Orange Box Demo on Live

The Orange Box delivers five innovative games from Valve, creators of the blockbuster Half-Life franchise, in one action-packed box. The Orange Box includes Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal and Team Fortress 2 in addition to full versions of the award-winning Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode One for an engrossing first-person action experience.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 Announced

Celebrate10th Anniversary of Rainbow Six Franchise in Sin City in 2008 San Francisco — November 20, 2007 — Today Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, announced that it is developing Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Vegas 2 for next-generation consoles and PC. Developed at Ubisoft Montreal by the same team that created the award-winning Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas, the highly anticipated sequel is scheduled for a March 2008 release. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is the sixth iteration in the wildly successful Rainbow Six franchise which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2008 with more than 16 million units sold worldwide to date.

Click here to view high resolution image “Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas took the gaming world by storm in 2006 thanks to its technological advances and gameplay innovations,” said Yves Guillemot, president and chief executive officer at Ubisoft. “We are convinced that Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 will remain a pioneer in the highly competitive first person shooter genre, bringing more of what Rainbow Six fans love to the table.” The highly anticipated sequel to the winner of numerous awards, including IGN’s 2006 Best First Person Shooter and Best Online Game, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 will push the franchise to new heights by adding new gameplay features and even more stunning visuals. Players will encounter an intense solo campaign that uses new tactical possibilities in various locations around Sin City. As expected with one of the pioneer franchises for online multiplayer Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 will also break new ground in both co-op and adversarial modes, while providing unprecedented interaction between the solo and multiplayer modes.

Latest UK Software Charts

TOP 40 ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE - INDIVIDUAL FORMATS (UNITS), WEEK ENDING 10 November 2007

http://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p/software/uk/latest/index_test.jsp&ct=110032

First images of Ghostbusters

oxmpodcast.com

http://www.oxmpodcast.com/ episode 89

October NPD: Xbox 360 Led Software Sales

NPD has released its October U.S. software and hardware numbers. As expected, the Nintendo Wii was the best selling new system but Xbox 360 led in software sales and that's what Microsoft highlighted in a mail sent to us. For the month of October, Xbox 360 led in total revenue with $354 million compared to $246 million for Wii and $116 million for PS3. In addition to leading in total consumer spend, Xbox 360 led in software sales:
Xbox 360 software revenue at retail surpassed that of Wii and PS3 combined
Xbox 360 holds the #1 & #2 spot in the Top Ten list across all consoles --“Halo 3” (Microsoft Game Studios) sold 434K units and “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock” (RedOctane/Activision) sold 383K units
Xbox 360 is delivering the highest-rated games lineup this generation, with 7 out of the top 10 rated games through the end of October according to Metacritic, the world-wide authority in entertainment reviews. Highlights:
Xbox 360 beats Wii in total consumer dollars spent
Xbox 360 games portfolio continues to drive consumers’ retail spending more than any console this generation. Xbox 360 leads with $354 million in consumer spending.
For the month of October according to NPD, Xbox 360 software represented 54 percent of total software sales (at $162 million dollars) for this generation, compared to 30 percent for Wii and 16 percent for PS3.
Xbox 360 held 3 spots in the Top Ten Console List with Master Chief and “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock” leading the way
Last month “Halo 3” shattered retail records at every turn. This month the title has continued to dominate software sales as it was again the #1 title across any console.
October also brought the release of one of the most anticipated titles of the holiday, “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock” (RedOctane/Activision) which launched October 28. The Xbox 360 version w/guitar bundle led all consoles with 383K units sold. Combined with sales of the stand-alone game, Xbox 360 was the destination of choice for Guitar Hero fans this generation, with 491K sold overall (guitar bundle plus stand-alone game), compared to the PS3 version at 106K and Wii at 286K.
Coming in at #7, “The Orange Box” (Electronic Arts) for Xbox 360 posted strong sales with 238K sold.
Xbox 360 leading in 3rd Party success
Gamers continue to show preference for third party titles on Xbox 360. Of all 3rd party U.S. software revenue in October, Xbox 360 generated more than double that of the PS3 and Wii. Xbox 360 weighs in at 57 percent with $130 million, compared to Wii with 28 percent and PS3 at 15 percent.
PS3 and Wii combined had one third party title in the top ten console title list for the month, while Xbox 360 weighed in with 2. Since November, third party partners have seen their titles hit the top ten 29 times for Xbox 360, compared to 2 for PS3 and 2 for Wii.
In last week’s earnings announcement from Electronic Arts, Xbox 360 represented 50 percent ($218 million) of their total revenue during the third quarter. In fact, EA titles on Xbox 360 outperformed those same titles on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, Wii and DS combined.

Call of Duty 4 Patch In the Works, Features Revealed

Infinity Ward has announced it is already working on an update for the Xbox 360 version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Straight from the horse's mouth: Wanted to give you a heads up for an update in the works for the Xbox 360 version. We're going to be optimizing a lot of things behind the scenes with matchmaking and host selection as well as adding a few new features via the update which I have outlined below. No ETA on when this update will be available for download, just giving a heads up on what's to come in the future in the first potential update: Additions / New Features:
Added Kill cam to Airstrike bombs and Claymores
Addition of Host Migration so if Host Leaves auto-chooses next best host Tweaked the following Oldschool Mode settings based on feedback:
Added Unlimited Sprint
Increased Magazine Size
Added Ragdoll Cam Optimizations / Tweaks:
Identify party by background color (in Lobby)
Optimized server selection for first match for better connections
Improved network performance for 18 player games
Optimized 'Chase Cam' when Spectating
Fixed Playlist error when attempting to join from other games
Handle Corrupt Create A Class data instead of kicking player

DVD Forum Approves Three Layer 51GB HD DVDs

At its 40th Steering Committee Meeting, the DVD Forum has approved the triple-layer HD DVD ROM (read only) specification proposed by Toshiba. The new HD DVD ROM disc has a three-layer structure, with each layer storing 17GB of data, offering a total disc capacity of 51 gigabytes. Currently, HD DVD ROM has a single-layer capacity of 15 GB, with dual-layer discs offering 30 GB. The new disc, which can store up to 7 hours of high-definition video, shares the same disc structure as standard DVD and previously announced HD DVD formats: two 0.6-mm thick discs bonded back-to-back. This time-tested physical structure offers proven volume manufacturing at little cost increment. With this latest development, the HD DVD camp is able to offer a product that matches the capacity offered by a dual-layer Blu-ray Disc.

