Friday, 7 December 2007
Check Out Forza 2's Upcoming Content in Action
We have all been in the dark about the contents of the downloadable content that Turn 10 will be releasing on the world tomorrow. He make things a little clearer (and to get people excited) they have put out a video of the speedy cars and the track that will be included. The new track is Road America and the December Car Pack includes 11 new cars that you can drive on it (along with the other 300+ cars):
- 1971 Pontiac Firebird
- 1981 Renault 5 Turbo
- 1984 Audi Sport Quattro
- 1986 BMW E30
- 1997 Porsche 911 GT1 Street
- 2005 Ferrari FXX
- 2006 Ferrarri 599GTB Fiorano
- 2007 Audi R8
- 2007 Koenigsegg CCGT
- 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera
New Rainbow Six Vegas 2 Details Emerge
In an article on Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Official Xbox Magaizine revealed some information on the sequel to the hIt Rainbow Six Vegas. Some details announced for the game include:
Single player
- 11 new weapons
- Enhanced enemy AI
- Female character available
- Greater character customization
- Real-time cutscenes
- Part sequel and part prequel
- Improved framerate
Multiplayer
- 11 new maps
- 2 new modes
- "Search" function that makes it easier to get into matches
- Matches can be joined after they have started
The story being both a prequel and a sequel sounds pretty interesting. Maybe we will see 60 frames per second like in COD4 and be able to use the vision camera to add our faces to the single player characters (or at least make the facial mapping better for multiplayer). On the multiplayer side, being able to get into matches easier with the "Search" function and getting in after games have started will make a lot of R6V fans happy. New maps and weapons are always welcome too. Look for the new and improved Rainbow Six Vegas 2 to be released around March 2008.
What Gears of War 2 Needs
With Halo 3 being out on shelves for a couple of months now, its only natural for 360 gamers to look towards Microsoft's other giant IP and get excited. Although Gears of War 2 hasn't been officially confirmed, saying there will not be a sequel to the game that sold over 5 million units worldwide is like saying the sun will no rise tomorrow. Although the first game was amazing, there are some additions that we hope make it into the sequel:
- An improved matchmaking system. Something that hopefully will resemble something like Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3. The Gears of War multiplayer was a great experience, but it was let down by the matchmaking system that made it difficult to get into games at times and allowed for teams to be stacked (leading to some horribly one sided games). A good party system would allow for play with your friends without it being so unfair in a game like Gears of War.
- Curb quitting in multiplayer matches. Although it has always been an issue, if anyone has played an online match recently then you will know it is a full blown problem. Quitting ruins the experience for everyone and makes the game you've waited so long to get into worthless. I think a strong matchmaking system would do wonders to suppress this problem, but I also think harsher penalties need to be imposed on quitters (losing an experience point in halo 3 is a pretty good punishment).
- Implement media recording and sharing. Recording videos and screenshots of our in-game accomplishments is the future of gaming. I know Halo 3 brought this to the table (and there is some crazy stuff you can do), but I think that the visceral giblet splattering action of Gears of War suits a video sharing utility perfectly. I wish I could record some of the long-distance boomshot kills or some of the head pops I got in that game.
- Allow for user created content. Epic is currently trying to pave the way for user created content on the 360 with Unreal Tournament III. It will be interesting to see how much success they have against Microsoft's stringent certification process. This user created content could spawn millions of new map designs and dramatically increase the online replayability of the online component.
- Four player co-op over Xbox Live. Gears of War had two player co-op, I think Gears of War 2 can squeeze another two players into the mix. I think the more the better rings true here and the campaign could be a lot more fun with four players over two.
- New multiplayer game modes. Although I loved Warzone and Annex, Gears of War did not have the game mode variety that we expected with a game from Epic. Four total game modes will not cut it for Gears of War 2. They can keep the current game modes (although Assassination was the weakest of them) but additions such as capture the flag or some variations on attack and defend would be nice (with respawns). It would be very interesting if some of these games modes allowed for more than eight people. I think that some bigger maps could handle ten or sixteen players if the right game mode was used.
