave me time to finish The Darkness. While I don’t have time to post a full review of the game at the moment, I will say this – The Darkness is a highly enjoyable game that’s bolstered by solid writing and excellent voice acting. If you take your time with the game, playing it the way you can see the developers meant for it to be played, you’ll find it’s going to take you on one hell of a ride.
(Editor’s note 4:37am – I’ve once again lost my internet connection – not sure what time any of today’s updates will get posted, so ignore any confusing references to time)
July 13, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Backwards Compatibility, Microsoft, Update, Xbox, Xbox 360 |
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Here’s a list of the second batch of E3 2007 Xbox 360 trailers available in the Xbox Live Marketplace;
- BlackSite – E3 2007 Trailer (HD)
- The Bourne Conspiracy Trailer (HD)
- Assassin’s Creed (HD)
- Eternal Sonata (HD)
- Frontlines: Fuel of War (HD)
- Bee Movie (HD)
- Two Worlds (HD)
- Army of Two (HD)
- NCAA 08 (HD)
- E3 2007 Press Conference part 1 Video (HD)
- E3 2007 Press Conference part 2 Video (HD)
- E3 2007 Press Conference part 3 Video (HD)
- E3 2007 Press Conference part 4 Video (HD)
- E3 2007 Press Conference part 5 Video (HD)
- E3 2007 Press Conference part 6 Video (HD)
July 13, 2007
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Downloadable Content, E3, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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Here’s a list of the first batch of E3 2007 Xbox 360 trailers available in the Xbox Live Marketplace;
- Naruto: Rise of a Ninja (HD)
- Xbox Live Arcade Montage (HD)
- Xbox 360 Games Montage (HD)
- Civilization Revolution (HD)
- Games For Windows Montage (HD)
- Too Human (HD)
- Project Gotham Racing 4 (HD)
- Xbox LIVE Marketplace Montage (HD)
- Lost Odyssey (HD)
- Viva Pinata Party Animals (HD)
- Mass Effect (HD)
- Bomberman LIVE (HD)
- NBA Live ’08 (HD)
- Beautiful Katamari (HD)
- Crash of the Titans (HD)
- Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (HD)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (HD)
- Halo 3 (HD)
- Halo Arms Race (HD)
July 12, 2007
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Downloadable Content, E3, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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Well, it’s still a few hours away, so as you can imagine, there’s not much to report right now. The big question on everyone’s mind is whether Microsoft will have some surprise up it’s sleeve for tonight’s address. Will the Xbox 360 see a price cut? Will Peter Moore unveil a tattoo of Metal Gear Solid 4? Will anyone actual read this while I’m liveblogging it? All those questions and more should be answered tonight.
In case you’re wondering about the whole “E3Outsider.com” deal… Back when the site went to it’s daily gaming news format last year, I took out the address as a joke of sorts – you see, the old official E3 website was located at http://www.e3insider.com and since I sure as hell wasn’t going to be invited, I thought it would be a great idea to cover the show from an outsiders perspective – hence the name. While that specialized coverage of E3 never really surfaced, it’s still something that’s on the drawing board here at nylatenite.com, and I figured I should at least get some usage out of my domain registration fee.
That said, we’re now in the holding pattern for the start of our show. Here’s to hoping the comment system actually works.
11:21pm – We’re just a few minutes away from the start – according to G4, there’s a rumor that MS will have a special guest during the presentation…
11:34pm – And here we go – a live band from Illinois is playing the Halo theme music
11:38pm – The band has been going on so long, I think Moore must have gotten lost on his way to the conference.
11:39pm – Peter Moore has taken the stage.
11:40pm -According to Moore, every demo shown tonight will be from a game released this year.
11:40pm – The folks from Harmonix have taken the stage with Moore and it looks like they’re going to demo Rock Band with Moore.
11:41pm – Wow, out of tune singing and missed notes – it’s just like Karaoke night at most bars.
11:41pm – Please, make it stop. This isn’t the kind of game that you can really get a feel for by watching others play, and this “exhibition” is just painful. I envy the deaf.
11:43pm – Thankfully, G4 has cut to a commercial. I guess the press conference has been designed with commercials in mind this year since G4 is exclusively carrying the video feed.
