An interview with Microsoft about the 360 price drop

By Neil Vaughan - 10 Mar 08

The Xbox Community Network have caught up with Chris Lewis, Regional Vice President, Xbox Europe to ask him some questions about the Xbox 360 price drop in Europe.
So we’ve heard the great news about the reduction in the estimated retail price (ERP) for the European Xbox 360. Why are you deciding to do this now?
From long before we even launched the Xbox 360 we had a very specific plan to hit a number of key milestones in Europe, and our portfolio of games and features now offers the kind of mainstream entertainment experiences that secure wider appeal for the Xbox 360. It’s great to see that we’ve achieved our goals and made it to that critical mass, making Xbox 360 a mass-market proposition. That’s why this is the perfect time to reduce our ERP.
We’ve also seen from history that €199/£159 – which is the new ERP for the Xbox 360 Arcade console - is the price point where a console’s audience really begins to take off, and with these new ERPs in place we’re ready to bring more customers into the Xbox 360 family. For example. PS2 sold 79% of their total installed base after dropping price to this level. It’s an exciting move for us and I’m sure lots of new people will now decide that the Xbox 360 experience is perfect for them!

Over the past few months we’ve seen really strong sales from PS3 and Wii – are you trying to catch up by selling Xbox 360s off cheap?
Not at all. Like I’ve already said, the new ERPs are part of our ongoing strategy to open up the ultimate in high-definition gaming and entertainment to an even wider audience, with an offering for everyone. This is about giving even more people the opportunity to try out Xbox 360.

Tell us more about the overall strategy that you refer to.
No problem. From the beginning we’ve had a very deliberate plan to secure core gamers first, and then expand the market. I think we’ve done a phenomenal job of securing the gamer, with record-setting game attach rates and great growth on Xbox LIVE. But I think Xbox 360 also offers something for everyone. We’ve got huge titles like GTAIV, BioShock, Halo 3, more casual titles like Scene IT? and Guitar Hero, and then there’s Xbox LIVE Arcade’s quick and fun downloadable games, or if you’re in the UK, Ireland, France or Germany a selection of films for the whole family from Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

You also recently reduced the estimated retail price of the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive. Are these two things connected? Should Xbox 360 owners be concerned about the future of their console?
Xbox 360 owners should not be worried at all – in fact, I think they should be more excited than ever about the future of their console! We’re committed to continuing to offer intense, immersive gaming experiences for gamers – but now we’re priced in a way that will allow new consumers to find out for themselves why we think Xbox 360 is the ultimate high-definition entertainment experience. This isn’t connected to any HD-DVD announcement whatsoever.

How do you think Xbox 360 is doing against the PS3 and the Wii?
I’ve said this before and I still truly believe that if someone offered me to trade places with any of our competitors I’d say no thanks. I won’t deny that competition is very high in this generation, but the race is far from over and we are confident we have a winning strategy. Our new ERP is just part of that plan.

So how many Xbox 360s do you think you will sell before the end of your financial year in June?
I’m afraid that we’re not announcing any guidance figures on Xbox 360 sales for a number of competitive and market reasons. But what I can tell you is that Microsoft recently announced the Entertainment and Devices Division reached profitability in the first half of the year driven by record-setting gains from Xbox 360 hardware and software sales. We’ve got a great story to tell about the success of the Xbox 360 – currently more than 17.7 million consoles have been sold, and Xbox LIVE continues to explode with more than 10 million members online to date. But I think the most interesting stat for me is that we have a record-breaking game attach rate of 7, so on average everyone who owns an Xbox 360 game also has 7 great games in their collection. That is the highest attach rate in this generation of gaming, and I think that says so much about the quality of our games, the quality of the overall experience, and the quality for the Xbox 360 community!

We’ve been hearing a lot about ‘broadening the audience’ and ‘opening up the market’. Do you think that’s a realistic goal for Xbox 360 and do you feel you’re making it happen?
Absolutely! We provide the largest next-generation collection of ‘3+’-rated games – there are more than 150 in all. We want to make sure that no matter who you are, what age you are, or where you’re from, Xbox 360 has the perfect selections of games for you. I definitely think we’re making that happen.

So what Xbox 360 games are you most looking forward to in 2008?
Oh wow, there are so many! It’s so exciting to be able to run through the massive games we’ve got coming, especially the next versions of great franchises like GTA, Resident Evil and the sports games like FIFA and Pro Evo. And of course, the Xbox 360 is going to be the only place to play the complete version of GTAIV with two exclusive downloadable episodes only available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.
And I have to mention all the massive sequels to games which are already exclusive to Xbox 360! Of course, there’s Gears 2, which will be hitting shops this year. And with Fable 2 and Ninja Gaiden 2 also in the mix I think it’s pretty clear that this is another blockbuster year for Xbox 360.
Another thing I’m really excited about is our plans for the XNA community. We’re giving people the chance to create their own games and share them with the Xbox LIVE community, and I believe the whole XNA program is going to give Xbox 360 owners even more choices and opportunities to experience the broad range of the console.

Xbox has talked previously about the huge number of new Xbox LIVE subscribers who came online over Christmas. How many people are on LIVE now?
There are currently 10 million Xbox LIVE customers in 26 countries. We projected to hit the 10 millions member mark by July 2008, but we are delighted to announce that we reached our goal 6 months early! Of those 10 million members, roughly three-quarters of the Xbox LIVE community are male and one-quarter female, with new members added daily. Something I’m particularly proud of is the huge boost in female Xbox LIVE members, as that number has increased dramatically during the service’s five years. I think it’s another sign that we’re continuing to add the right features like Xbox LIVE Arcade, the Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store and great casual games to bring more and more people – men, women, kids and adults – to Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE.

Thanks for your time Chris!

Football Manager 2008 on Xbox 360 Gone Gold

SEGA Europe Ltd. and Sports Interactive today announced that Football Manager 2008 on Xbox 360 has gone gold.
by: Jason Solorzano
March 10, 2008
SEGA Europe Ltd. and Sports Interactive today announced that Football Manager 2008 on Xbox 360 has gone gold. Football Manager™2008 for Xbox 360 has been updated with all transfers from the last transfer window, and retains all the depth and realism of the record breaking PC version. The Xbox 360 version also utilises Xbox Live to have different online modes to the PC game, permitting you to challenge friends to one-on-one matches and even host tournaments, and is a multi-region game, so European copies will work on Xbox 360’s around the world. “We’re really pleased to be able to offer all Xbox 360 owners the chance to play Football Manager” commented Miles Jacobson, Studio Director of Sports Interactive “This years game is the first that “core” users will be able to enjoy due to the hard work of the development team, and we look forward to getting a new generation of budding Football Manager’s across Europe.” Football Manager 2008 was released across Europe for PC and Apple Macintosh in October 2007 and is the fastest selling game in the series to date. The Xbox 360 version will be available in stores on March 28th 2008.

Dark Sector Goes Gold

Dark Sector Goes Gold
by Matt Gibbs


D3Publisher of America (D3PA) today announced that Dark Sector will ship to retail stores in North America on March 25, 2008 for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Developed by acclaimed developer Digital Extremes, co-creators behind the award-winning Epic Game's Unreal franchise, Dark Sector is an all-new and original action-thriller that will offer players a dark, gritty experience packed with fast action, incredible superpowers and an engaging story.