Need for Speed ProStreet Review 9/10

http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1429/Need-for-Speed-ProStreet/p1/

Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Review (Xbox 360)

http://screenshots.teamxbox.com/screen/68005/Kane-Lynch-Dead-Men/

Download original Xbox games on your 360 this fall

Software... update. Two extremely dull words that, when combined, become even duller. So why is the entire gaming community currently abuzz about the next iteration of the Xbox 360 dashboard? When did mandatory software upgrades become so dramatic and controversial?
Easy - when Microsoft announced that this update had something to do with Halo. Starting December 2, you'll be able to download some of the original Xbox's classic titles and play them on your 360. No disc, no ugly green box, no need to move your ass off the couch. Popular games like Fable, Fahrenheit, Crimson Skies, Crash Bandicoot, Burnout 3 and, yes, Halo: Combat Evolved will all be available at the push of a button.
But are these old timers still worth the asking price of $15, or 1200 MS points? If you don't already own Halo, you can buy it new on Amazon for only $10... $7 used. If Crimson Skies didn't already come packed with your console, you can nab it used for only a dollar. These cheaper retail copies will work on a 360 using backwards compatibility, so why should we pay $15 for an intangible download?
As the downloadable library expands, however, we expect to get pretty excited. Already, the criminally overlooked and difficult-to-locate Psychonauts is being offered. Nice. Throw some other forgotten gems on the list (Breakdown? Stranger's Wrath? Panzer Dragoon Orta?) and we might forget all about next-gen.

MAJOR NELSON

http://www.majornelson.com/ episode 251 about mass effect

Assassins creed video review

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/27754.html

Unwrapped: Mass Effect Limited Edition

Wondering what the Limited Collector's Edition of Mass Effect will hold? Wonder no longer: one mysteriously arrived in the GameLife office just today, and we furiously photographed its innermost secrets.
The $70 limited edition version of the game includes the following:
Tin case
"Mass Effect: A Future Imagined" 36-page art book
"Galactic Codex: Essentials" 36-page fiction supplement
Mass Effect instruction manual, in glorious color
Battlestar Galactica final season advertisement
Cardboard-and-plastic game keepcase with game disc and bonus content disc

http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/11/unwrapped-mass-.html go link for pics

What's in Microsoft's Xbox 360 fall update?

http://www.tech.co.uk/home-entertainment/gaming/games-consoles/news/whats-in-microsofts-xbox-360-fall-update?articleid=1290824370

OXM PODCAST

http://www.oxmpodcast.com/

Devs Problems: Lack of memory on Sony PS3 and storage on Xbox 360

We have heard many gamers comparing the different games on the Sony PS3 and Xbox 360 but today we had a long comment from someone calling themselves “IsThis4Real” and they make an interesting case for both the PS3 and 360.
Also they outline some of the problems both games consoles face and explain a little about the CELL CPU. Have a read a let us know if you agree.
Here is IsThis4Real’s comment:I honestly wish people would get over the whole “CELL” thing. Its totally, as it stands now, overated - and the concept is still in its infancy. Its not the be all end all of CPUs. Its simply a single IBM Power PC core with 7 SPEs. I think people still make the mistake in claiming and thinking that they are essentially seperate CPUs. They are not.
Its “simply” designed for very fast on the fly encoding/decoding (gross missunderstatement, I know - but I think for some it has to be put VERY simply if you know what I mean) - its specialty will lie in the integration of the home based setup.
This is something Sony mooted nearly 10 or more so years ago, the ability to have every single (Sony based) product in one house hold to be able to communicate with eachother. This is when they forst started announcing that they were working on a single SUPER cpu.Watch that space over the next few years. They might actually get there, but I tell you, it aint going to be this incarnation of CELL, thats for sure.
It is not even an ideal functioning model for multi-threaded coding, an area, which despite a few game companies have said they are able to pull off, is again, still very much in its infancy - especially on the mainstream level - ie to you.
If you really want to be “technical” the PS3 setup is absolutely lousy - plain and simple - for modern game setups. The majority of the work needed for the PS3 is not the so called difficulty of the CELL processor, but its lack of main memory, lack of video memory, and very slow load data-read speeds, and much slower bus speed, all in comparisson to the Xbox 360.
The CELL, despite what is said, is NOT an overly complicated piece of architecture. It has the potential to be quite elegant in fact.
Think to yourselves for a minute, peoples?You have games on the PS3. Dev kits have only been out X amount of time. Both 360 and PS3 release are identical - dont be anal guys.
Yet, you will notice that the PS3 sufferes time and time again in comparison - just mildly - mind you. The issues being what? Framerate? Resolution? This are problems not associated with CELL, but less memory, fill rate, bus transfer etc. The only way to really optimize is for Sony to “cut the fat” from their supplied libraries. Thats it. Its very little, or nothing at all to do with CELL difficulty. The processors are a non event.
That will possibly be the only major problem for devs for both consoles in the near future.1). Lack of memory on the PS3.2). Lack of storage space on the Xbox 360.Watch out for that one. It will be here sooner than you think, if not already.
Hence the heavy need for almost triple assest content on Blue Ray discs, and very heavy cache useage. But cheers to Sony anyways for bringing something new to the table. But to say that games that are comming out would not be possible without it are just plain rubbish. But not so if on the PS3… Its just a little bit different. Tis all.
You want to talk about technical limitations??
All it will take is one REALLY good game, yet to come, on the PS3, with exceptional graphics and very heavy scripting, and it will absolutely bring that machine to its knees. Just because of the Single PPC core, and small ammount of memory. If you have actually looked at the way the PS3 “works”, it is a very laborious process !! There is so much to and fro before it even gets into the pipeline for post processing, any benefit that the CELL even began to pose is vanquished.
But everyone, just bear this in mind. The Xbox 360, for all the bagging it gets, is really quite a powerfull piece of kit. It has 3 seperate PPC cpus, which basically equates to 6 hardware threads. It has more memory to play with, a superior GPU, and superfast bus rate.
All the BS talked about GOW pushing the 360 is almost toss. Sorry. It was only running on two thread system. And even that engine was very buggy and “heavy” at the time. If not totally overated in its own right as well.
Honestly, if MS decided to put some form of a HD disc in it, Blu Ray or HD-DVD, the damn thing would be almost future proof, with the exception of the over heating, ofcourse.
Because, as it stands, the PS3 only has the storage space over the 360. Its not anymore “advanced” at all, and in many ways, slightly less.
Anyways, ive gone on a bit. Sorry.Sometime soon, some dev will get around to managing the PS3 with a par excellence attitude. It looks like Infinity Ward might just be there.Take it easy, guys. Sorry for going on a bit.

