'Breach' Coming Exclusively to Xbox Live Marketplace

'Breach' is a FPS that will be a download only title exclusive for Xbox Live coming out this summer. Not sure how much it's going to cost but it looks a whole lot like Battlefield 1943.

Game Reviews - E3 2010

Star Wars: The Old Republic Xbox 360-bound?

courtesy of GameSpot.com

Source: British news site VG247.

Microsoft has sent mixed messages about bringing massively multiplayer online role-playing games to the Xbox 360. The announcement that Final Fantasy XI was coming to the console was the centerpiece of its 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo press conference. (The Xbox 360 had been revealed the week before). However, the company quietly killed off its Marvel superhero MMORPG for the console, which developer Cryptic then turned into Champions Online for the PC.

With the console version of Champions Online now canceled, Xbox 360 owners are wondering what the next big MMORPG for the system might be. VG247 appeared to answer that question when it posted what it claimed was European retailer GAME's internal long-term schedule of Xbox 360 releases. Toward the end, the schedule clearly lists Star Wars: The Old Republic as coming to the console sometime in 2011.EA recently pushed back the PC version of the game to a "spring 2011" launch window.

The official story: The listing appeared to back up speculation sparked by comments made by Electronic Arts president Frank Gibeau in 2008. Then, he told Eurogamer that his company was "definitely looking at the opportunity to bring the MMO experience to console, without question."

However, EA subsidiary BioWare, which is developing the game at its Austin studio, quickly shot down the rumor in a post on the official Old Republic forums. "As to why The Old Republic is on that list, we have no idea but to allay any confusion, we should not be on there," said BioWare community manager Sean Dahlberg.

Dahlberg also re-posted his company's official boilerplate regarding the sci-fi MMORPG: "Star Wars: The Old Republic is currently being developed for the personal computer (PC) using the Microsoft Windows operating system. While we recognize that there are other operating systems and platforms available for games today, our development is specific to the personal computer using the Windows operating system at this time."

Bogus or not bogus?: Bogus…for now, anyway.

Xbox 360-branded USB drives start at $40 - Retail Radar

courtesy of GameSpot.com

Last week, Microsoft confirmed rumors that the Xbox 360 would start supporting USB flash drives starting April 6. The move came after nearly four and a half years of Microsoft only offering first-party proprietary memory units and hard drives, which were widely criticized for being overpriced. It also came just over four months after Microsoft locked out high-capacity third-party memory units with a fall firmware update.

As part of the USB-support announcement, Microsoft said that it was partnering with SanDisk to release Xbox 360-branded USB flash drives. Now, GameStop is listing the official USB drives, which bear a higher price than un-branded third-party devices, for preorder. The 8GB drive retails for $39.99, while the 16GB model sells for $69.90. By comparison, an unbranded SanDisk 16GB thumb drive is on sale on Amazon for $28.50, or 59 percent cheaper.

According to the GameStop description, the main selling point of the Xbox 360-branded USB flash drives is that they are "preconfigured" for a "seamless experience" and come with a one-month Xbox Live Gold membership, which has a full retail value of $8 but can be acquired for as much as $2.50. However, formatting an unbranded third-party drive is as easy as plugging it into the Xbox 360, going to the system settings area, selecting the USB device, and selecting "configure now."

'Modern Warfare 2' Spotted on Public Xbox Live Account

'Shadow Complex' X-Play Review

I know this announcement's late fella's, but my Xbox 360 still has the RRoD so I missed this game when it came out on Tuesday, August 19. 2009. (Working on getting 360 fixed right now) Anyways, 'Shadow Complex' is a Xbox Live Arcade game that I have been anticipating since it was announced at E3 2009. It has all the gameplay that made classics such as Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night so great, while at the same time it has all the updated graphics that the current generation of consoles can provide. I have a feeling this will be one of the most enjoyable games of 2009. X-Play even gave it a 5/5 which is an extremely rare score from them! *video below*

Video Games - E3 2009 - X-Play

MTG: Duels of the Planeswalkers Preview Video

I know that the game comes out in mere hours, but I thought that this video (which shows how the game plays) would be nice to watch just to get a preview of what to expect from the game. It sucks that they are severely limiting what you are able to do and from what I gather deck construction will be severely limited as well to the point where it will not be a major part of the game. :( Sucks. You can read more details here in a GameSpot forum thread. Anywayz, here is the video. *video below*

Magic The Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers on Xbox Live June 17!!!

courtesy of pixelatedgeek

Wizard of the Coast released a Press Release yesterday for the XBLA exclusive game, Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers. Here’s what they had to say after the break.

New and Existing Magic Players Will Rule on Xbox LIVE® Arcade

Wizards of the Coast Launches Duels of the Planeswalkers for Xbox LIVE Arcade

June 3, 2009, Renton, Wash. — Wizards of the Coast today announced that Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers, an extension of the worldwide Magic: The Gathering franchise for Xbox LIVE Arcade, will be available June 17, 2009.