"Dark Sector fans have been waiting for this moment and we're pleased to say that after months of tweaking and polishing, the game is ready to entertain and wow gamers," said Peter Andrew, vice president of product development, D3PA. "Digital Extremes has poured their heart and soul into this game and it shows through compelling gameplay and absolutely stunning graphics."

Utilizing the Evolution Engine, proprietary next-gen technology developed by Digital Extremes, Dark Sector is an all-new and original action-thriller designed exclusively for next-generation consoles. The game thrusts players into the role of Hayden Tenno, an elite black-ops agent sent on a dangerous mission into a decaying Eastern European city that hides a deadly Cold War secret. Attacked by an unknown enemy, he awakens to find part of his body altered by an infection that has granted him inhuman abilities; he must learn to evolve along with his powers, to survive and to become a hero. A dark, gritty experience packed with fast action, incredible superpowers and an engaging story, Dark Sector represents the next evolution of gaming.

Far Cry 2 Screenshots

Microsoft will support Blu-ray

Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer has already admitted that they are looking to support the Blu-ray format following the demise of HD-DVD.

Although Ballmer did not specifically mention gaming, it does look as if Microsoft will soon announce a Blu-ray add-on player for the Xbox 360.

Speaking at the Mix08 conference, Ballmer said: "We've already been working on, for example, in Windows, device driver support for Blu-ray drives and the like.

"I think the world moves on," he added. "Toshiba has moved on. We've moved on, and we'll support Blu-ray in ways that make sense."

Damnation first look

With some pretty stunning looking graphics, Damnation serves up an adventure laden shooting experience...

Damnation from new developer Blue Omega Entertainment aims to give the player plenty of action-orientated environments to swing around in, and of course shoot nasty enemies in.

Giving the shooter genre a much needed shot in the arm with its unique and exhilarating combination of fluid action and combat, Damnation will feature stunning open environments, frenetic combat, daredevil acrobatics and high-octane vehicle-based stunts.

Presenting players with an intense test of reflexes, quick thinking and rapid-fire conflict, Damnation will feature vast, breathtaking landscapes, each covering miles of distance and thousands of vertical feet. Think Crackdown goes Country.

Players will be able to choose their own paths and navigate the world by performing daredevil feats on the edge of human ability. However players aren't the only ones with mind-blowing acrobatic skills; intelligent enemies will give chase and engage players in frantic gun fights and attacks that can come from any direction – in Damnation's world there's no safe place to hide.

In addition to the single player experience, Damnation fires up LIVE with multiplayer gameplay taking place in the game's expansive levels. Damnation will be available for Xbox 360 in late 2008.
http://www.totally360.com/

Exclusive: 60GB Xbox 360 Will Replace 20GB Model

TrustedReviews writes:

"Following my outing of the 16GB iPhone I have once again have attained from a rock solid source that Microsoft will be replacing the 20GB hard drive on the standard Xbox 360 with a larger 60GB version. Dates are not nailed down, but my source says Microsoft wants it done and dusted before the end of its financial year which translates as our Q2."

Bourne Action

Halo 3 March Playlist Update

Bungie has announced a March playlist update to Halo 3, which is live now. The update features a number of tweaks to the matchmaking experience and the introduction of DoubleXP Weekend playlists as well as some tweaks to the DLC playlists. Luke Smith explains:

We're introducing two Weekend Hoppers DoubleXP playlists this month, with the first hopper launching Thursday, March 6 at NOON.

* Grifball, the game created by Burnie Burns of Red vs. Blue will be an unranked, weekend-long social playlist awarding DoubleXP to winning teams. We've slightly adjusted some of the rules for Grifball (unlimited round times make for unlimited griefing potential), but kept the game's core intact. You'll be able to go in with party configurations ranging from one to eight people. This playlist will be available from Thursday, March 6 at NOON until March 10 at NOON(all times Pacific Standard). I apparently forgot to mention that the Grifball hopper is being treated like a Tournament hopper -- a hopper where there will be prizes. Tournament prizes.

* Beginning March 20 at NOON will be the return of Team SWAT in the Social, DoubleXP variety. Team SWAT is an old Halo 2 gametype where players have no shields, increased body health and do not have the luxury of radar. This eight-player maximum hopper will be completely Team Slayer focused with the SWAT ruleset. This weekend playlist will be available from March 20 at NOON until March 23 at NOON(all times Pacific).


The Heroic DLC hopper has underwent some revisions as well. The hopper has been split into DLC Slayer (4v4) and DLC Objective (6v6) featuring a mix of various gametypes on the DLC maps. Slayer variants include Team Snipers, Team Rockets, Team BRs, Team Duel and Team Duals. Objective variants include Multi Flag CTF, Multi Flag BR, One Flag, Assault, Neutral Bomb Assault and Team King.

A number of other changes to maps and Matchmaking were included in today's rollout:

* Fixed map exploit on The Pit
* Fixed map exploit on Construct
* Fixed map exploit on Epitaph
* Reduced Ranked Big Team Battle "Large party" size to six players and increased Big Team threshold to two*
* Fixed Spartan Laser occasionally falling through map on Sandtrap
* Fixes to matchmaking to allow more even leveling for players
* Disabled Mixed Skill restrictions for RBTB and Team Slayer**


These changes are all live, now.

Army of Two

OUT THIS FRIDAY

Race Driver: GRID Preview (Xbox 360)

http://previews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1891/Race-Driver-GRID/p1/

GRAW 2 Co-op Collection 2 Revealed

MISSIONS:

Bridges – (Ghost Recon: Island Thunder)
Stronghold – (Ghost Recon: Island Thunder)
Depot – (Ghost Recon: Desert Siege)
Riverbed – (Ghost Recon: Desert Siege)
Ghost Town – (Ghost Recon: Desert Siege)
Roadblock – (Ghost Recon: Desert Siege)
Island – (Ghost Recon: Island Thunder)
Treatment Plant – (Brand New)
Mining Camp – (Brand New)

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 Co-Op pics

Is Gears of War Better Than Halo?

Is Gears of War Better Than Halo? Two heroes. Two evil alien races. Two sweeping sci-fi universes. Two battles for humanity's survival. Two franchises. Two multiplayer kings. Two best-selling, megaton-popular action games beloved by consumers and celebrated by critics. Two shooters competing for the title of Xbox 360 champion.

The Halo and Gears of War series are both incredible, but in a world of internet trolls and blind fanboy allegiance, only one can be crowned. So, in an effort to declare a final victor - or at least ignite a flame war - GamesRadar Editors Charlie Barratt and Chris Antista put aside all professional objectivity and fair minded rationality for a bloody (and juvenile) battle royale.


http://www.gamesradar.com/f/haloradar-gears-of-war-vs-halo/a-20080229153630372055

Alone in the Dark 5 - Tech demo 2

Prototype gameplay - awesome

Alone in the Dark 5 - Tech demo

FAR CRY 2

Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack: Ghost Town Revealed

360 has sold 18m units worldwide

UNREAL 3 TECH DEMO RUNNING ON 360!!!