Face/Off (HD DVD) review

The Video: Sizing Up the Picture
'Face/Off' arrives on HD DVD with a 1080p/VC-1 transfer that delivers everything fans have wanted and more. Colors are vibrant, black levels are deep, and contrast is perfectly balanced -- the previously-released DVD looks like an aging VHS tape by comparison. There's a convincing illusion of depth and I found myself noting background details for the first time since I saw the film in theaters. I didn't catch any artifacting or crush issues and I was pleased to see that Woo's quick camera never took a toll on the smooth and stable image. Facial textures, on-screen text, and the sparks in the high-rise gun battle are crisply rendered without a hint of pixelation. Best of all, fire and explosions are invigorating, splashing the screen with color and life. By the time I noted the individual feathers on the director's trademark slow-motion doves, I was convinced this transfer was something special.
There are some minor issues worth mentioning. First off, I noticed some noise in darker scenes, as well as a trace amount of edge enhancement in a few shots. The effect isn't entirely obvious, but viewers with larger screens will likely spot it. I also have to gripe for a second about the seams revealed by this high-def transfer, as wires, stunt doubles, and squib packs are more painfully obvious than ever before. Although these hiccups can't be blamed on the video transfer, they're still worth noting for newcomers who aren't familiar with the film's more amusing on-screen flubs. Even so, 'Face/Off' shows how amazing a catalog title can look in high definition. Simply put, I can't imagine this film looking any better.
The Audio: Rating the Sound
Believe it or not, the audio package is even stronger than the video transfer. 'Face/Off' features a bombastic DTS ES 6.1 surround track (1.5 Mbps) and a confident Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 mix (1.5 Mbps), neither of which disappoint. While the additional channel in the DTS track makes rear pans more transparent, it didn't enhance the experience enough to praise one over the other after some volume matching.
Both tracks use intense dynamics to augment the on-screen insanity -- bass tones are particularly impressive and regularly sent rumbles and pulses stampeding through my home theater. LFE support hits with a palpable punch and gunfire is appropriately blaring. Likewise, treble whines are reliable, solid, and crisp. I could hear the heavy breathing of nervous background characters, the varied tip tap of footsteps on an assortment of flooring, and each tinkle of falling glass. The sound designers clearly worked overtime on this one and both the DTS and DD tracks showcase their efforts.
'Face/Off' isn't a quiet movie by any stretch of the imagination, but I was happy to find that the chaotic soundscape never muffled important lines or key effects. More importantly, the soundfield genuinely transports the listener into the film. Directionality is amazing and sounds whiz and streak between the channels naturally. I can't praise these tracks enough -- these aren't just impressive catalog mixes, they go toe-to-toe with the top tier tracks available on HD DVD.
The Supplements: Digging Into the Good Stuff
Although 'Face/Off' had languished on DVD for years without any significant supplements, in September of this year Paramount finally issued a Special Collector's Edition DVD chock full of extras. Thankfully the studio has ported them all over to this 2-disc HD DVD, presenting them here in full high definition.
Commentary with John Woo and Writers Mike Werb and Michael Colleary -- This track features a fairly interesting discussion that focuses on the early production of 'Face/Off.' The presence of Werb and Colleary helps Woo establish a flow and momentum to his comments, but as you might expect, they tend to keep the commentary focused on the story rather than the actors and the final edit. Woo throws in his two cents when it comes to the action and the on set choreography, but he seems like a supporting voice in a writer-driven conversation. Considering the fact that the writers have their own separate commentary track, I would have preferred to hear a lot more from the director on this one.
Commentary with Werb and Colleary -- This second commentary with the same writers as above ends up feeling repetitive and pointless. I appreciate their inclusion, but their outlook on the film is just too limited to sustain a second commentary. Two hours is a long time to listen to a series of seemingly endless lectures on a handful of subjects.
Deleted Scenes with Alternate Ending (9 minutes, HD) -- These excised scenes are intriguing in their own right, but were wisely cut since they tend to dwell on elements that are already extensively covered in the film's final cut. Likewise, the highly-touted alternate ending is a frightening glimpse of an idea that could've sucked the air out of the last minutes of the film. As it stands, the only thing that makes each scene worth watching is the presence of optional commentary from Woo.
The Light and Dark: Making Face/Off (64 minutes, HD) -- This is a full-length documentary divided into five featurettes that can be watched individually or all at once. Some of the information feels repetitive after listening to Woo and the writers, but the overall effort is much more sweeping than the commentaries."Science Fiction/Human Emotion" (10 minutes) is a worthwhile look at an early sci-fi treatment of the film that elevated plot over the emotional resonance of the theatrical version. "Cast/Characters" (17 minutes) explores the actors and their performances with plenty of engaging interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. "Woo/Hollywood" (22 minutes) hones in on the director and his global career. "Practical/Visual Effects" (10 minutes) is a pretty standard look at the art of hands-on SFX. Finally, "Future/Past" (6 minutes) ties up the proceedings with a quick look at the end result.
John Woo: A Life in Pictures (26 minutes, HD) -- This featurette almost makes up for the fact that Woo doesn't have his own commentary track. It examines the director's career, his canon of films, and his reputation on both sides of the Pacific. The best part is that the entire featurette is narrated by Woo himself. As a longtime fan, it was incredibly rewarding to listen to the director humbly discuss his life and his films.
Theatrical Trailer (2 minutes, HD)
HD Bonus Content: Any Exclusive Goodies in There?
Nothing.
Easter Eggs
No easter eggs reported for 'Face/Off' yet. Found an egg? Please use our tips form to let us know, and we'll credit you with the find.
Final Thoughts
Your enjoyment of 'Face/Off' will ultimately come down to how easily you can overlook its occasionally outlandish plot. Thankfully, this HD DVD release doesn't require any technical leaps of faith. It includes an excellent video transfer, a set of powerful audio tracks, and a healthy collection of supplements. This is a noteworthy treatment of a classic catalog actioner that's sure to make fans extremely happy.