11:44pm – Since I’m watching a commercial for it, I’ve got to ask – does anybody use PeoplePC online?
11:45pm – Some bald guy is trying to sell me his hints on becoming a millionaire. I’m thinking if he knew, he sure wouldn’t be hawking a crappy money-making scheme on G4 – am I right?
11:47pm – A trailer for Mass Effect is now showing – and guess what – we missed it during the commercial break. Moore has announced Mass Effect will be available this November.
11:48pm – This year, people will spend more money on games than music according to Moore.
11:49pm – 2/3 of all third party games are on the Xbox 360. Moore also showed some install figures that didn’t look quite right.
11:50pm – Moore is continuing to push the Xbox 360’s catalog of games as compared to the competition.
11:52pm – Madden, Halo & Grand Theft Auto sold 75 million units in 2004 when they released near each other. Moore drives home the point that you can only play all 3 on the 360.
11:53pm – Video montage of games – PGR4, Dynasty Warriors Gundam, Half Life 2: The Orange Box, Call of Duty 4, Stranglehold, GH3, Beautiful Katamari, Lost Odyssey, NBA Live ’08, Mass Effect, Fatal Inertia, Medal of Honor: Airborne, Tiger Woods PGA 08, Ace Combat6, NHL 08, Assassin’s Creed, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, The Simpsons Game, Splinter Cell: Conviction, NASCAR ’08, Eternal Sonata, BioShock, Madden NFL’08, Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground, Crash of the Titans (Crash Bandicoot Game), Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix, Bee Movie, Rock Band & Naruto: Rise of a Ninja.
11:55pm – Microsoft’s Marketing Man Jeff Bell takes the stage and announces Scene it! will be coming to the 360 exclusively.
12:00am – Bell is now talking about Xbox Live and Electronic Arts. I noticed they didn’t mention APF2K8 earlier…
12:00am – Bell just confirmed that EA’s sports games (NCAA Football & Madden) will run at 60fps on the 360 while only running at 30fps on PS3.
12:01am – Reggie Bush is brought out to play Madden NFL’08.
12:02am – Bush vs. Bell at Madden. Wow, compared to last year’s conference, there’s a whole lot of fluff going on.
12:02am – Reggie Bush runs one all the way on a hand off.
12:03am – Back to Bell talking about Live. They predicted last year that they would have 6 million members by now – according to Bell, the number is actually 7 million. No word on if they mean Gold members only or both gold and silver. They now predict 10 million by next year.
12:04am – More than 100 games on Xbox Live Arcade by end of the year. Montage of Xbox Live Arcade games coming soon – Bomberman Live, Sonic The Hedgehog, War World, Sensible World Soccer, Every Extend Extra Extreme, Geono, Wing Commander : Arena, Feeding Frenzy 2, Track & Field, Spyglass Board Games, Golden Axe, Space Giraffe, Super Puzzle Fighter 2: Turbo HD, Word Puzzles, Marathon: Durundal, Poker Smash, Switchball, Tetris Splash, Puzzle Quest & Boku Soduku.
12:08am – Sonic The Hedgehog and Golden Axe will be available today as Xbox Live Arcade games.
12:10am – Xbox Live Marketplace has generated $125 million in sales via downloadable content.
12:11am – Microsoft has signed a deal with Disney where many of their movies will be available immediately on Xbox Live in HD. (Disney, Touchstone, etc)
12:12am – Xbox 360 Elite will go on sale in Europe on 8/24.
12:13am – Shane Kim (Microsoft Game Studios) takes the stage.
12:14am – Kim is talking about Microsoft Game Studios high level of quality. He predicts Forza 2 will break 1 million units by the end of the month.
12:15am – 2 guys from Bizarre Creations have come out to show off PGR4 – and this time, the game includes motorcycles!
12:16am – PGR4 wil feature over 120 cars in addition to the bikes.
12:16am – I hate G4. I really do. They keep cutting away to commercials whenever things get good. They suck.
12:17am – I’ve switched to the smaller feed over at Xbox.com – at least they don’t cut away when the going gets good.