CLIFFY B GEARS 2 INTRODUCTION

TOO HUMAN INTERVIEW

Bionic Commando gameplay

STREET FIGHTER IV GAMEPLAY AWESOME

Ninja gaiden new level vid"

Too Human video

gears 2 to trailer

Ninja Gaiden 2 Dated

At the 2008 GDC keynote, Microsoft has announced that Team Ninja's Ninja Gaiden 2 will be released on June 3, 2008 in the United States. The game will be released worlwide the same month.

In Ninja Gaiden 2, gamers must guide Ryu Hayabusa on a mission to avenge his clan and prevent the destruction of the human race. Armed with an assortment of ninja weaponry, players must help Ryu skillfully maneuver through a world fraught with peril and danger.

F**k ME I CANT WAIT

It’s A 3 Console Generation, Get Over It

by Torrence Davis
For those of you who somehow think that there will be a single victor this console generation, think again. Like the days of the SNES and Sega Genesis, we have not only 2, but 3 video game consoles that will fight this generation to a stalemate.

Usually in the war of consoles, there are winners and losers. Nintendo destroyed Sega back in the 8-bit era, but in the 16-bit era, both Sega and Nintendo were equally successful with their consoles. When Sony stepped in the game, Nintendo and Sega couldn’t get a foothold. As awesome as the Sega Saturn was, it was destroyed by Sony’s business sense. They had better hardware, it was easier to develop games on and Sony was buying ip’s left and right. Nintendo had a short success with the N64, but we had already moved on to CD’s. Cartridges were too expensive and not as versatile as optical discs.

I’d have to say the biggest console blow in history was the day that Sega went cold turkey on the Dreamcast. It was almost as if they gave up on the system before it could even finish the fight it started. Did Sega see something coming that we didn’t? The Dreamcast still stands, in my opinion, as one of the greatest consoles ever made.

And what became of the Gamecube? Damn it was a hot little box. It didn’t make sense for developers to make 3 iterations of their games, especially since Gamecube versions sold poorly in comparison to the Xbox and PS2. Many argue that the Xbox was a more powerful machine than the PS2, but Microsoft didn’t have the Japanese 3rd party support to push it to success in Japan. Plus Japanese gamers are fickle when it comes to name brand. Microsoft did well, but lost to Sony’s world domination of 100+ million consoles.

Sony had destroyed the competition for 2 generations in a row. Everyone is banking on them doing the same thing once again for the 3rd time around. This time however, Microsoft and Nintendo are playing with loaded dice. First Nintendo tapped an untappable market; the baby boomer gamers. They managed to get everyone that games and everyone that doesn’t game to buy the Wii. We are talking about a demographic that spans 18 - 70yr old individuals. Non-gamers rushing out to buy a game system is still mind boggling to me. Both my aunt and my mothers friend bought Wii’s and they are in their 50’s.

Next comes Microsoft. They beat Sony to the punch by an entire year. They scored a bunch of great ip’s and finally got some Japanese developers on board. While Xbox 360’s are selling in low numbers in Japan, they are still selling. Microsoft, being the smart company they are, has limited distribution in Japan. So they really aren’t spending as much money in Japan and are getting a small return. They managed to steal some great ip’s from Sony and for the first time get a GTA launch game. The piss poor hardware quality of the Xbox 360 hurt them. I’d go as far as saying that one big mistake cost them a few million console sales. They’ve recovered and managed to stay ahead of Sony.

Sony had a slow start as well. They had a lackluster system launch, high priced hardware and one too many SKUs. They’ve dropped the price several times since launch and are on the turn around with the PS3. This year looks to be the best for the PS3 like 2007 was the best for the 360. Sony is now battling on two fronts: One against Microsoft and another against Nintendo.

The Wii will continue to sell and so will the 360. The Xbox 360 is now a household name in America and it shows. The majority of Xbox 360 sales are made in North America and Europe. Sony makes more sales in Japan and Europe. Nintendo is selling equally worldwide. While Sony has made an incredible 180 degree turn around in 2008 and are finally outselling the Xbox 360 in Europe, they have a long way to go before they can catch the Microsoft. Even if the PS3 outsells the 360 by 100k a month, they are only gaining 1.2 million sales ahead of Microsoft per year. At this rate it would take Sony 6 years just to catch up to Microsoft.

The bottom line, gamers have chosen their sides, all 3 of them. As long as all 3 systems continue selling, there will never be a clear winner of this generation. This is a good thing. No one wants to relive the pain of our beloved Dreamcast going belly up again. Enjoy what you have and stop hoping for world domination. Competition is good for gaming.

Devil May Cry 4 sells over 2 million units

Capcom have revealed that they have shipped over two million units worldwide of Devil May Cry 4 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Devil May Cry 4 immerses gamers in a gothic supernatural world, where a new protagonist clashes with series mainstay Dante. As new leading man Nero players will be able to unleash incredibly powerful and stylish attacks and non-stop combos using a combination of the Devil Bringer right arm and the Exceed system, both of which are new gameplay mechanics for the series. Taking full advantage of the advanced graphical and processing power of the next-gen systems it draws gamers into the Devil May Cry world like never before with highly detailed and expansive environments, even more enemies to defeat and some of the most breath-taking bosses ever conceived.

Devil May Cry 4 is currently topping the ELSPA Charts for both the Xbox 360 and PS3, while the series has amassed total worldwide sales to date of over 9 million units and become a pillar franchise for Capcom.

Gears of War 2 Announced At GDC

By Brandon Hofer (XBL: ShadowNextGen) - 20 Feb 08
The Microsoft keynote at GDC just ended minutes ago with some big announcements. Along with these big announcements Itagaki was on hand to demo more of Ninja Gaiden 2 as well as Peter Molyneaux showing up to show off more of Fable 2. During the keynote there were some big announcements that came out about upcoming titles.

First of all Itagaki announced that Ninja Gaiden II has a confirmed release date of June 3, 2008. In Ninja Gaiden II you will be abe to upload clips of your videos to XBox Live and people can then dowload them from leaderboards. I would assume that this would work similarly to how the Halo 3 saved films feature work.

Next Peter Molyneaux is on stage and is going through a live demo of Fable 2. Apparently in the game you won't get money from doing quests but rather working jobs or playing games of chance. There will also apparently be an XBLA game outside of Fable 2 specifically that will allow you to build up your money for use in Fable 2 before you even have the game! The next big feature announced for Fable 2 was co-op! You can hop in at any point to join another persons game. Also apparently anything you get in your friends world you can bring back to your own.

After those big announcements a video is then shown for Gears of War 2! There was no gameplay however supposedly a Gears of War 2 teaser video will be available later on today on XBox Live Marketplace. Cliffy B then comes out and announces that this game is a 360 exclusive and will come out in November 2008.

R.I.P.

BREAKING NEWS: Universal will release on Blu-ray

By Henning Molbaek
FIRST ONLINE Feb 19, 2008

Following the announcement of Toshiba discontinuing HD DVD Universal made a statement to Home Media Magazine.