- A longer single player campaign. The short campaign was one of the few complaints that reviewers had about the first game. I am actually a big fan of short and sweet single player components, but I certainly wouldn't complain if I could spend a few more hours with Marcus Fenix by myself (or with three friends). This is one of those things where I would rather take the shorter campaign over dragging the story and gameplay out to long and ultimately hurting the game. I don't think Epic has to worry to much about this seen as they managed to break up the Gears of War campaign into fun and easily consumed pockets of action.
- Fix the glitches. Some people like glitches in their multiplayer content (I even have a feeling that glitches were purposely put into the game, fixed, and then added again as a variations to that glitch) but I certainly do not. It cheapens the experience for everyone and a game loses some of its legitimacy when there are glitches that deeply affect the gameplay. From the sliding weapon pick-ups to the chainsaw glitch, I was annoyed throughout my multiplayer experience by cheaters. Even when patches were released to fix these glitches, gamers would find new ways to do the glitch or find new ones. I know every game has a few glitches, but Gears of War seemed to have an excessive amount. Epic just needs to tighten up the code a little for a stronger multiplayer experience in the sequel.
To be honest, I don't want that much to change from the first game. The pacing was brilliant, the controls were great (although it took them awhile to amend the roadie run), and the game was incredibly satisfying (not to mention the tinkle inducing graphics). I thought four vs. four was great for the game modes included and no respawns (except in Annex) gave a real weight to dying. I believe that Cliffy B. did a lot of confrontational things on purpose because he wanted to pay homage to the games he grew up with and liked. Most of those decision worked very well if not flawlessly, but just a few could have been tweaked to make a better game. I also think that certain aspects of GOW were rushed and that alterations of these few mistakes could make Gears of War 2 a further improvement on a stellar game.
Burnout Paradise Demo Dated
Following last month's announcement of the game's release date and confirmation of a pre-release demo, Criterion Games now announced the date this demo will hit Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.
On December 13, 2007, EA will release a playable demo of the fifth installment in the Burnout series, giving players license to wreak havoc in Paradise City, the ultimate racing battleground, with a massive infrastructure of traffic-heavy roads to abuse.
Gone is the need to jump in and out of menus and aimlessly search for fun like many open world games; in Burnout 5, every inch of the world is built to deliver heart-stopping Burnout-style gameplay. Every intersection is a potential crash junction and every alleyway is an opportunity to rack up moving violations.
Midway Announces Stranglehold Downloadable Map Pack
Midway announced today a downloadable map pack for the acclaimed 3rd person action adventure title, Stranglehold, for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game systems. The map pack features 10 additional multiplayer maps ranging from the Kowloon Market to Wong's Estate Grounds to the Rooftops of Chicago, as well as 21 all-new multiplayer character skins.
The Xbox 360 version will include 10 new achievements worth 250 points. Rated "M" for mature by the ESRB, the Stranglehold downloadable map pack will be available soon in North America via the PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE.
Street fighter 4 first pic
CAPCOM® KICKS OFF THE NEXT GENERATION OF FIGHTING GAMES WITH STREET FIGHTERTM IV
The Next Round of the Definitive Fighting Game Experience Combines 3D Graphics with Classic Street Fighter Feel
Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today officially announced development of Street Fighter™ IV, the next iteration of the genre-establishing fighting game series. This marks the first new entry announced in nearly eight years, following the acclaimed Street Fighter III Third Strike.
In its amazing twenty year history, Street Fighter has revolutionized the fighting genre and created a global legacy like no other. Few details have been released on the new game, outside of a heart-pounding preview trailer that set the gaming community on fire when it was released in October on the official website, StreetFighterWorld.com.