Getting Hard Boiled: Midway Chicago's Mike Bilder on Stranglehold

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1998/getting_hard_boiled_midway_.php

first 10 mins of vf5

http://www.gamersyde.com/news_5433_en.html

nintendo blasts into financial stratosphere, xbox hangs on , ps3 falls

http://www.totalvideogames.com/news/Nintendo_Blasts_Into_The_Financial_Stratosphere_12312_5386_0.htm

Xbox Division Posts Q1 Profit

Microsoft posted unaudited operating income for its first quarter ended September 30 of $165 million in the Entertainment and Devices Division, compared to a loss last year of $142 million.Microsoft has been reiterating that its Xbox business will be profitable throughout this entire fiscal year, a feat yet to be seen in Microsoft's videogame business.Strong demand for Halo 3 and Xbox 360 hardware drove the division’s numbers during the quarter, according to Microsoft. In its first day, Halo 3 in the US alone generated $170 million in sales when it launched September 25. First-week sales were $300 million globally, as the Bungie-developed title sold 3.3 million units in the US during its debut month, according to NPD Group.Revenues for the division were up 91 percent to $1.93 billion.Overall, Microsoft revenues were up 27 percent year-on-year to $13.8 billion, beating the guidance of $12.4-$12.6 billion. Operating income was $5.9 billion, similarly exceeding the guidance of $5.0-$5.2 billion.During the quarter, Microsoft said it sold 1.8 million Xbox 360 consoles, with record attach rates during the quarter in the US.“We feel very good about our position going into the holidays,” said CFO Chris Liddell regarding the games business during a conference call.Also part of the Entertainment and Devices Division is the Zune music player, which we will see at the new lineup this holiday season.Microsoft expects total company revenues in fiscal 2008 to be $58.8 billion to $59.7 billion, with operating income of $23.3 billion to $23.7 billion.

Gears Wins Big at Golden Joysticks

Tens of thousands of gamers voted for the true people's awards, held Friday in London, which highlighted the elite titles from the past year across a diverse range of categories.

Undoubtedly the big winner at this year’s awards was Microsoft and Epic’s stellar third-person shooter Gears of War, which took four top honors. Gears triumphed in the Ultimate Game of the Year, Xbox Game of the Year, The Nuts All-Nighter and the Editor’s Choice categories. It also placed third in the 1Xtra Soundtrack of the Year and The GameTribe Online Game of the Year categories.

Codemasters received the UK Developer of the Year award for 2007 sponsored by Next-Gen.biz, while Game took the prize for Retailer of the Year. Nintendo took the Publisher of the Year award ahead of Microsoft Game Studios and Codemasters, while the Wii was labeled Innovation of the Year.

The second most prominent game winner was Guitar Hero II from Activision and Harmonix, which scooped the 1Xtra Soundtrack of the Year and The Bliss Girls’ Choice Game of the Year, while taking second spot in The Sun Family Game of the Year category and receiving nods as fourth best PlayStation Game of the Year and fourth best Xbox Game of the Year.

Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Wii Sports each picked up one gong, the former edging out the latter to walk away with the Nintendo Game of the Year award, while Wii Sports took top prize in The Sun Family Game of the Year category. Twilight Princess was also voted to have the second best Soundtrack of the Year, and came second in the Ultimate Game of the Year category, while Wii Sports came second in The Nuts All-Nighter category and finished as fourth Ultimate Game of the Year.

On the PC front, The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar and World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade split the honors. The former was voted PC Game of the Year 2007 while the latter came second. However, The Burning Crusade did pip Shadows of Angmar for The GameTribe Online Game of the Year award.

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7693&Itemid=2

Foza 2 new content ready for download

The community weren't too happy with the pricing of the coming Twin Ring Motegi DLC for Forza Motorsport 2 and let their thoughts be known. Turn 10 were listening though and have dropped the price.

Transformers on HD DVD Breaks Records

Paramount and DreamWorks have announced that first-week DVD sales of Transformers totaled 8.3 million copies, with more than half of them sold on the first day, a record for 2007. Furthermore, the HD DVD edition sold 190,000 copies during the first week, making it the best-selling HD movie ever.
DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures’ Megahit TRANSFORMERS Invades Stores to Become This Year’s Top-Selling DVD and the Best-Selling High Definition Title Day One and Week One for Either Format From Director Michael Bay and Executive Producer Steven Spielberg, In Association With Hasbro, Record-Setting DVD and HD DVD Sales Underscore TRANSFORMERS’ Status As Franchise Of Inter-Galactic Proportions HOLLYWOOD--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The blockbuster hit from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, TRANSFORMERS, is the year’s top-selling week one DVD with North American sales reaching 8.3 million units since the title’s debut on October 16, it was announced today by Paramount Home Entertainment. The biggest original film of the year from director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg, in association with Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), is also the best-selling DVD day one for the year with over 4.5 million units sold on Tuesday. Additionally, the smash hit has exploded into the high definition market, selling over 100,000 HD DVDs its first day of release, rocketing past previous releases to become the best-selling day one high definition title on either format since their inceptions. TRANSFORMERS has sold over 190,000 HD DVDs in its first week making it the fastest and best-selling week one release on either high definition format as well as the best selling HD DVD ever. The TRANSFORMERS DVD is also the top-selling October DVD release in the history of the home entertainment industry. “The performance of the TRANSFORMERS DVD and HD DVD has demonstrated the phenomenal success of this global franchise,” said Kelley Avery, president, Worldwide Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures. “We’re happy to be kicking off the fourth quarter with a title that clearly shows home entertainment releases are still an event that drives consumers into stores—which is a win for both content providers and retailers.” Earning over $700 million at the global box office, the live-action feature film TRANSFORMERS is the latest success in a worldwide franchise that has emerged as one of the most successful properties in action figure history, spawning numerous television series and comic books and a wealth of toys, games and other licensed merchandise. In 2007, TRANSFORMERS has become one of the hottest properties for boys in a variety of categories, including toys, publishing, video games, apparel and back-to-school. Hasbro’s licensing arm, HPG, has signed more than 250 licensees in 70 countries around the world. The first live-action film based on the enduringly popular “ROBOTS IN DISGUISE”, TRANSFORMERS features the ultimate battle between good and evil, as the peace-loving AUTOBOTS seek to protect humanity from the evil forces of the DECEPTICONS. The TRANSFORMERS Special Edition two-disc DVD and HD DVD sets provide an incredible experience with an arsenal of bonus material that delivers excitement and fun for long-time fans, as well as for viewers who are new to the TRANSFORMERS universe. Further, the HD DVD includes a host of highly advanced web-enabled features that will continue to roll-out through the rest of the year.

xboxlive arcade stick

http://www.planetxbox360.com/index.php/articledetails/show/2908

Xbox 360 Arcade Controller Specifications:
15" L x 10" D x 4.5" H
Authentic Arcade Buttons and Joysticks
Optional Custom Overlay
You choose the colors for T-molding, buttons and joystick D-Pad, A, B, X, Y, RB, LB, Start, Back, and Guide buttons are included
Optional Headset Jack
Wired USB controller means it's also compatible with Windows XP and Vista
Constructed with 3/4 black melamine coated wood to give that authentic arcade weight and feel
Optional joystick upgrade to the Mag-Stik Plus or Sanwa JLF
Your choice of button types, either Concave or Convex

EDGE REVIEWS

Orange Box (Xbox 360/PS3, EA): 10 Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction (PS3, Sony): 8 Folklore (PS3, Sony): 5 Eye Of Judgement (PS3, Sony): 4 Wipeout Pulse (PSP, Sony): 7 Jericho (PS3/Xbox 360, Codemasters): 5 Conan (PS3/Xbox 360, THQ): 7 Juiced 2 (PS3/Xbox 360, THQ): 6 Monster Hunters Freedom 2 (PSP, Capcom): 7 Pursuit Force Extreme Justice (PSP, Sony): 6 Ace Combat 6 (Xbox 360, Bandai Namco): 8 Dewy's Adventure (Wii, Konami): 6 MySims (Wii, EA): 6 Freshly Picked: Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland (NDS, Nintendo): 6

New SF2TX HD shots

No Multiplayer for NG2, due spring 2008

Special exclusive insite on NG2

All we know about NINJA GAIDEN 2 ...