"While Universal values the close partnership we have shared with Toshiba, it is time to turn our focus to releasing new and catalog titles on Blu-ray," said Craig Kornblau, president of Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

"The path for widespread adoption of the next-generation platform has finally become clear. Universal will continue its aggressive efforts to broaden awareness for hi-def´s unparalleled offerings in interactivity and connectivity, at an increasingly affordable price. The emergence of a single, high-definition format is cause for consumers, as well as the entire entertainment industry, to celebrate."

More when it arrives.

Prototype video diary

Army of two trailer

Left 4 Dead Xbox 360 Revealed as Exclusive

Left 4 Dead Xbox 360 Revealed! - 2/17/08
The March 2008 issue of the Official Xbox Magazine features Left 4 Dead on its cover, revealing the Xbox 360 version for the first time. OXM visited Valve where they played the Hospital and Cornfield scenarios on the PC and they also had the chance to see Cornfield running on Xbox 360 development hardware. This is the first time that the press has been able to see the Xbox 360 version, which still has some ways to go to match the PC: "Valve didn't let us play the 360 edition of Left 4 Dead because it was too early and unbalanced - apparently, the zombies were so overpowered that humans stood no chance." And about the graphics, "'The 360 look is almost to where the PC is, and we'll get it up to the PC look before we ship,' promises Faliszek."


The five page article contains about 8 new screenshots along with some others we've seen before, with some nice lighting going on. The multiplayer capabilities of the Xbox 360 were discussed with Doug Lombardi:

Left 4 Dead will feature four-player co-op and eight-player, 4-on-4 Versus matches via Xbox Live or System Link. What about a split screen mode? "That's the most relevant question that we can't answer for you today," replies Valve's Doug Lombardi with a laugh. "It's a good thing to want. Being able to play two people split-screen ... four player would be even better, but I don't think four- would happen. But for us, the idea of having two people play split-screen, playing co-op on the couch and letting the NPC's fill out the rest ... it's a pretty big feature for us to chase. But right now, we're not ready to say if it's in or it's out."
The other big news from this article is that a separate game company named Certain Affinity is handling the Xbox 360 version. Certain Affinity is a small game developer founded in November 2006 based in Austin, Texas with about 16 employees. Their first product was Halo 2's Blastacular Map Pack for Bungie and Microsoft. Certain Affinity is led by Max Hoberman, a 10-year Bungie veteran who was multiplayer lead for both Halo 2 and Halo 3. OXM explained how the work is divided between the three (now two, since Turtle Rock Studios has been absorbed by Valve):

Left 4 Dead is the work of three companies - Valve Software, Turtle Rock Studios, and Certain Affinity. As the creators of The Orange Box and the Source engine, Valve is handling the games core software functionality. Certain Affinity (the Texas company created by ex-Bungie veteran Max Hoberman) was brought on to handle 360-specific elements like matchmaking, Live support, console customization, and 360 gameplay tweaks. Turtle Rock - developer of Counter-Strike for the original Xbox and the Pc's more recent Counter-Strike: Source - owns Left 4 Dead's design. Monsters, level work, weapons, and especially the game's A.I. all fall to the Turtle Rock crew.
Max Hoberman was in charge of the entire online system for Halo 2 and 3, including matchmaking and the party system. Having that experience behind the Xbox 360 version of Left 4 Dead is very exciting - as I understand it, Halo 2 and 3 did pretty well in the online arena! Some other things of note in the OXM article: The escape vehicle on Cornfield is a "heavily armed flatbed" truck. They played with NPC teammates that "behaved impressively like human players", which is the first time we've seen Survivor AI mentioned.

OXM states the following: "EXCLUSIVE: The PC and 360 versions of Left 4 Dead will ship simultaneously, but there will be no PS3 edition." No quote is given, so until we hear it straight from the mouth of Lombardi or Booth, we're not certain. Thanks to OXM for its great coverage of Left 4 Dead, and we wish luck to Certain Affinity on its task of taming the 360 version of Left 4 Dead!

A massive world exclusive lands in the next issue of Xbox World

I will keep you guys posted!!

Is Blu-ray a Microsoft victory?

So Sony have won the format war for HD TV content distribution. The Blu-ray disk has beaten HD DVD to become the new standard. The first Sony media victory since the Microfloppy of 1982.

But it has cost Sony dear. Difficulties mass producing Blu-ray drives in 2005/6 delayed the PS3 getting to market. And when it did the high cost of the drives compared with DVDs contributed to Sony having to charge a premium price for the console, which stunted sales. These factors may possibly result in Sony coming third in this generation of the console wars. For certain they haven’t dominated like they did in the last generation with PS2. A very high cost to pay.

Meanwhile Microsoft did not build an HD drive into the Xbox 360. This enabled them to get their console to market more quickly and for a lower price. So they have maintained a significant lead over Sony in this generation of console. By having the HD drive as an external add on Microsoft hedged it’s bets. It didn’t bother them or effect them commercially whichever format won. They would just make external drives using whichever format won. And so they will.

Of course none of this has any impact on Nintendo. They, quite literally, are playing a different game

Toshiba Officially Pulls Plug on HD-DVD

Leaked Duke Nukem Forever Screenshot

Toshiba Announces Discontinuation of HD DVD Businesses

By Neil Vaughan - 19 Feb 08
Toshiba have officially announced that they will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders.

"We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called 'next-generation format war' and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop," said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation.

"While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality."

Toshiba will begin to reduce shipments of HD DVD players and recorders to retail channels, aiming for cessation of these businesses by the end of March 2008. Toshiba also plans to end volume production of HD DVD disk drives for such applications as PCs and games in the same timeframe, yet will continue to make efforts to meet customer requirements.

Microsoft Building a New Live Experience?

According to a new job posting on Games on Deck, Microsoft is looking for new employees to help build "a totally new Live experience". Here's the job description:

Want to be involved in the next release of Xbox? Join the server-backed games team, part of the Xbox LIVE team that's responsible for creating a completely new way for mainstream audiences to enjoy the Xbox and LIVE.

We're building the games, the console interface and logic, and the server support for a totally new LIVE experience. Both the games and the dashboard experience will be deeply paired with dynamic server support to create a compelling, fresh scenario each time. We're a small, entrepreneurial team working together to get things done very quickly in an agile environment. If you want to work in a space where you'll get all the responsibility you can swallow, and run as fast as you can, this team is for you.

We are looking for a passionate Games Producer to help implement our first generation games that will run in this new environment. Specific job responsibilities include Managing internal and external development of the games, contract negotiation and management, technical design reviews and scheduling. You will also interact with our content team and help them bring their designs to life. As we're a small team, we want independent people that are driven for results and able to wear multiple hats to get things done quickly.

Is a drastic change in store for Xbox Live? I'd be surprised personally, but what's your take?
by Matt Gibbs

A Blu Ray Enabled Xbox 360 in May?

With HD-DVD officially dead in the water, rumors have started circulating that Microsoft is about to dump the format too, and bring out a Blu Ray enabled Xbox 360 as earlier as May 2008! Smart House apparently has the inside word and it would seem that internal testing has been underway for quite some time!