12:18am – PGR4 video ends. Bell is the only one clapping. PGR 4 will be out in September.
12:19am – He’s talking about upcoming games – Fable 2, Halo Wars, Too Human and a new Halo branded game from Peter Jackson (since they aren’t showing them, they won’t be out this year)
12:20am – Here comes footage of Lost Odyssey.
12:21am – Lost Odyssey trailer plays, G4 is still showing commercials. This proves my, “G4 sucks” theory.
12:22am – Trailer ends. no one claps – I guess this is a no clapping area. Upcoming RPG’s – Lost Odyssey, Mass Effect & Blue Dragon.
12:22am – Now on to PC games – Viva Pinata is coming to PC. Kim also confirms Gears of War will be coming to Windows.
12:22am – CliffyB takes the stage – uses Windows Live to connect to a friend.
12:23am – CliffyB has just said Gears PC will have 5 new single player chapters!!!!
12:23am – Gears has a new multiplayer mode (deathmatch?) and new multiplayer maps.
12:24am – Remember the Brumak from the early Gears trailers? (The big creature with the rocket launcher attached to it) – Well, it’s in one of the chapters in the PC version of Gears. I so hope this content comes to the 360 as well…
12:25am – The level they’re fighting the Brumak in looks a little empty – almost like they’re fighting it in a school yard. Maybe they should rename it “The Gooch”
12:26am – Well, at least CliffyB stated that Gears will be available on XP and Vista. None of that Vista only crap.
12:27am – Moore retakes the stage.
12:28am – Sega, Eidos and THQ have signed on for Games for Windows Live.
12:28am – Moore has stated that Epic will be making Games for Windows Live support part of Unreal Engine 3
12:29am – …and naturally, G4 cuts away to a commercial. Back to the internet feed.
12:30am – Games for Windows montage – Gears of War, Universe at War, Blacksite: Area 51, Crysis, BioShock, World in Conflict, Age of Conan, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, Lost Planet, Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts, Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals, Juiced 2 & Viva Pinata.
12:32am – Call of Duty 4 trailer is shown. (One we’ve all alreay seen) – oh look, G4 is still in a commercial break.
12:33am – Some folks from Infinity Ward are coming to the stage to show off Call of Duty 4. New gameplay footage!
12:35am – I think they also showed Earth Defense force in that last montage as JG from Gamer’s Lounge just mentioned it in an IM to me. See what you miss when you watch the G4 feed and switch back and forth?
12:36am – The sniper mission being shown in CoD4 seems to be pretty cool, but it doesn’t seem very free-form. One of those “you have to do this, then that, then that other thing” kind of feeling.
12:39am – Then again, I’d assume that’s what being a sniper is really all about.
12:39am – Damn, no one in this place ever claps.
12:40am – Multilplayer Xbox 360 beta for CoD4 coming. Check www.charlieoscardelta.com for more details!
12:41am – Splinter Cell: Conviction mentioned shortly as an Xbox 360 exclusive.
12:41am – Grand Theft Auto IV trailer plays. According to Moore, both GTA4 trailers were made with the Xbox 360 version.
12:42am – Yeah, it’s official. No one in the audience knows how to clap.
12:43am – Moore confirms two exclusive episodes for GTA4 will be on the 360 by Spring ’08.
12:44am – Ace Combat 6 and Eternal Sonata will be 360 exclusives.
12:45am – Moore is about to show a game that WILL NOT be available on the 360 this year – he figures he can break his promise for this one…. it’s Resident Evil 5.
12:46am – Hey, it got applause!
12:46am – Jade Raymond & company come out to show off Assassin’s Creed.
12:47am – Okay, the jump from a very high building into a cart of hay that they just showed looks like crap. Beyond that, it’s looking very good – especially the crowd interactions.
12:50am – Combat looks good, but the multiple enemy fights seem to fall into the “only one or two guys will attack you at a time” trap.
12:52am – Jade Raymond. I’d hit it. I’d hit it like the fist of an angry god.
12:54am – Halo 3 time…
12:54am – Halo 3 video shown. No new game footage, just an “arm ’em up” scene with the USNC marines.