Capcom is proud to announce the return of four classic “World Warriors” in Street Fighter IV: returning favorites Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, and Dhalsim. The characters and environments are rendered in stylized 3D computer graphics (CG), while the game is played in the classic Street Fighter 2D perspective with additional 3D camera flourishes. The traditional six-button controls for the game will return, with a host of new special moves and features integrated into the input system. Mixing tried-and-true classic moves and techniques with all-new, never-before-seen gameplay systems, Street Fighter 4 brings a brand new fighting game to fans the world over.
Everything that made the legendary Street Fighter II a hit in arcades, living rooms and dormitories all over the world has been brought to bear here, with even more surprises. With the inclusion of Capcom's latest advancements in new generation technology, Street Fighter IV promises to deliver an extraordinary experience that will re-introduce the world to the time-honored art of virtual martial arts.
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
Monday, 26 November 2007
Deus Ex 3 Announced
Eidos unveiled today its new Montreal studio and confirmed that the new high-tech studio is working on Deux Ex 3. It has been already revealed that neither Warren Spector nor Harvey Smith, who were the main creative directors behind the first two games, are attached to the project. Deus Ex was created by Warren Spector and named "Game of the Year" by over 35 game enthusiast magazines. The Deus Ex universe boasts a chaotic blend of real world conspiracies, cliffhangers and plot twists that can only be accomplished with great technological achievements. Deus Ex 3 will be a sequel to both Deus Ex and Deus Ex: Invisible War, which took place approximately 20 years after the events depicted in the first game.
STALKER on 360 imminent?
Speculation grew this weekend that PC shooter STALKER is coming to Xbox 360, after its Ukrainian developer GSC Game World revealed it's become a certified Xbox developer.STALKER PC publisher THQ gave us a swift "no comment" when we picked up the phone, though we saw that coming a mile off.The official announcement can be found over on GSC's website, but one sentence from the Russian press release was left out of the English announcement, as spotted by eagle-eyed NeoGAF forum users.
"Our second aim is to increase X360 install base and legal software sales in ex-USSR region. Creation of high quality, interesting, comprehensible for our players titles and acceptable cost of games is the key to this task," says the Russian release, via our mate Google translate.We can only support the cause of introducing more Russians to Xbox Live, if only to make online games of Call of Duty even more authentic.As for STALKER 360, apparently GSC is already working on a handful of unannounced console titles, so it'd be a pretty safe assumption that at least one of them will take place near Chernobyl.We'll let you know when GSC's inevitable Russian press release answering all arrives.
Courtesy of CVG
Saturday, 24 November 2007
Friday, 23 November 2007
ONKYO TX SR805 £799.99 this is the best reference av amp i've ever seen at this price point!!
This things got a list of features accross the front flap like medals on an Soviet generals uniform !
ADVANCED FEATURES• THX Ultra2 Certified (with THX Processing)• DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus Decoding• HDMI (v. 1.3a) Audio and Video Processing• HDTV-Capable HDMI (3 Inputs and 1 Output) and Component Video (100 MHz) Switching (3 Inputs and 1 Output)• HDMI and Component Video Upconversion• 192 kHz/24-Bit Burr Brown DACs for All Channels• Three TI 32-Bit DSP Chips for Advanced Processing• Bi-Amping Capability for Music and Movie Sound Effects• Audyssey MultEQ XT to Correct Room Acoustic Problems and to Calibrate Speakers• Powered Zone 2 and Zone 2/Zone 3 Pre Outs with Volume, Balance and Bass/Treble (Zone 2 Only) Controls• Neural-THX Surround Technology for Gaming, Movies and Broadcasting• Onkyo RIHD for System Control• Compatible with RI (Remote Interactive) Dock for the iPod
AUDIO FEATURES• 180 W/Ch Minimum into 6Ω, 1 kHz, IEC (1 Channel Driven)• DTS®-ES™ Discrete/Matrix, DTS®Neo:6, DTS® 96/24,Dolby® Digital EX™, Dolby® Pro Logic IIx• H.C.P.S. (High Current Power Supply) Massive High Power Transformer• WRAT (Wide Range Amplifier Technology)• 6 Digital Inputs (3 Optical/3 Coaxial) and 1 Optical Output• A-Form Listening Mode Memory• Linear Optimum Gain Volume Circuitry• Non-Scaling Configuration• Tone Control (Bass/Treble) for All Channels• Color-Coded 7.1-Multichannel Inputs and Pre Outs• Independent Crossover Adjustment for F/C/S/SB (40/50/60/70/80/90/100/120/150/200 Hz)• Double Bass Function
VIDEO FEATURES• 6 S-Video Inputs and 2 Outputs• 6 Composite Video Inputs and 2 Outputs• Front Panel Auxiliary Input (for Camcorders, Game Consoles, etc.)