“We’re thrilled to introduce the Magic game experience to the Xbox LIVE community,” said Greg Leeds, President of Wizards of the Coast. “Duels of the Planeswalkers will allow both new and experienced players to develop and test their skills in the ultimate battle of wits.”



In June, fans can challenge game developers and famous Magic: The Gathering trading card game players in a Duels of the Planeswalkers tournament through Microsoft’s online Game with Fame and Game with Developer events. Game with Fame will take place June 20 and Game with Developer will follow on June 27.

Developed by Stainless Games, Ltd., Duels of the Planeswalkers, rated T-Teen, lets players simulate the Magic: The Gathering trading card game through lush interactive 3-D environments. The arcade-style game takes players on a journey through a vast Multiverse of unique worlds where they are deemed Planeswalkers, powerful mages who battle others for glory, knowledge and conquest.



Players can choose to battle against the computer or compete online against real-life opponents using Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE Arcade. With numerous game play scenarios, including multiplayer game mode, Duels of the Planeswalkers offers an unrivaled depth in which each game is different from the last. Wizards of the Coast is supporting this release with an exclusive promotional card, which includes brand new artwork, making Duels of the Planeswalkers a game that both new and existing Magic players will enjoy.

Introduced in 1993, Magic: The Gathering is the first and most widely played trading card game. With more than 10,000 different cards available, Magic offers an unrivaled depth of game play with several choices and customizations available for its players.




For additional information on Duels of the Planeswalkers, please visit: www.duelsoftheplaneswalkers.com

About Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), is the leader in entertaining the lifestyle gamer. The company holds an exclusive patent on trading card games (TCGs) and their method of play and produces the premier trading card game, Magic: The Gathering®, among many other trading card games and family card and board games. Wizards is also a leading publisher of roleplaying games, such as Dungeons & Dragons®, and publisher of fantasy series fiction with numerous New York Times best-sellers. For more information, visit the Wizards of the Coast Web site at www.wizards.com.

Project Natal may actually be Microsoft's Next Console

There is a rumor going around because of a statement made by Shane Kim (Microsoft's head of long-term Xbox 360 strategy). The rumor is that Project Natal may actually be Xbox 720 (aka Xbox 3).

Shane Kim said, "Conceptually, the launch of Natal will be like the launch of Xbox 360. It's going to be that big. We're not just going to ship it when the hardware and software are ready. We have to make sure that there are enough content experiences that are really good. That's similar to how you would think of the launch of a new console. It's got to have a great launch line-up. That's the same thing here."

The bottom line... sounds like people may be making a big deal out of nothing, but considering the recent statements made by big name, third-party developers stating that they've "maxed out" the 360 but not the PS3, it may not be too far-fetched to see Microsoft trying to release another console soon. On a side note, Nintendo bombed with the GameCube so they decided to repackage it with an enhanced controller. Yea, that's right. Nintendo's Wii is essentially nothing more than a tuned up GameCube with a new, interactive controller that was successfully "relaunched". Will be interesting to see how this turns out.

How People Cheat on Xbox Live!

You know all of those "God" players on Xbox Live. Well, this is how they do it. They cheat with a "lag switch" that causes all the other players to be still.

E3 Preview: 360 and PS3 to get Motion-Sensor, Wiimote-like Peripherals

After watching Nintendo's motion-sensing Wii console race to the top of the sales charts, it appears rivals Sony and Microsoft may finally be ready to unveil their answers at next month's E3 video game show.

Reports have surfaced recently that both Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 are close to unveiling new control schemes that would allow people to use natural gesture-based interfaces.

The move, if true, would help them broaden their audiences to mainstream and casual players, who have flocked to the Wii and its motion-sensing controllers.

Variety reported late last month that Sony is reportedly preparing a one-handed PS3 controller that uses light-emitting diodes that communicate with a camera near a television to manipulate on-screen movements in a manner more accurate than the Wii.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal quoted sources who said Microsoft is readying a 3-D camera for the Xbox 360 that would detect full-body movements. The camera is said to utilize technology from 3DV Systems, an Israeli company that Microsoft reportedly bought earlier this year.

Both systems will probably be introduced at E3, the video game industry show in Los Angeles next month.

These are not the first such non-Nintendo devices to emerge. Sony already has an EyeToy accessory that picks up 2-D movements. It also built motion sensing into its PlayStation 3 controller. Both, however, have had limited applications in games.

Nintendo, meanwhile, has soared to the top of the video game world with its Wii system, which has sold more than 50 million units since hitting the market in 2006. The Xbox 360 has sold about 28 million units as of January while the PlayStation 3 has moved 23.7 million units.

Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo all declined to comment for this story. Analysts said the wouldn't be surprised to see Microsoft and Sony try to replicate the success Nintendo has had with the Wii.