12:56am – New model Xbox 360 – Halo 3 Special Edition console (no specific details) and accessories.
12:57am – Moore seems to be wrapping this up. He’s talking about the strength of the 360 lineup again.
12:58am – Are we going to see a new tattoo?
12:58am – Looks like there won’t be a bombshell announcement – but they are showing a new Halo 3 trailer – with gameplay footage!
12:59am – Of course, on G4 – Adam Sessler interrupts it AND they cut away in the middle to a commercial. Yes, you heard me, they cut away to a commercial DURING the Halo 3 trailer…
1:00am – And that, as they say, is that.
1:10am – Fixed some typos.
July 10, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
E3, E3 Outsider, Liveblog, Microsoft, nylatenite.com, Original Content, Peter Moore, Press Conference |
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As usual, Microsoft kicks off E3 with it’s traditional pre-E3 press briefing, and this year I’m going to be liveblogging it for those of you who can’t or don’t want to watch the whole thing.
Because the standard format of this website is not conducive to a rapidly updating format (as you should know from my frequent griping about the subject), I’m going to open up the still unfinished blog based version of the site for one night via E3Outsider.com, so if you’re up to it, head on over around 11:30pm EST and join in the fun – after all, the comment system should work just fine.
On a somewhat sadder note, this will probably be the only live blog of the big three’s press conferences that we’ll be doing. Unfortunately, both Nintendo & Sony will be holding their talks tomorrow morning – a time when I’ll be sitting behind my desk out in the desert of the real. (a place also called my “real” job – you know, the one that pays the bills.) Don’t worry though, I’ll be sure to post anything of interest from those two events just as soon as possible. See? It’s not the end of the world.
I’ve got some last minute details to take care of, so I’ll sign off right now. It’s E3 2007… can you feel the excitement?
July 10, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
E3, E3 Outsider, Liveblog, Microsoft, Peter Moore, Press Conference |
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Microsoft has announced that due to the ongoing issues with the Xbox 360’s dreaded Red Ring of Death system failures, the company will be extending the system’s factory warranty to cover the defects that cause the issue to 3 years from the date of purchase.
I can’t begin to mention just how huge of an announcement this is. Microsoft has basically admitted that the failure rate on the Xbox 360 is far higher than they would like and have taken action to make sure that their customer base is treated fairly. To give you an idea of the scale of the problem, Microsoft will be taking a 1.15 billion dollar pre-tax charge to their earnings for the quarter ending June 30th to cover the cost of the extension. (If you’re wondering, this means that the cost of supporting the warranty will not be included in fiscal year 2008, meaning that Robbie Bach’s prediction that the Xbox line would be in the black by 2008 is still a reasonable possibility.)
In an open letter to their customers, Microsoft’s Peter Moore apologized to Xbox 360 owners for any inconveniences they may have experienced due to system failures and promised that the company would be retroactively reimbursing any fees paid by 360 owners for repairs due to the issue.
“As of today, all Xbox 360 consoles are covered by an enhanced warranty program to address specifically the general hardware failures indicated by the three flashing red lights on the console. This applies to new and previously-sold consoles. While we will still have a general one year console warranty (two years in some countries), we are announcing today a three-year warranty that covers any console that displays a three flashing red lights error message. If a customer has an issue indicated by the three flashing red lights, Microsoft will repair the console free of charge—including shipping—for three years from the console’s purchase date. We will also retroactively reimburse any of you who paid for repairs related to problems indicated by this error message in the past. In doing so, Microsoft stands behind its products and takes responsibility to ensure that every Xbox 360 console owner continues to have a fantastic gaming experience.
If we have let any of you down in the experience you have had with your Xbox 360, we sincerely apologize. We are taking responsibility and are making these changes to ensure that every Xbox 360 owner continues to have a great experience.” – Peter Moore
It should be noted that the extension (years 2 and 3) only cover issues related to the three red ring failures and does not cover the rest of the system. To clear up any confusion, Microsoft has made a FAQ available that covers many of the questions Xbox 360 owners may have about the updated warranty and have advised that they will continue to update the FAQ over the next few days.