OTHER FEATURES• Color-Coded Dual Banana Plug-Compatible Speaker Posts• Deinterlacer with Faroudja DCDi Edge(tm) (Directional Correlational Deinterlacing) Technology• Pure Audio Mode• A/V Synchronization Function (Up to 250 ms in 5 ms Steps)• 40 FM/AM Radio Presets• RDS (PS/RT/PTY/TP)• Onscreen Display• RS232 Port• IR Input and Output• 12V Trigger• 6 A/V Inputs and 1 Output• 2 Audio Inputs and 1 Output• Phono Input• Direct Mode• IntelliVolume• Late Night Mode (High/Low/Off)• Headphone Jack• Aluminum Front Panel• Preprogrammed RI (Remote Interactive) Learning Remote
Codemasters guns for £100m
Dave Roberts Today, 10:01am
Revenue barrier predicted to be smashed as Britsoft firm aims to become the fastest growing games company in the world
Codemasters will smash through the £100m revenue barrier this year and rubber stamp its position as the fastest growing video games company in the world, according to CEO Rod Cousens.The British publisher this week posted its FY ‘07 results (ending June 20th) which showed sales up 38 per cent to £71.5m and profit up five-fold from £1.1m to £5.6m. But Cousens is adamant that FY ‘08 will put even this performance in the shade
'Mass Effect' gets mass-ively addictive
Rated: 9/10When I first heard about Mass Effect, I have to admit that I wasn't really that excited. Another space epic from BioWare? You can customise your player, just like in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic?
Okay, and what's so special about that?
After playing for a number of hours, the answer is that everything is special. While Mass Effect is similar in many ways to Knights of the Old Republic, there are vast improvements to that template that add up tremendously. You can't just pick up the game and expect to love it in 15 minutes, but it definitely won't take long.
Without getting too bogged down in the plot, the basic premise is that nearly 200 years in the future humanity has discovered alien technology that's introduced them to a galaxy full of life. There is peace among the different races, but overall humanity is new to the mix and treated like untrustworthy house guests.
Starting the game you'll first get to pick who you want to be. While the only choice is to be human, you can fully customize the look of your character, their background, and then choose a class for them, including Soldier, Engineer, Adept, Infiltrator, Sentinel and Vanguard. Each class defines what you can do in battle, and how you fight or protect yourself.
These classes mix abilities that are either biotic or tech in nature, with biotic abilities mimicking what you might call magic, or Force powers in the Star Wars realm, while tech abilities focus on breaking, enhancing, or fixing technology.
As an example, I chose the Sentinel class for the strong combination of biotic and tech abilities, but this came at a cost of weaker combat skills. My character can't wear heavy armour, and he's focused on wielding a handgun or shotgun.
No matter what look or class you choose, you'll be known as Commander Shepard (you get to pick the first name though), a solider who is sent to investigate alien technology on a human colony and stumbles into something much, much bigger.
Early in the game Commander Shepard manages to become an elite agent, known as a Spectre, and is sent after the human-hating alien known as Saren by the council of governing species. While they doesn't believe Saren could be a threat, you quickly see that he has partnered with violent creatures known as the Geth, and is plotting a threat that could destroy the entire universe.