Insiders at Microsoft in the USA have told SmartHouse that Microsoft has already configured a standalone Blu-ray player that can be connected into an Xbox 360 and that subject to internal marketing and sales approvals the model could be on sale within 3 months.

The Company has also been working on a built in Blu-ray player however insiders are claiming that Microsoft see the HD format battle moving online with consumers offered 1080p movie and content files as a download as opposed to having to buy a HD DVD or Blu-ray disc.

Both Intel and Microsoft have been supporters of the HD DVD format that is set to be killed off this week.

Furthermore, Smart House report that Sony has already commented on Microsoft coming out with such a Xbox 360, saying, "We would welcome Microsoft to the Blu-ray stable. In fact it is quite logical for them as the PS3 has been very succesful in driving consumers to Blu-ray. In fact we believe that it has done more to win the format war than traditional Blu-ray player".

Call of Duty 4 Downloadable Content Confirmed

Activision and Infinity Ward confirm that new downloadable multiplayer maps are on the way this spring. In development for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the upcoming downloadable content will thrust gamers into new combat zones across a variety of intense multiplayer locales.

Stay tuned for more details, map descriptions and screenshots of the hot new content

Toshiba: HD-DVD Business Is Not Dead - Yet

Toshiba has refused to confirm speculation that it is set to pull the plug on its HD-DVD platform, but has announced that it is “currently assessing its business strategies”.

Media reports this weekend suggested Toshiba was planning to cease HD-DVD production, and hailed Sony and its Blu-ray technology as the victors in the high-definition format war.



However, in a brief statement Toshiba has moved to quell the speculation - for now.



“The media reported that Toshiba will discontinue its HD-DVD business. Toshiba has not made any announcement concerning this. Although Toshiba is currently assessing its business strategies, no decision has been made at this moment.”



According to Reuters, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that the format war was over as Toshiba, which has been struck by the defection of most of the major film studios to Sony-backed Blu-ray, prepared to cease HD-DVD production. The report said that Toshiba would continue to sell existing HD-DVD products at stores but not invest further resources in product development.



Should Toshiba withdraw from the format war the firm is expected to suffer losses amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.



Rumors have begun to circulate that Microsoft, which backed the Toshiba format with the release of an Xbox 360 HD-DVD player, has already configured a standalone Blu-ray drive for Xbox 360, while a new 360 with an in-built Blu-ray player is also said to be in the works.



Microsoft has previously said that the success of the HD-DVD format is not critical to the long-term fortunes of the Xbox 360, noting that it would consider releasing a Blu-ray player for the system should the technology be victorious over Toshiba’s format.

Review: Madcatz Xbox 360 HDMI Conversion Kit

Microsoft first balked at the idea of including HDMI in it’s original Xbox 360. While Sony gave it’s gamers everything they needed for high definition gaming, you were stuck with either VGA or Component for your 360. I’ll admit, back then I didn’t care about HDMI either, that is until I ran out of component ports on my TV. Madcatz has come to the rescue with their Xbox 360 HDMI Conversion Kit.

The kit is surprisingly well put together. It comes with the converter and heavily shielded HDMI and optical cables. The kit retails for $89 which is seriously steep, but at least it comes with the cables.

The converter plugs into your Xbox 360 AV slot. On the converter are ports for HDMI and optical cables. Upon powering up your 360, your TV will recognize the HDMI right away. I tested the kit out on a 32″ Sony Bravia KDL-32SL130, which is surprisingly, 1080p capable.

The first test I did was 1080p gaming. I switched to 1080p mode without a hitch. I had to adjust the TV’s brightness because it was too bright. It was already set for extended blacks so I left that setting alone. Supposedly, the signal coming from the Xbox AV connecter is analog. So the conversion kit does an analog to digital conversion before the signal hits your TV. Some might say that there is degradation in the image quality because of the conversion, but I didn’t see any. It ran Assassin’s Creed in full 1080p without a hitch and it looked beautiful. I also tested out Super Puzzle Fighter HD and the Devil May Cry 4 demo. They both looked as gorgeous as HD gaming gets.

The next test was the DVD upconversion to 1080p. Now Madcatz claims in their press release that it does upconvert your DVD movies to 1080p. I tested 2 DVDs and the results were a 480p conversion, which is the same conversion you get with component cables. In fact, the Sony Bravia supports 1080p from the component cables. I can only assume that the analog to digital conversion isn’t converting the 480p signal at all. This is a downer for those that watch movies on their 360.

I like the fact that the 1080p games still maintain that beautifully sharp image through the HDMI. While it doesn’t upconvert your DVDs like it’s supposed to, it’s still a great solution for bringing HDMI to your old Xbox 360. Some however, would rather sell their 360 and buy one equipped with an HDMI port that actually does do the upconversion. Plus the $89 price point hurts the pocket. That’s worth 2 games right there. If you can afford the conversion kit, then you can afford to buy another 360. If you’re a budget gamer, I can’t see paying such a high price for this when you can use the money on games. Also, it may be too little and too late for Madcatz to capitalize on this. I think if this was released shortly after the 360, they would have made some good sales.

HD DVD IS DEAD!!!

The final nail in HD DVD’s coffin has been pounded in as the only independent pressing plant that supported both formats has gone Blu ray only. Press release follows:

The only indie multi-format high definition disc pressing plant, Blue Ray Technologies, will drop its HD-DVD lines without waiting for the widely-reported and anticipated announcement of Toshiba's retreat from HD-DVD.

"This is a victory for the consumers, who can now move in to the stunning high def disc world and build collections with confidence," said industry expert Erick Hansen, a DVD pioneer and chairman of Blue Ray Technologies. "Toshiba can take heart in that there is no shame: it was a battle well-fought and that they have several adaptable technologies and backup plans."

In fact, no orders had come in to the full-service disc manufacturer for HD-DVDs, even partial orders along with Blu-ray clients looking to service both markets, since November. The indie film companies that BRT serves had seen the death of the HD-DVD format long before last week's announcement that Walmart, Blockbuster and Netflix were dropping the format - and even before Warner Bros. announced in January at the CES show they were going Blu-ray only.

"This week we will dismantle our HD-DVD lines and will be adding new equipment to bolster our Blue-ray manufacturing," said Hansen explaining, "Despite our name and preference, we always offered HD-DVDs as a service to our customers. Now we will reconfigure part of that equipment to make DVDs and CDs," said Hansen. "The indie film companies moved quicker than the studios and gradually stopped mixed orders in favor of Blu-ray late last year."

Hansen explained "They preferred the larger capacity and full 1080p quality of the Blu-ray discs going forward. We saw this but since I have been saying HD-DVD was DOA for four years, we still had to wait for the industry to catch up to the inevitable. HD-DVD is dead, all that is left is the burial."

He said "We are waiting this week for the other shoes to drop from Universal and Paramount/DreamWorks, the last studios to support HD-DVD over Blu-ray -- and word from Microsoft, who used the now-obsolete format as an add-on to their Xbox game console."

Condemned 2: Bloodshot gameplay blow out!