One question that wasn’t covered in the aforementioned FAQ was what affect this would have on the warranty status of those who purchased the Xbox 360’s 2 year extended warranty directly from Microsoft. To get an answer to that issue, I called Microsoft’s customer support help line at 1-800-4MY-XBOX, and after waiting on hold for 1 hour and 15 minutes was advised that the extended warranty will begin once the 3 year warranty period has expired and that all services would be covered during that time.
I found that answer a little strange as one would assume that only the coverage for the Red Ring failures would continue into the 4th and 5th year of the warranty period, but the representative I spoke with assured me that this was indeed the case. While I’m taking that part of the answer with a grain of salt, I am at least confident in believing that those who purchased the extended warranty via Microsoft will have protection from general system failures (Red Ring of Death failures) for 5 years from the date of purchase.
My guess is that since Microsoft also stated that they believe they’ve found a way to fix the problem that this move may essentially be a long-term recall. If the problem is such that they know that most Xbox 360’s will fail within 3 years, this would allow them to repair the problems without the massive negative publicity a true recall would bring. The move should also allow Microsoft some breathing room at E3 in regard to the failure rate, so while it’s certainly a great move for the consumer, I wouldn’t go sending mushy love notes to the company just yet. Still, I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling all warm and fuzzy at the moment. Between the rumors of the PlayStation 3 price drop and Microsoft’s warranty extension, it’s been a pretty good day for gamers. For more information on the announcement, warranty procedures and what it all means to you, check out the below links.
July 6, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Announcements, Extended Warranty, Microsoft, Oops, Peter Moore, Red Ring of Death, Warranty Service, Xbox 360 |
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While the format of E3 may have changed, the desire of gamers to get an early peek at upcoming games – and more importantly, take them for a test drive – is just as strong as ever. Fortunately for Xbox 360 owners, Microsoft plans to once again host “E3: Bringing it Home” on Xbox Live.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the “Bringing it Home” promotion, last year Microsoft decided that one of the best ways they could utilize Xbox Live during E3 was to present members with many of the same trailers and demos that were available on the show floor. It was a great use of the service and, in many ways, really did help to bring the experience home for those of us who couldn’t attend.
According to Gamerscore Blog, the promo will run alongside the show from Tuesday, July 10th 2007 through Friday, July 13th. Xbox Live members can expect to see content for the following games during this timer period. Please note that according to Gamerscore Blog, these are not the only titles we’ll be seeing content for – so there should be some surprises as well.
- Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (Namco Bandai)
- Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft)
- BioShock (2K)
- Blue Dragon (Microsoft Game Studios)
- Burnout Paradise (Electronic Arts Inc.)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision)
- FIFA Soccer 08 (Electronic Arts)
- Guitar Hero III (Activision/RedOctane)
- Lost Odyssey (Microsoft Game Studios)
- “Madden NFL 08” (Electronic Arts)
- NCAA Football 08 (Electronic Arts)
- Need for Speed: ProStreet (Electronic Arts)
- Project Gotham Racing 4 (Microsoft Game Studios)
- The Simpsons Game (Electronic Arts)
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (Electronic Arts)
- WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2008 (THQ)
While Microsoft has made no announcements about which games will have playable demos released during the promotion, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll get treated to playable demos of Assassin’s Creed and Bioshock.
If the promotion is anything like last year’s event, you’re going to want to make sure to download any content you want as soon as possible – last year much of the content was taken down after the show – so start making room on that hard drive now – You have been warned. (Here’s a tip – if you haven’t removed the Halo 3 beta from your hard drive yet, now is the time to do it – it will free up a little over a gigabyte of space.)
July 3, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
E3, Microsoft, Promotion, Xbox 360, Xbox Live |
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How’s this for a twist? Microsoft has filed a lawsuit against Immersion stating that the company is in breach of the contract the two companies signed when they settled Immersion’s vibration feedback lawsuit against Microsoft back in 2003. Apparently the dispute comes down to certain monetary compensation Microsoft was supposed to receive as part of their purchasing a stake in Immersion at the time.