Ryu Hayabusa is on a mission to avenge his clan and prevent the destruction of the human race.

Ninja Gaiden 2 features adventures with an extensive assortment of ninja weaponry.

All-new combat system that requires skill and mastery of your full arsenal of weapons, including Obliteration Techniques allowing you to quickly and stylishly finish off an opponent. In addition to a variety of brutal new primary weapons and enhanced versions of previous favourites.

Ninja Gaiden 2’s new auto-healing system similar to Halo 1's setup where a certain portion of your life will recharge if you can stay out of trouble for a few moments, featuring semi-permanent damage restored at save, multiple difficulty levels available from the start of the game.

In addition to the single-player campaign, you can upload Karma scores to Xbox LIVE® leaderboards and participate in an all-new Master Ninja Tournament.

Some stage/level details in NG2:

Tokyo city

Dragon Temple

Lightning necropolis is a large burial place (nekropolis "city of the dead"). Apart from the occasional application of the word to modern cemeteries outside large towns, the term is chiefly used of burial grounds, often an abandoned city or town, near the sites of the centers of ancient civilizations.

New York

Lifeblood shrine – underworld

Niflheim (the "abode of mist" or "Mist World") According to Gylfaginning, it was the realm of cold, one of the two primordial realms. The two realms of cold and heat is where creation was believed to have began. Niflhiem Later became the abode of those who did not die a heroic death.

Northern Purgatory – European chapel

Aqua capital – Italy Venice

The order and total number of stages is still not known.

Clue of a new weapon spotted in the footage as Ryo is switching weapon to twin swords, an icon can be seen which looks like: B?t?ns!

A HAK

XCM XFPS 360 Sniper Edition

This is their latest revised build of their product which allows keyboard and mouse use on the Xbox 360 which is ideal for first person shooters as well as allowing the use of Playstation controllers on the system. XCMLive.com

gt5 vs forza 2 complete post " you decide"

Side by side graphics comparison of the recently released demo of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue on PS3 and the full game Forza Motorsport 2 that was released a while back on Xbox 360. Images were taken with the same TV, same camera, same settings, same track, same color car, same positioning on track, same room lighting. The comparison is simple, GT5 is on the left while Forza 2 is on the right side. Which looks better in your opinion?

see posting below

GT5 VS FORZA MO

http://gameplanets.blogspot.com/2007/10/gt5-vs-forza-2-graphics-comparison.html

Free HD-DVD Movie Offer Extended to UK

You've heard about the free HD-DVD movie that has been running in the United States, well that same offer has now been extended to the United Kingdom. Here's the official press release:Microsoft today announces a major promotion with Hollywood’s leading film studios that will offer five blockbuster movie HD-DVDs completely free when you buy the Xbox 360 HD-DVD player at an ERP* of £114.99.From now until the 31st January 2008, anyone who purchases the state-of-the-art HD-DVD player for their Xbox 360 will be able to choose from 13 major film titles from studios including Warner Brothers, Universal, Dreamworks and Paramount. To receive their movies, customers simply send in a form, along with the barcode of their new HD-DVD player and Microsoft will ensure they are sent their HD-DVDs within 28 working days.Commenting on the deal, Stephen McGill, Head of Gaming and Entertainment for Microsoft UK said: “The HD-DVD player for Xbox 360 gives customers a high quality and affordable way to enjoy state-of-the-art HD-DVD movies. We’re delighted to enable everyone to enjoy the technology to the full and offer some fantastic movie releases, completely free.”The titles on offer are: Serenity, The Chronicles of Riddick, Hulk, Children of Men, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Troy, Full Metal Jacket, Corpse Bride, The Prestige, Swordfish, Black Rain, Dreamgirls, Word Trade Centre.

Big Surprise: Halo 3 Leads September Game Sales

Market research firm NPD Group, a provider of video games sales date in North America, released today its Top 20 Video Game Titles report for the month of September, 2007. As expected, Halo 3 was the top-selling game of the month.
Halo 3*
Play W/ Remote
Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Madden NFL 08
Skate
Madden NFL 08
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Bioshock
Brain Age 2: More Training In Minutes A Day
Heavenly Sword
Medal Of Honor: Airborne
Stranglehold**
Mario Party 8
Guitar Hero 2 W/Guitar
Carnival Games
My Sims
Pokemon Diamond Version
My Sims
NBA 2k8
High School Musical: Makin The Cut

MAJOR NELSON

· NPD reported that in the US, Xbox 360 was the #1 console for the month; outselling PS3 5:1
o Xbox 360 sales built upon its growth from last month, showing a 50 percent increase for the month of September selling an average of 105,600 consoles per week. Total sales were more than 528,000 Xbox 360 consoles sold, compared to 501,000 for Wii and 119,000 for PS3.
o PS3 sales posted an average weekly decline of 27 percent.

· Xbox 360 software revenue at retail outsold PS3’s software portfolio 8:1 and Wii’s 4:1, selling 3 times more than both platforms combined.
o For the month of September according to NPD, Xbox 360 software represented 74 percent of total software sales for the next generation market compared to 17 percent for Wii and 9 percent for PS3. Even without the sales of “Halo 3” the Xbox 360 portfolio outsold the PS3 portfolio 2:1.

· Additionally, Xbox 360 is home to the best-selling games with the top-rated next-generation titles. According to the world-wide authority in entertainment reviews, Metacritic, Xbox 360 has 80 titles with a Metacritic review score of 80 or higher compared to just 31 for PS3 and 11 for Wii.
o Newly released title “The Orange Box” (Valve) and the highly anticipated title “Mass Effect” (Microsoft Game Studios) have both generated rankings of 97 and higher according to Metacritic. And not to forget “BioShock” (2KGames) which remains one of the year’s highest rated games.