Microsoft is Bringing it Home again

Microsoft is Bringing it Home again, this time from the upcoming Game Developers Conference. Starting Feb 20th, Xbox LIVE will be introduced to “breaking news” from GDC in the form of delicious new Marketplace content.

What’s already known to pop up for sure is the highlights of the keynote address by Corporate Vice President John Schappert. His keynote address, “A Future Wide Open: Unleashing the Creative Community,” will provide a view into what Microsoft is up to this year when it comes to their Interactive Entertainment Business.

We’ll also see never-before-seen gameplay, demos, screenshots, game trailers and interviews from the GDC show floor. Bring it!

Call of Duty 4 Patch Heads to Microsoft for Certification

Feb. 13, 2008 7:12 AM PST
The new feature patch (new Kill Cams, Host Migration, and other new features) for the Xbox 360 version of Call of Duty 4 has finished its internal testing and development and has officially been sent off to Microsft.

GTA IV Multiplayer Mode Unique to 360?

UPDATE - Don Mattrick says Microsoft’s bagged more than just exclusive downloadable content for the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV.

"GTA IV is an amazing piece of software and I'm really excited with its downloadable content and online multiplayer support. Again, that's something that's unique to 360,” Microsoft's senior VP of Interactive Entertainment, Mattrick, told Major Nelson during a recent podcast.



"We think consumers are going to love that and it's going to create, what I would describe again as the premium experience on our platform."



While it was previously announced that downloadable content exclusive to Xbox 360 would follow GTA IV's April release, there has been no previous mention of any multiplayer mode platform exclusivity. We've contacted Rockstar for clarification on the matter.



Additionally, Mattrick said in the podcast that Microsoft was working hard to address Xbox 360 hardware shortage issues that cropped up over the holiday season.



"We'd hoped to have a strong showing in North America this holiday season, and we had a stronger showing than anticipated. We had some shortages, we weren't able to deliver enough hardware against demand that was in the market.



"That's a great problem to have, we're addressing that in the coming year. It's going to take a little bit of time for us to amp up our manufacturing but we're really encouraged that people purchased as many games and as many boxes as they did on our platform and we think that bodes well for the future."

Turok video clips

Lost Odyssey review

Devil May Cry 4 Demo Tops Million Download Mark

This morning, Capcom announced that the Xbox 360 demo version of Devil May Cry 4 has hit a million downloads, based on numbers supplied by Microsoft. ...
The one million downloads benchmark makes Devil May Cry 4 the most downloaded demo of 2008 so far. While that may not seem like a big deal, it certainly says a lot about the buzz and interest in the game on Xbox 360.

Strong 360 sales help Devil May Cry 4 debut at No.1

Xbox accounts for 61 per cent of units sold in UK

The latest title in the former Sony exclusive franchise Devil May Cry has debuted in the UK's All Formats charts at number one, with the lion's share of sales on the Xbox 360.
Sixty one per cent of sales were on the Microsoft console, with the rest on Sony's PlayStation 3 and PC. The game is number one in the All Formats charts but also the individual format charts as well.

Shane kim interview

Shane Kim
DICE 08 Interview (February 8, 2008)
scroll on right side for interview

Bizarre Creations Announces PGR 4 DLC

Project Gotham creator Bizarre Creations has just announced the first two DLC packs for the critically acclaimed racer Project Gotham Racing 4. Complete details follow:

Free Challenge Pack (Free)

"Download the new Free PGR 4 Challenge Pack from Bizarre, and you'll drive the hydrogen-powered 2007 Peugeot Flux, winner of the 2007 Peugeot International Design Competition. Plus, you'll get two new game modes-one of them the player-requested Tourist Mode, which lets you tool around any city in the game checking out sights with your friends. Or play Free Roam Cat and Mouse, where a slow mouse vehicle must avoid enemy cats. And you add another 10 achievements. Get more racing fun for the best price-free!"

Premium Challenge Pack (400 points)

"The Premium PGR 4 Challenge Pack from Bizarre, available for 400 Microsoft(r) Points, gives you seven new cars-the 2008 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Concept, 2007 Volkswagen Golf GTI W12-650, 2007 Peugeot Flux, 1987 BMW M3 E30 DTM, 2007 Ferrari 430 Scuderia, 2008 Honda S2000 CR, and 2008 Callaway C16 Speedster. You get three new bikes-the 2007 Yamaha YZF-R1, 1995 Aprilia RS 250, and 1998 Aprilia RSV 1000 Tuono R."

"Plus, new World Challenge Arcade Mode gives you 20 arcade events in 3 themed chapters, including 5 events that can only be done on platinum. In Tourist Mode, get a free ride with friends around any game city. In Free Roam Cat and Mouse, a slow mouse vehicle runs from enemy cats. Ten new achievements fill out the pack."

Both packs include brand new achievements (10 in total, although 3 are only available to owners of the premium pack). Here's the list:

Tourist Kudos King - Earn more kudos than anyone else in a Tourist event - 15 points
Open Cat Champion - Be a cat on the winning team in a Cat and Mouse Open Event - 15 points
Open Mouse Master - Be a mouse on the winning team in a Cat and Mouse Open Event - 15 points
Platinum Plus - Get all the platinum medals in the Platinum Plus Challenge - 60 points (earnable with Premium Challenge Pack)
Download King - Complete the DLC Challenge chapter - 60 points (earnable with Premium Challenge Pack)
Arcade Challenge- Complete Arcade Challenge chapter - 50 points (earnable with Premium Challenge Pack)
Cheater- Activate one of the cheats in the cheat menu - 5 points
Make the Grade - Attempt to qualify for a Tournament -10 points
01 Yee Haw: Puzzle 4 -10 Points
Are You the One? Puzzle 5 -10 Points
World Challenge Mode

World Challenge Mode is a new option that appears in the single player menu. It contains 20 arcade events split into 3 themed chapters:

1. Platinum Plus - Arcade chapter that is harder than Platinum difficulty

2. DLC Challenge - Arcade chapter that limits vehicles to the Premium Challenge Pack cars

3. Arcade Challenge - Similar to the shipped Arcade mode

Online Race Modes

Free Roam Cat & Mouse Mode

Played in an open city, Free Roam Cat & Mouse is a team based game where each team has a slow 'mouse' vehicle, with the rest of the players in high powered 'cat' vehicles. The mouse earns kudos for every 2 seconds it avoids being hit by enemy cats. On being hit by a cat the mouse is 'wasted' and can't earn kudos for set period of time. Cat players get a kudos reward for hitting an enemy mouse and also for defending their own mouse. The team with the most kudos after a time period set by the host wins the event.

Tourist Mode

This is a simple mode our forum users have requested. Players drive round an open city for a period of time determined by the host. The player with the most kudos is determined the 'winner', but this is really a sandbox mode where players can drive around looking at the environment and making their own games up.

Complete Details at BC's Site

Written by Ice Ac

Official GTA IV Site has Launched

Rockstar has uploaded the official GTAIV website. They have posted a bevy of new information that diehard fans are sure to start analyzing and making pointless youtube videos of. Below are a list of features Rockstar has on their website

New Screen shots

- Official Liberty City Map

- Music (Coming Soon)
- Multiplayer (Coming Soon)

- New Characters Revealed

- New Video Posted

- People and Places

- Recreation & Entertainment

- Good and Services


GTA IV Official Site

Devil May Cry 4 video review

EA won't "gimp" 360 Dead Space despite tough PS3 dev

EA Redwood Shores will "optimise the crap" out of the PS3 version of upcoming sci-fi survival horror game to make it great.