Quite humorously, ArsTechnica is reporting that at least part of the dispute comes down to Microsoft feeling they are entitled to part of the money that Sony paid out to Immersion when they lost the patent infringement suit brought in regards to the haptic vibration technology used in the Dual Shock controller.
“The complaint details the Sublicense Agreement (SLA) that Microsoft and Immersion entered into in 2003, following the settlement between the two parties. According to the complaint, the SLA entitles Microsoft to a minimum $15 million payment as a result of Immersion’s settlement with Sony. Microsoft and Immersion apparently agreed to share the bounty that would stem from a court battle with Sony, and Microsoft says they have yet to be paid.” – ArsTechnica
The lawsuit shouldn’t have any bearing on Microsoft’s license to use Immersions vibration technology with the Xbox 360, so doomsayers on that end should probably be ignored. For more details on all the specifics, check out the full article over at ArsTechnica.
June 20, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Immersion, Lawsuit, Microsoft, Vibration Feedback |
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Epic Games has announced that they will be making a title update to Gears of War today via the Xbox Live Marketplace. The main focus of the update will be the addition of 250 achievement points for the previously released downloadable “Hidden Fronts” map pack and some fixes to the Roadie Run feature which should prevent some of the issues with taking cover when you don’t mean to.
Here’s the press release from Epic describing what changes players can expect to see following the update;
“Thursday, June 14, at 2 a.m. GMT, the stakes get even higher as Gears of War releases eight new Achievements for the “Annex” gametype and the “Hidden Fronts” Multiplayer Map Pack on Xbox LIVE®.
In addition to adding new Achievements, worth a total of 250 points, Gears of War developer Epic has improved the Roadie Run controls so players have greater control of their movement and can better annihilate their pestilent enemies. The title update will also help squash multiplayer exploits and provide general housekeeping.
For those who have yet to man up and join the battle, the “Annex” gametype is now available for free and the “Hidden Fronts” Multiplayer Map Pack is available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 800 Microsoft Points. All four multiplayer maps will be made available at no cost over Xbox LIVE on Sept. 3, 2007.
Release Notes
- New Achievements added! Eight new achievements worth a total of 250 points created for playing Annex and the Hidden Fronts Multiplayer Map Pack
- Improved Roadie Run to reduce getting snagged on cover
- Tweaked up the amount of damage done by the Lancer Assault Rifle in multiplayer
- Fixed split-screen players interrupting the other player’s actions when they die
- Stopped Annex scoring whenever a “Connection Error” dialog box is displayed
- Reduced the duration that corpses remain visible when hosting an Annex match
- Reduced the range of possible Annex bleed-out times selectable by host
- Addressed a number of multiplayer exploits
- Addressed other general housekeeping“ – Epic Games
June 14, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Achievement Points, Epic Games, Gears of War, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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I’ve been playing quite a bit of Forza Motorsport 2 on the Xbox 360 lately, and while the game itself certainly is a load of fun (despite the lack of an in-car cockpit mode – and no, I won’t stop harping on that), the thing that I’ve been the most fascinated by is the incredible custom artwork some players have already come up with. I can’t begin to imagine the patience making some of these designs must require, as I gave up on my first custom paint job attempt after about 30 minutes and only a few shapes.
Perhaps the greatest feature of the game is the fact that the individuals who have spent the time to create these great designs can then put them up for sale via the Forza Motorsport 2 Auction House. Say what you want about the time spent coming up with some of these designs, but I can guarantee that the people who made them are swimming in credits right now and can easily afford to purchase just about any other custom painted car they may see. Doesn’t seem as much of a waste of time now, does it?
As for the rest of us – you know, the ones who couldn’t make a decent design to save our lives, we can spend our time racing for credits so we can also drive around in a car that amazes our friends. Since no article about the custom paint jobs available online would be complete without some examples, I’ve posted some pictures of the best cars I’ve managed to come out of the auction house with.
Click on the below pictures for larger sized images.
I guess the ultimate compliment I can give some of the designs I’ve seen is that I can barely believe they were made using the in-game vinyl decal system. To all those custom car painters out there, I salute you – keep up the great work!
June 10, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Artwork, Auction, Custom, Forza Motorsport, Microsoft, Original Content, Racing, Xbox 360 |
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