In spite of the unprecedented success of “Halo 3,” Xbox 360 continued to drive third-party games sales across all platforms. PS3 and Wii had ZERO third party titles in the top ten console title list for the month, while Xbox 360 weighed in with 3. Since November, third party partners have seen their titles hit the top ten 27 times for Xbox 360, compared to 2 for PS3 and 1 for Wii.

Everyone knew “Halo 3” would be big -and it didn’t disappoint- but it wasn’t the only good news for the industry. For the month of September, according to the NPD Group data, Xbox 360 held six spots in the Top Ten Console Games. Led by initial sales of “Halo 3” Xbox 360 software is flying off the shelves. Below is a breakout of title sales from the September NPD data:
· In its first two weeks, the three editions of “Halo 3” placed #1, 2 and 3 overall for console title sales - for a total of more than $225 million in sales in the U.S. with 3.3 million units. Average unit prices were $69 per game. The $130 “Halo 3: Legendary Edition” alone sold twice as many units as the top title for PS3 “Heavenly Sword” (SCE); the helmet is mightier than the sword.
· Proving that Xbox 360 is the new home for sports gamers, “Madden NFL ‘08” (EA) on Xbox 360 was again the leading next gen platform with 173,000 units sold, compared to the PS3 at 62,000 and Wii at 58,000. To date, “Madden NFL ‘08” has sold 1.1 million units on Xbox 360, 87 percent more than other next-gen platforms combined.
· Xbox 360 exclusive "BioShock" has sold 641,000 units through the end of September and remains to be on track to sell more than 1 million units. While “Halo 3” and “Madden NFL ‘08” have led the way as the first of a string of titles that are expected to sell more than 1 million units between now and the end of the year.
o As we announced earlier this month Xbox 360 has an unprecedented lineup of titles expected to sell at least a million units worldwide, including new and upcoming releases such as “Call of Duty 4®: Modern Warfare™" (Activision), "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock" (RedOctane/Activision), "Mass Effect" (Microsoft Game Studios)
· Rounding out the top titles for Xbox 360, “Skate” (EA) came in at #6. The Xbox 360 version of the innovative titles outsold the PS3 version 6:1.

Gamers buy gaming consoles to play games, and Xbox 360 has the best lineup on the market. This, paired with the newly priced points of $349.99 (U.S.) for Xbox 360 and $449.99 (U.S.) for Xbox 360 Elite which includes the addition of two games with every console “Forza Motorsport 2” (Microsoft Game Studios) and “Marvel Ultimate Alliance” (Activision) for a retail savings of more than $100, provides gamers with an unmatched interactive entertainment experience.

http://www.majornelson.com/ more here. very good site, put on your favs brilliant podcast every sunday, major nelson is in charge of xboxlive gets updated daily a must for 360 owners..

Face/Off HD DVD release will be a 2 Disc release

We can now confirm extras on the upcoming HD DVD release of "Face/Off." It arrived today for review and it will be a 2 disc release.Rumors sparked that the HD DVD release would contain less extras than the DVD (and Blu-ray which was announced but later canceled when the studio dropped support.) However, all extras are here including "The Light and Dark: Making off" and "John Woo: A Life in Pictures."All extras will be in HD.Check below for more details and expect a review very soon.

http://www.dvdtown.com/

XBOX 360 sells almost 5 times more than Playstation 3

September proved strong for the Nintendo Wii and the XBOX 360, leaving the Playstation 3 gaming console in the dust.The numbers for September:XBOX 360, 527,800Nintendo Wii, 501,000Nintendo DS, 495,800PlayStation Portable, 284,500 PlayStation 2, 215,000PlayStation 3, 119,400Game Boy Advance, 75,000The big reason for the raise in XBOX 360 sales is mainly attributed to the release of Halo 3, which is released exclusively on the XBOX 360 console. Analysts believe that it will keep the XBOX 360 strong through the holiday season.Still, these must be very disappointing numbers for Sony. The company has a goal of selling 11 million units world-wide before March 2008, which will be hard to meet. In July they said they had sold 4.5 million world-wide, with only 1.7 of them in the U.S. In early July they lowered the price trying to boost sales, which helped but only for a few months it seems, according to the new numbers. Yesterday they did it again, cutting prices with $100 and introducing a new entry model priced at $399 hoping to turn the ship around.If they will succeed we don't know. No doubt this holiday season will be watched with great anticipation by a lot of companies. It could be the make it or break it season for a lot of them.

360 outsells wii

http://www.n4g.com/industrynews/News-75674.aspx

Assassin's Creed walkthrough

http://www.gametrailers.com/game/2581.html

Lots of new footage

street fighter 4 trailer

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/26535.html

GRAW 2 Co-Op Collection

Five new missions and nine new maps are coming to Xbox Marketplace. First details and full Achievements list.

- A few fairly major shooters shipped in the past few weeks and, frankly, Ubisoft is sick of everyone going ga-ga over Halo 3 and Orange Box. GRAW 2 has been lost in the busy FPS season (and Game of the Year conversation). Ubisoft hopes to change that, by getting gamers to pop GRAW 2 back into their 360s. To do this, Ubisoft is releasing the GRAW 2 Co-Op Collection in late October or early November.The Co-Op Collection offers five brand new campaign missions that continue the story from GRAW 2. There are also nine adversarial maps for online play. Seven of these maps are remakes of GRAW classics, while two are brand-spankin' new. And for those Achievement whores out there, the Co-Op Collection offers nine new Achievements totally 125 Gamerpoints.