The executive producer of EA's new sci-fi horror game Dead Space has told VideoGamer.com that the development team won't "gimp" the 360 version because the "PS3 can't do it".

Speaking at an event in London today, where we got some hands-on time with what's looking like one of 2008's most interesting new IPs, Glen Schofield said that currently the development team is leading on the 360, but will switch to the PS3 in a "month or two".

He stressed that both the PS3 and the Xbox 360 versions of the game will "be the same" when it's eventually released, planned for late 2008.

Dead Space, set for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, is a gory sci-fi survival horror game which sees engineer Isaac Clarke battling against a horde of mysterious aliens who have infested a huge ship. It is one of a number of brand new games from EA planned for 2008 and beyond.

Numerous EA Sports games have faced criticism from PS3 owners who have suffered poor quality ports of games like Madden, with frame rate issues the chief culprit.

When asked how the Dead Space team was finding multi-platform development, Schofield responded: "Difficult."

He added: "Right now we're leading and building and doing everything on the 360. Pretty soon in a month or two we will switch and lead on the PS3. That is so that you're not downgrading the PS3 later. We're putting all our engineering muscle into making the PS3 great, and then we'll know that the 360 will be great."

However, when asked if there will be any differences between the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, Schofield said: "The plan has to be, and it will be, on parity with the 360."

He said: "Sony has seen the game so they know that that's what they want out of us. But I can absolutely assure you that the PS3 and the 360 will be the same. We're not going to gimp the 360 because the PS3 can't do it. We're going to optimise the crap out of it and make the PS3 really good, sort of like Burnout."

On the issues surrounding PS3 development, Schofield said: "I'm from an artist background. But from a developer point of view it's called the Fill Rate. It (the PS3) can't handle the physics as well. I mean it can, you just have to get at it. Just more and more engineering. Special effects are tough. It's a beautiful machine and it is very powerful. It's just it's not as easy to develop for right now.

"What happened was the 360 came out a year ahead, so we started developing early on it. Then all of a sudden it was the lead SKU. So it won for two years. For two years it was the one we were just working on. And so our knowledge base is around that. Now you see the tide is starting to turn especially in Europe. So it's really just engineering catching up with it."

Expect a hands-on preview of Dead Space right here at VideoGamer.com very soon.

Do you think developers "gimp" Xbox 360 versions of multi-platform games because of the PS3? Let us know in the comments section below.

Red Faction 3 Announced for Xbox 360

Brian Farrell, CEO of THQ, has revealed that Red Faction 3 is now in development for the Xbox 360

Duke Nukem Forever and 3D Confirmed for Xbox 360

3D Realms has confirmed a release date for Duke Nukem Forever and at the same time confirmed Duke Nukem 3D for the Xbox Live Arcade. …

"We haven't formally announced any platforms for DNF," said 3D Realms President Scott. "But, of course hitting the big three makes the most sense (PC, PS3, 360)."

Miller added a note of caution on the 12-years-coming sequel and its release window, claiming, "we may miss the mark by a month or two, but I feel very confident that we're on target this time."

Duke Nukem Forever is not the only 3D Realms title coming to home video game consoles in 2008. Miller also confirmed the existence of a downloadable Xbox Live Arcade version of Duke Nukem 3D, which will feature on-line multiplayer support, Xbox Live achievements, on-line score boards, and a co-op mode.

"We're really excited about bringing classic Duke to the 360," said Miller during an interview. "We're talking to Microsoft about getting a release slot sometime this year."

For more about Duke Nukem Forever and developer 3D Realms, visit the official website at www.3DRealms.com.

HD DVD add-on Sells Out on Amazon.com

Todays "Gold Box" deal of the day on Amazon.com included the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player for $79.99. It is now currently sold out!


February 06, 2008



Early this morning Amazon.com sold out of their stock of the HD DVD add-on for the Xbox 360 after being highlighted in today's Gold Box deal of the day with $100 off of the list price.

At $79.99, and after only a few hours, the intial stock sold out. A few additional stock have been added to their inventory sporadically throughout the morning, but currently it looks like the stock is COMPLETELY sold out.

Mass Effect Downloadable Content Announced

The Bring Down the Sky downloadable content pack will be released to Xbox LIVE Marketplace on Monday, March 10 at 2 a.m. PST, and will be available for 400 MS points.

by: Evan Fecko
February 06, 2008



To date, over 1.6 million gamers have explored the engaging sci-fi universe of Mass Effect. Beginning on March 10, fans everywhere will be able to expand the “Mass Effect” experience with the release of the first ever downloadable content for the award-winning saga.

The Bring Down the Sky downloadable content pack will be released to Xbox LIVE Marketplace on Monday, March 10 at 2 a.m. PST, and will be available for 400 MS points. This is the first in a series of planned downloadable content that further expands the Mass Effect universe and continues the adventures of Commander Shepard and the Normandy crew.

Bring Down the Sky includes a new uncharted world that introduces the notorious and feared alien race of the Batarians. A Batarian extremist group has hijacked a mobile asteroid station in the Asgard system, setting it on a collision course with the nearby colony world of Terra Nova. Only Commander Shepard can save the millions of innocent civilians before the asteroid completes its deadly descent.

Bring Down the Sky contains approximately 90 minutes of heart-pounding action and a new Achievement worth 50 Gamerscore points.

Mass Effect is exclusively available on Xbox 360 and is rated M for Mature by the ESRB.

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Halo 3 DLC: "Purple Reign" Map Falls to "Moonlight Sonata" Map

by: David Oxford


In Bungie's latest Weekly Update, one of the items of note was in regards to the upcoming Spring DLC lineup, specifically the "Purple Reign" multiplayer map, which has been revealed to not be ready in time.

Fortunately, the good folk at Bungie won't be leaving their Spartans high and dry, instead replacing it with another "universally adored" multiplayer map codenamed "Moonlight Sonata," which was initially behind the others in development, but seems to have picked up the pace significantly. And now, they're passing the savings on to you... or something.

Bungie also promises to go into specifics about the update soon, including the biggest change, a new and improved melee combat system.

A Closer Look at the Console War: Why Xbox 360 Won 2007

Who's winning the console war right now? If you answered "Wii", then guess again.

Although the Wii has indisputably made its way into more homes than the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3, it should not be considered the most successful console of this generation so far. No, I'm not trying to trip you up, either: Nintendo DS is not the answer. Despite falling a few million units behind in terms of console sales, the Xbox 360 is actually winning this generation. Let me explain why.