"I'm astounded that Sony or Microsoft hasn't done it already. For them to compete with the Wii, they should have brought out a motion sensitive controller a while ago," said Van Baker, an analyst at Gartner, a research firm.

Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities, said he is scheduled to meet with Microsoft executives next week for a briefing on an announcement that he believes will be about a motion-sensing camera.

He said he doesn't expect a peripheral this late in the game to supplant the Wii. But it will help the Xbox 360 shed its image as a machine for hard-core gamers and allow it to attract new and casual players.

"I think Microsoft is envious of the Wii and its casual family appeal, and they are a little frustrated they are branded as a hard-core company," Pachter said. "They want to be like Sony was with the PS2, with casual and hard-core appeal. They've been struggling to do it but I think this would be a positive step in that direction."

The tougher question is what kind of software will there be for any new motion-based controller. For either to work, they'll need enticing games to sell the new control schemes. It would have to be something similar to Wii Sports or Wii Fit, two titles that catalyzed sales of the Wii and the Wii Balance Board accessory, said Pachter.

Nintendo isn't standing still. The company is introducing the Wii Motion Plus, a $20 plug-in accessory that makes the Wii Remote more accurate. Games that utilize the Wii Motion, including Wii Sports Resort, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 and Grand Slam Tennis, will start appearing next month.

Wii to take over the World

Nintendo has stated that it's Wii console will have shipped 50 million units by the end of March. That will put it far ahead of the other systems will Xbox 360 at 28.5 million and PS3 at 21.3 million.

The Wii has passed this milestone in 28 months from launch. Sony's Playstation 2 (total worldwide sales of 118m) managed this feat in 36 months.

Even though the Wii managed to accomplish this feat Wii-lee fast, better games need to come out in order for it to pass PS2's huge install base.

Halo Wars sells 1 million units

Most people by now know that Ensemble Studios went the way of the dodo bird, but their final game has proven to be a success. According to Microsoft, over one million units of Halo Wars have been sold and over 2.6 million multiplayer matches played on Xbox Live. Seems as though Ensemble Studio's swan song has been well-recieved by the gaming masses despite the comments from gamers at message boards and forums stating how "average" the gameplay is and how RTS doesn't work on a console. The numbers don't lie.

Halo Wars IS an average RTS when compared to a PC RTS, but if you think like that - then, Halo 3 is also "average" due to the fact that the game is played using a game controller instead of a keyboard and mouse.

The bottom line... is even though Halo Wars is not the most advanced, next-generation RTS game, it is still enjoyable and lets you experience the Halo universe from a different perspective. I personally enjoy the game. It refreshing, and the online co-op is a blast. Plus, everyone is hindered by the awkward controls, so no one is at a disadvantage. Just relax and play the game, or relax and don't. Stop the hate.

Halo 3 user created content (Forge)

When Halo 3 came out, a little known feature called forge was available within the game. Forge is a gameplay mode that allows for both playing and designing multiplayer maps within the preset Halo 3 maps. Options include changing and resetting respawn points, weapon spawn points, weapon timers, vehicle spawns and timers, and adding existing geometry to the map’s existing structure in the form of crates, boxes, fusion coils, gravity lifts, telelporters, turrets, etc. Being kind of basic, it wasn't exactly the most popular feature of Halo 3. I personally viewed it more as a gimmick than an actual feature.

Then the Heroic map pack came out on Dec 11, 2007, and there was a "blank canvas" map type called Foundry that allowed players to basically create levels. Of course, a group of gamers gathered to make the most of the tools that Bungie provided them and some really good maps came out. But... glitches began to leak and the options for map building exponentially increased.

This is the first video in a series of videos that teach how to do some of the forge glitches.

It is possible (with glitches) to have many more options available to map builders. The above picture is from a Lockdown map called "8 emerald legs" that has been forged. Players may marvel at the giant spider above the oil rig, but what is not immediately apparent is that the giant spider is playable. Meaning, you can run on top of, inside of, and around... of... ?!? the spider. It is a display of extraordinary ingenuity. Though not obvious, it IS very playable.

Racing around a halo map is not the first thing that comes to mind when you pop in a Halo 3 disc, but because of forge there are now some interesting race maps created. One of the best is "Quasar". It is fun because not only do you race, but you can also carry a passenger and have then shoot at the other riders. Careful though, they are shooting at you too!

The bottom line... is that despite the primitive tools available in forge, some very crafty, fun-to-play maps can be created. There are many more options available than appear at first glance. And if you are paranoid that Bungie considers this hacking or cracking the game... don't be. They have been on record saying that they love the ingenuity of the forgers out there and that they had no idea it would be as successful as it was. So enjoy.

Forging 101 (Beginner's guide to forging)

Best of Forge Spring/Summer '08
Best of Forge Fall/Winter '08