As you play, and unravel the plot and storylines, you'll be presented with choices that will define how the story unfolds. There is no truly evil path here, but the shades of white and grey mingle a bit as you try to stop Saren.
What's interesting about Mass Effect is how all of these elements add up. In some games you might have dozens of great things that just don't mean anything overall, but Mass Effect has been designed to the point of perfection. This means that there are indeed some minor flaws throughout the game, but when you consider all the positive aspects of gameplay, the negatives don't add up to much.
For example, Mass Effect has some small issues with graphics, where the frame rate drops, or stutters when there's a lot of action on-screen, but in the larger view of the game, I really can't say these had a big impact for me. They were a nuisance, but also easily ignorable.
What really stands out about Mass Effect is how quickly it turns from an intriguing game, to one I couldn't put down. The first hour was spent getting used to controls and movement, and then it was pure addictive bliss. Between the story, developing your character's abilities, and exploring the universe, I could have skipped the entire main quest and never looked back.
Finding a balance between exploring solar systems, and digging into the main quest was what actually made the title the most fun. Although there are times when you can have so many side quests it's hard not to get carried away, the main storyline is easily the most intriguing.
This review wouldn't be complete if I didn't make mention of all of the other amazing game elements. For one thing the music is phenomenal. At a recent event Casey Hudson, Project Director at BioWare, mentioned how they wanted to go for music reminiscent of sci-fi from the 70s and 80s, and I have to say it's a fantastic fit. Where a lot of games have gone for orchestral styles, Mass Effect is clearly rooted in electronic tones with otherworldly themes that fit perfectly.
Likewise, the voice work and lip-synching are top notch, which are a huge help in making the game feel poignant.
Finally, Mass Effect is also a cinematic gem to play. I've heard this comment from a lot of people, and it's perhaps the best reason that it works. While Halo 3 benefits from this same principal, Mass Effect has a much better story, and applies the principles of filmmaking to a truly immersive story.
The Xbox 360 has a lot of titles available for the holidays, but out of all of them I think Mass Effect is actually the best. Even against Halo 3 and it's very addictive online play I'd have to say this is the better title.
As just the first title in BioWare's planned trilogy of games, I'm also very excited to see where they can take us next.
Double blow for The Orange Box PS3
Valve can’t be arsed with it, EA seems to be making a pig’s ear of the port and, just to make matters worse, Xbox LIVE will be getting a demo in about half an hour. Because those seventeen people who haven’t already bought might need more persuasion than all those perfect review scores.
All in all, things are looking pretty grim for the PS3 version. 1UP’s recent preview is particularly cutting, revealing some staggering consistency problems in the game’s framerate, which apparently is only meant to be running at a pathetic 30fps anyway. The blame for this – possibly unfairly – is going to fall on EA’s shoulders. Valve palmed off the PS3 development to an internal EA team at an early stage so that it could concentrate on the more directly compatible 360 version.
The game is supposed to be landing in December, which leaves very little time to finish ironing out all the bugs before final release. I guess we’ve all learned that the PS3 just wasn’t made to support three year old PC gaming technology. Who’d have guessed? The only silver lining in this cloud is that Portal seems to be working fine, which is almost reason enough in itself to buy the 5-in-1 box pack. If Team Fortress 2 has also overcome the technical hurdles then you could probably live without experiencing all of Gordon Freeman’s mute antics and would still be getting some good value for money.
But recent multiplatform successes like Call of Duty 4 and Assassin’s Creed surely mean we shouldn’t have to put up with second rate Xbox 360 hand-me-downs any more. I’d advocate a boycott, but then I’ve bought The Orange Box on PC, meaning I’ve now paid for two copies of Half-Life 2, so I’m very much Valve’s bitch already.
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.
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.
Saturday, 17 November 2007
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
http://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p/software/uk/latest/index_test.jsp&ct=110032
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
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.
Wednesday, 14 November 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
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
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
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