Xbox 360 Gets Exclusive Guitar Hero III Tracks

Guitar Hero is truly a phenomenon. Now they are including Xbox Live freebies on music soundtracks. I thought I’ve seen everything until now. Here’s the full release:
MORE THAN A VIDEOGAME SOUNDTRACK - GUITAR HERO® III: LEGENDS OF ROCK COMPANION PACK BREAKS THROUGH WITH PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED SONGS EXCLUSIVE TO XBOX 360SANTA MONICA, CA - October 16, 2007 - Music and videogames take the next step in the digital revolution with expansion songs included with a game’s soundtrack CD for the first time. Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock Companion Pack (Interscope Records), to be released on October 23, 2007, features not only the key songs on Activision’s Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock, available October 28, 2007, but also exclusive access to more gameplay with three previously unreleased expansion songs to play with Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock for Xbox 360.
Included in each Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Companion Pack is a unique code users may input at www.interscope.com/guitarherocode to receive a unique Xbox Live code. Users may then input the Xbox Live code into their Xbox 360 console when logged into Xbox Live, to download the expansion songs. Xbox Live codes are expected to be available when Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock launches on October 28.
The three expansion tracks are “Carcinogen Crush” from AFI (from an EP due in December), “Tina” from Flyleaf and a remix of Marilyn Manson’s “Putting Holes In Happiness” by Nick Zinner from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The latter two recordings also are heard on the soundtrack CD, along with AFI’s “Miss Murder,” Sonic Youth’s “Kool Thing,” Queens Of The Stone Age’s “3’s And 7’s,” Smashing Pumpkins’ “Cherub Rock,” Velvet Revolver’s “Slither,” Living Colour’s “Cult Of Personality,” Rise Against’s “Prayer Of The Refugee,” the Guitar Hero rendition of “Devil Went Down To Georgia” by Steve Ouimette and the game’s intro by Slash, who is also a character in the game.Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will include explosive new content and features including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues. Expanded online multiplayer game modes will also allow axe-shredders worldwide to compete head-to-head for true legendary rock status. While continuing to retain all the key features from their prior legendary performances, fresh downloadable content will be offered on multiple platforms, and players can now shred to a killer set list from many of the most popular rock songs ever recorded.
For the first time ever, Guitar Hero fans will also be able to thrash and burn with new wireless guitar controllers available for each platform, including exclusive Gibson Guitar’s Les Paul model for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii(tm) home video game system from Nintendo, and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. PlayStation®2 gamers will also get to shred on a new exclusive shape, Gibson’s Kramer guitar, popularized by hard rockers and known for its body design, pickups, electronics and construction for furious finger fretting.

Tekken 6 On Xbox 360 Is Highly Probable

Tekken 6 will be hitting the Playstation 3 in 2008. Tekken has always been a Playstation only series since day one. Even the first Tekken was developed on the PS1 arcade board. Namco followed suit with every game in the series including 6, which is being developed on PS3 arcade hardware. Another series that was Playstation only was the Ace Combat series. Ace Combat 6 is now a 360 exclusive. Does Namco have reason to bring Tekken 6 to the 360? Read on for the facts.
We’ve already seen proof that it’s easy to port any game over to the 360. AM2 did just that with Virtua Fighter 5 which is graphically identical to it’s PS3 cousin. So porting Tekken 6 over wouldn’t be a difficult task. It’s all a matter of whether or not putting Tekken 6 on the 360 makes sense financially.
Halo 3 sales opened the eyes of a lot of game publishers. You can’t deny that they want a piece of the Halo pie. The 360 attach rate is higher in Japan than it is for the PS3. It’s 3.6 games per system on the 360 versus 1.7 games per system on the PS3. With an attach rate so high it’s almost a no brainer to greenlight games on the 360. It’s why Ridge Racer, Beautiful Katamari and Ace Combat 6 are already on the 360.
The next thing it comes down to is whether or not 3D fighting games are still good sellers. Well we know they sell in the US, but in Japan it’s quite different. To everyone’s surprise, Virtua Fighter 5 moved only 82,000 copies total in Japan. That’s pretty sad considering Virtua Fighter 2 broke 1 million+ and the acclaimed worst game in the series, Virtua Fighter 3TB moved 365,000 copies. Attach rate is a big deciding factor. It’s probably what made Sega put Virtua Fighter 5 on the 360 in the first place.
Japanese publishers are highly interested in the western market these days. In order to sell their IP’s to a worldwide market, they must be more open to system diversity. You cannot ignore a combined 360/PS3 userbase of 18 million. The possibility of Tekken 6 coming out on the 360 is very high given the current state of gaming. We won’t know for sure until next year so for now, enjoy Katamari and AC6.

Paramount will release 30+ HD DVDs next year

On October 9, the DVD Forum held a DVD Conference in Universal City, Calif. Here, Paramount commented on its HD DVD support so far.With only four exclusive HD DVDs for the rest of 2007, the studio promised to bump things up next year. According to a representative, 30 titles exclusive for HD DVD from Paramount and DreamWorks are already planned for 2008.They went HD DVD only this August.

Transformers review

http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/1110/transformers.html

Will the 360 beat the wii we find out on 18oct!

Vgchartz reports that the Xbox 360 has lead the next-generation consoles in sales for the month of September. They attribute much of the gain to the release of Halo 3. On October 18, 2007 at approximately 6:00 pm EST, NPD will release its data for the USA and Canada videogame markets - barring delay. The figures in the report will cover ‘September' which is a five week period running from September 2 to October 6. The previous month was only four weeks. For the purposes of comparison, data from NPD and Vgchartz has been assembled below. Over the five week September period, Vgchartz reported the following figures. Platform....8-Sep....15-Sep....22-Sep....29-Sep.....6-Oct....Totals DS........109,710...111,962...120,520...143,137...135,581...620,910 Xbox 360...75,690....88,658...103,530...122,834...129,986...520,698 Wii.......116,659....93,455....92,504....98,173....95,800...496,591 PSP........47,409....69,113....77,144....88,586....91,966...374,218 PS2........56,726....54,979....57,015....61,409....60,804...290,933 PS3........51,714....30,158....27,122....29,618....29,781...168,393 GBA........17,729....17,497....19,071....21,269....21,579....97,145

Film Execs Blame Halo 3 for Poor Movie Ticket Sales

Movie ticket sales for October are already being recorded as some of the lowest in recent years. And who’s to blame according to the film industry? Why, Master Chief of course. Several film executives and researchers are convinced that many movie-goers stayed home playing the game instead of venturing out to the theater.
“The audience on this game is the 18-to-34 demographic, similar to what you’d see in cinemas,” said Mike Hickey, an analyst at Janco Partners, a Denver research firm, adding that “this could last for several weeks.”
As their prime example, they cite the newest Ben Stiller comedy, The Heartbreak Kid, which cost $60 million and only collected $14 million on its opening weekend. What they don’t mention though is how that same weekend another film, The Game Plan, starring The Rock, collected $2 million more than Heartbreak Kid, even though it had been out for a week. Mark Weinstock, marketing chief at Screen Gems, who released the newest Resident Evil movie, has noted that mediocre reviews and an R rating could have hurt the movie’s sales just as much as Halo.
Honestly, this whole thing isn’t all that surprising to me. Every weekend, me and my friends look at what’s out in theaters to see if there’s anything that worth paying $8 to see. For the past month, the answer has been a resounding, “No,” and then we usually rent an old movie or, yep, play video games. My point is, if people actually want to go to the theater, but can’t find anything worth seeing, I wouldn’t completely fault a video game for poor ticket sales. Let this be a lesson to you, film execs: don’t give Ben Stiller $60 million to make a movie. Just don’t do it.