There's more to winning the console race than simply selling more units than your competitors. This has always been a fact, but was more difficult to see in the two-competitor, Sega/Nintendo or Sony/Nintendo eras, because the winner in both cases just so happened to sell more units. Indeed, there is obviously a strong correlation between overall success and the number of consoles sold. A more fair system in today's environment, though, would be to look at five different metrics.
TOTAL PLATFORM SPENDING
First, let's take a look at total console revenue for 2007. Worldwide data for this particular category is difficult to find, so we'll stick with the NPD data for the United States. During 2007, the Xbox 360 controlled $4,800,000,000 ($4.8 billion, if that's too many zeroes for you) of total consumer revenue. Let's compare this to its competition: the Wii earned $3.5 billion and the PS3 won $2.2 billion of sales, with all other platforms accounting for another $3.2 billion.

How could the Xbox 360 control so much more of the market? First, recall that this is total revenue, so the fact that the 360 costs more on average than the Wii certainly takes effect here. But this also suggests that the 360 platform persuades more customers to invest in accessories and services. Indeed, Xbox Live now has over 10 million members, although that includes non-paying silver members. Games are also an important part of this number, but that leads us into the next
ATTACHMENT RATE
One of the most important numbers one can use to determine whether a console's success is based on lasting value or fad power is by looking at the "attachment rate." This measures how many games have been sold, divided by the number of consoles sold. In other words, it's the average number of games each console owner has for that system. The Xbox 360 has an attach rate of 7, while the Wii has a rate of about 5 and the PS3 trails with slightly less than the Wii.

The PS3 presents an interesting case here as the counter-argument to this particular gauge of success. Obviously, the PS3 is trailing in third place so far this generation, so remember that the PS3 is able to attain that attach rate with a much smaller number of both hardware and software sold than the Wii. The key to success here is to have a high attach rate while also maintaining strong platform sales. Few would argue that the Xbox 360's sales have been lackluster, so having a high attach rate is a sign that customers aren't simply buying their 360s for one game (say, Halo 3) and then putting them away.

On the other hand, this is exactly what the Wii is facing. A worryingly large number of consumers are buying Wiis purely for Wii Sports, which is included in the box. These consumers are great for Nintendo's bottom line but do not provide any lasting value to the company. Furthermore, having a large contingent of one-game consumers makes it difficult for Nintendo to woo third parties that otherwise would be dazzled by the Wii's sales numbers.
THIRD PART SUPPORT
Three issues keep the Wii from hosting the very best third party content. First, the console's gimpy power precludes it from running truly next-gen titles like Call of Duty 4, Mass Effect or Uncharted. Second, third parties have difficulty jumping into bed with Nintendo because they know from past experience that Nintendo's own franchises will always be the star of the show on Nintendo platforms. Third, the hype effect from point two plays directly into sales. Look at the numbers for Zack and Wiki, for example, and compare those to the sales of Mario and Sonic's 2008 Olympics game. It's enough to make grown men cry.

The 360 wins in this bout as well. While the PS3 is powerful enough, for sure, it's also the most difficult platform of this generation for development. The 360 combines a balance of development efficiency and raw power. Further, the Live Arcade system, while under assault from both Nintendo and Sony, continues to offer the widest range of downloadable games and the lowest barriers to entry by smaller developers
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
This is a category that is being won by all three consoles, and in different ways. Nintendo obviously has enjoyed a meteoric resurrection from the cusp of destruction at the end of the GameCube era to once again sitting in the driver's seat of the industry with the Wii. Nintendo's stock value has shot up over the past few years, and although it has cooled as of late, it still sits many times higher than where it was even in the best days of the GameCube era. Profits in the Mushroom Kingdom are also huge, as the Wii appears to all but print money for the company. Due to the system's basic architecture, development costs were not as high as the competition (Sony, for example, spent over a billion dollars developing the Cell processor, according to some reports). Although this is certainly good news for them, the perspectives of the other two players make clear that "winning" doesn't have to mean selling the most systems.

Microsoft has successfully made the Xbox line a permanent part of the gaming industry. If the 360 had flopped, the original Xbox could have been looked back upon as a mere flash in the pan. Rather, the 360 is more dominant than its predecessor and plays a pivotal role in Microsoft's larger strategy moving forward. With the era of Windows-monopolized computing drawing to a close and its venerable Office suite under constant attack by competitors, Microsoft desperately needs to establish itself as the number one entity in a new industry.

We saw the signs of this again with their acquisition announcement of Yahoo last week. Microsoft needs to succeed in the console space because that is their way of moving from the desktop into the consumer electronics area. The Zune has been a dud, but the 360 shows promise. Even if the 360 continues to be a loss leader (although it seems to have finally begin showing signs of profit potential), it's an important investment in Microsoft's future.

Sony is in a similar boat. The company had already bet the farm on the PlayStation brand long before the launch of their most recent console. Yet even more important this time around was that they made the Blu-ray spec the gold standard of HD content. By including the drive in the PS3, they quite literally put all of their eggs in one basket. Although the PS3 has not performed exceptionally well since launch, it appears to have sold enough to seal the fate of the HD war.

Even if the PlayStation 3 does not reach the same success the PS2 enjoyed, the fact that the system allowed Sony to control what may be the last major optical media format is a big deal and earns them residuals on every disc and player sold, even if they're made by other companies. Indeed, especially if the PS3 does not sell terribly well, this new source of income will be vital to the company
FUTURE POSITIONING
This really should be the year of the PlayStation 3, with a variety of very important exclusive titles only months away. Nintendo will continue to reap rewards from their first party games, and the Wii should continue to sell well. Microsoft has a relatively strong lineup, but it will be difficult to replicate the truly outstanding library additions of 2007. It's really a tossup, here. The PS3 has the least momentum but the most left in the tank. The Wii has already leapt ahead but may have difficulty sustaining that growth in the months ahead. The 360 has followed the most stable pattern of growth, but may get truly overtaken if one of its competitors does as well as they hope.
So Who Won?
In my book, the Xbox 360 wins in terms of revenue, third party support and attachment rate. It's in a close race with the others in terms of Return on Investment, which the Wii wins and Future Positioning, where Sony shows an edge. The idea here is not to cause a massive outrage among the fanboys, but to simply point out an important fact: the console race is not as clear cut as it looks. In a three-console environment, it's important to look past the simple "units sold" number, and dig deeper for the facts. Let's hope that 2008 provides just as interesting an environment for gaming as 2007 did.

Casey Ayers.

DMC4 is 720p on PS3 & Xbox 360 Despite Blog’s “Press Release”

A certain Gaming Blog got a tad worked up over a supposed Capcom Press Release, which states that the console versions of Devil May Cry 4 run at a sub-HD resolution. This press release was fake.

The press release reads thus:

PC version will supports DX9 and DX10 versions.The PC version support higher resolution (In order to maintain stability in the game at 60 FPS, XBOX360, PS3 supports only 1024 * 640 resolution).

Apart form the questionable English, which could be explained by being a poor translation, the “press release” is wrong. Both console demos of DMC4 have been confirmed by Beyond3d’s pixel counters to run natively at 720p. That is, 1280 by 720 pixels.

Although the blogger asks for confirmation from the retail game and not the demo, his fears should be put to rest. In my experience there has yet to be a game that has reduced its resolution from the demo to the full retail release release.

Furthermore, games are designed with a particular resolution in mind and a decision to lower the resolution would not be made at the