Perfect Dark 2 - Xbox 360’s Next Humungous Killer App

Microsoft’s in a bit of tangy soup at the moment, with so many mergers, acquisitions and transfers taking place, it seems the industry seems to be poised on a much more global front, majority of developers being engulfed in bigger organizations which push for a multi platform development.
This year has been an absolute blast form Microsoft, its stellar line up of games has satiated almost every gamer’s fantasy, with regular intervals of AAA titles. Microsoft “may” end up very well being Sony of 2007, funny analogy but quite true, but where does this juggernaut do when the New Year dawns upon.
My sources tell me “Rare” will be back and ready to take the reigns from the Chief himself. The game is probably coming along considerably well and is a step up in the genre of first person shooters, cutting down on all the other festive string of words, Joanna dark is back in the “sequel” to the smash hit N64 game Perfect Dark.
Although most parts of the story are under wraps, I managed to get hold of a couple of hints to the game. Joanna’s character has got significant changes, she is darker than usual to give the player a feeling of a twisted edge and the entire game has tints of grey surrounding all the characters.
The world is now based on a morality system, choices are going to have a huge impact on the gameplay, giving players a variety branches in the storyline itself. (This was somewhat there in the previous games as well, but in those played out in terms of levels of difficulty).
The engine that is being used allows full interactivity with the environment, and there are probably going to be no cutscenes in the entire game, everything is going to be from the player’s perspective.
Half-life is the only game so far that can pull off such a trick and allow a pure sense of seamlessness in the entire game. The AI responds to emotions of fear and aggression of the player and its teammates.
An official announcement is due sometime during the latter part of next year. Gamasutra had a little chat with a couple of its key members and this is what they had to say about their next project:
“Hopefully our next game will be out…We’ll be able to talk about something next year, we hope Hopefully you’ll see something from us before next Christmas.”
At this point of time this is still a “big rumor” floating around so wait for the official announcement guys. It’s definitely going to be big as Halo with Microsoft pumping it all up, and will probably test Rare’s true potential with the next generation of games.

Elite sells through in japan

Are things beginning to turn around for Microsoft? Maybe, just maybe: Last Friday, the Xbox 360 Elite went on sale in Japan. By the end of the day, the black HDMI console with a 120GB HD sold out at several major Akihabara retailers. AsoBitCity, Gamers, Messe Sanoh and Sofmap sold through all their Elites on launch day. When the Xbox 360 originally went on sale in Japan, it bombed. No, it worse than bombed. The 360 launch was a miserable failure, and Microsoft has been playing catch-up ever since. These Elite sell outs do come as a surprise.

Xbox 360 & PS3 Have Assassin's Creed Problems

Xbox 360 & PS3 Have Assassin's Creed Problems
by Matt Gibbs


The creative director of Assassin's Creed has told Pro-G that they are struggling to make the game as good on the Playstation 3 as it is on the Xbox 360 due to memory problems. However the 360 version is not without its own issues either - they are also struggling to fit everything on to the Xbox 360 DVD format as opposed to the Blu-ray of the PS3.

"Both have their own challenges. Right now we have a big challenge on the 360 to make it fit on a DVD, to put five languages, to put all the data on eight gigs. On the Blu-ray side we're really good, but then the memory is quite different. How we handle memory is really different between the two machines and we're struggling right now on the PS3. But we have people who are really dedicated and we're having help from Microsoft on one side and Sony on the other side to have the same quality on both systems. It really depends on the week basically as to who's best."

However Ubisoft have assured everyone that there will be "the same quality on both systems" as they have gotten people in from both the Sony and Microsoft camps to sort out the issues.

BioWare: No plans to pursue Mass Effect on PS3

BioWare has said it currently has no plans to bring Mass Effect to PS3 in the wake of news hitting on EA snapping up the developer.

"Our focus is pure and simple; it's to deliver the best game possible for our fans with Mass Effect, and that's an Xbox 360 exclusive. Microsoft's a great partner... and they've really helped build the value of the product and we're proud to work with them", BioWare's Ray Muzyka said

Half-Life 2: Orange Box (Xbox 360 review 9.6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was hardly a gamer's natural habitat: a fluorescent-lit conference room filled with HDTVs and Xbox 360s manned by gaming journalists in office chairs adjusted to max recline. We were summoned to publisher Electronic Arts' northern-Cali offices to review The Orange Box, developer Valve's chest of treasured titles: 16-player shooter Team Fortress 2, warped first-person puzzler Portal, and Half-Life 2, along with minisequels Episodes One and Two. Valve, burned before by game-code leaks, refused to send the press copies so we could review it in the comfort of our own hi-def bunkers.

But while sequestering ourselves at EA was a pain, it drove home one point: The Orange Box is the greatest quantity of quality gaming ever. At any given moment during my multi-day review process, I could look around and see a few players skirmishing in Team Fortress 2, the most well-balanced, deepest team-based shooter on the consoles. Across the room, I'd see another reviewer contorting his spatial-reasoning skills through the mental gymnastics of Portal, a revolutionary and hilarious puzzle game that delivers an "aha!" rush every time you use your dimensional-doorway gun properly (it's this year's smartest weapon). I'd see someone else reliving the fantastic -- and now graphically up-to-date -- Half-Life 2, which has for too long remained a hot property with the PC crowd only. Elsewhere, a reviewer would be caught in a firefight in Episode One's claustrophobia-inducing environments. All the while, I was having the most fun with Episode 2, which rolls out showstopping encounter after encounter and culminates with a final battle that requires serious multitasking of gameplay skills, from simple marksmanship to pedal-to-the-metal muscle-car driving.

Looking around, it was hard to believe all this stuff was included in one box. And although PC players may crow that their version of The Orange Box experience is superior because of their mouse-keyboard controls and ability to purchase contents à la carte from Steam, console gamers have nothing to fear: Despite the minor hassle of using the D-pad to switch through multiple tiers of weapons, the games control fine with the joypad. And, seriously, even at $60, Orange Box is value-priced to the point of philanthropy. Click the links below to read our individual reviews of all the games in this, the greatest gaming compilation ever.

Virtua Fighter 5 demo is up on Xbox Live

The demo features Akira, Sarah, El Blaze, and Eileen and three different stages.

New Assassin's Creed footage

Sony will release a new 40GB PS3 for 299 at 11/10

Halo 3 Matchmaking update

Bungie has announced that Halo 3's matchmaking feature has received a surprise updated today which is in effect right now. Check out all the details at bungie.net

PGR4 Demo is up on live, here is the video review

Stunning COD4 pixs