Xbox 360 Ειδήσεις {News Topic}

[Daredevil]

X06: Banjo-Kazooie Impressions

The old-school N64 duo is back! Read all about it.

 

Microsoft kicked off its European game event, X06, with a CG video of Rare's most beloved platform characters, Banjo-Kazooie, delighting the crowd with a one- to two-minute video of the colorful characters.

 

 

Aside from Perfect Dark, Banjo-Kazooie represents Rare's most popular original characters (of which there are very few), and harken back to an older time in videogames when 3D platformers were on the rise, thanks to Nintendo's Super Mario 64.

 

The video started with a crayon drawing of Rare's name, followed by a seemingly white 2D screen, on which Banjo-Kazooie appear. The duo appear on foot, looking around and seeing they are in a room that needs their special talents. There are gold notes on one side, and coins on the other side of the room, and Banjo appears intrigued and puzzled. The duo spots a door on the other side of the white oasis. Banjo tries to open it, but can't. He then pulls off Kazooie, and screws up his beak to fit the keyhole in the imaginary portal. The trick works and the pair decide to walk on through to the other side, where the grass was greener.

 

The return of Banjo-Kazooie is more than significant for Rare, which stepped up with two titles at Xbox 360's launch, only one of which was a fan favorite (PDZ). While people are mildly excited about Viva Pinata, there is so much built-up love and loyalty for this franchise that its mere existence is sure to delight fans. Microsoft announced simply that Banjo-Kazooie, full stop. It need not be said that the game is exclusive to Xbox 360, but no release date nor any details were announced.

 

On that note, we can make some simple speculations. Obviously Banjo-Kazooie is not coming out any time this year, so the earliest it could come out is 2007. Second, the full name probably isn't Banjo-Kazooie, though that's all Rare showed on its video wall. Third, the game is intrinsically a platformer, and the X06 video gave us full indications that its platforming ways will continue. The characters, which appeared to be in CG (not real-time video), were highly detailed, with super Conker fur , highly animated moves and exaggerated expressions. While the original Banjo-Kazooie wasn't especially an original idea - it played like an enhanced Super Mario 64 - it had its perks. Rare created great puzzles, interesting uses of the dual characters, and an especially huge and gorgeous world in which to play. Hopefully, Rare will innovate the genre and blend it with action and adventure genres to an even further degree, while adding voices and unique Achievements special to the new game. Look for more details on BJ soon.

 

Panther prolabaineis na tsimphseis ena 360

 

X06: Rainbow Six: Vegas Hands-on

Join us as we play Russian roulette with the terrorists hiding out in Dante's hotel and casino.

 

Pushing aside the crowds at the X06 event high on the Barcelona hillside, we managed to get more hands-on time with Rainbow Six: Vegas, specifically the Dante's Hotel and Casino level which looks like it's nearing completion. Opening with a slick real-time cutscene, players are treated to aerial views of Las Vegas while they circle the hotel in a chopper, the mission brief playing out before the insertion begin. It's a seamless experience, as the CO barking orders while the helicopter nears the target - a half-built casino that's hot with terrorist action.

 

It's not long before you're in the thick of the action, fast-dropping down a zipline straight into a hive of enemy activity. A group of terrorist soldiers have dug in on the floor below, lying in wait and hiding behind construction materials and other debris scattered around. They have what looks like every angle of attack covered, so going in directly is suicidal because even if you manage to take out the point man he's still backed up by three guys on his flank. Plus this is Rainbow Six remember, where realism is paramount, so if you take a more than a couple of slugs to the chest you'll be carried out of the casino in a body bag.

 

It's essential to use tactics and work as a team right from the start then, by getting your buddies move over to the edge of the mezzanine floor they dropped in on and ordering them to lay down covering fire. This is refreshingly simple because the command system in Vegas is simple and fast to use: point to a waypoint and issue the command by pressing A and your team mate will execute the order. They are clever enough to cover their own backs too, so if you accidentally direct them into a hotspot they'll work together to ensure they don't get caught in a crossfire. Which is exactly what you're trying to do with the enemy in Dante's hotel, slowly outflanking them and picking off the enemy guards one by one. When a section is cleared, move on.

 

That's very much the flavour of Rainbow Six Vegas, at least in the Dante's casino level. Although the action is hot and fast the gameplay is considered and precise. As we've mentioned before Vegas uses a regenerative health system so when you take a shot the screen blurs. If you don't duck behind cover to take a breath you'll eventually red-out, but take it slowly and use your team mates and you'll survive to see the debrief. Moving steadily is the key to getting out alive.

 

The terrorists aren't stupid, either. They won't lurk in one area if they know you're coming, instead fanning out to attack from different angles and moving from one area of cover to the next. Thankfully the levels are dynamic in their design and while a staircase might seem like the only way down to the next level it's worth examining the surrounding area a little more closely. In the instance of Dante's casino there are construction hooks onto which you can attach a rappel, quickly lowering your team down to attack the terrorists from behind while they keep watch on the stairs. But even here you have a number of options, either hanging upside down to pick them off one-by-one with the pistol, or smashing through the glass and ripping them to shreds with an SMG. Admittedly both are equally effective if you're sharp with a shooter, but the former is perhaps the best option considering there are more terrorists below and you don't want to give away your position more than necessary.

 

Moving stealthily proves essential later in the level, when a huge bell falls from the beam it was hanging from and crashes down to the ground floor, plunging the building site into darkness. Switching to infra-red, the smoky gloom is replaced by shades of blue and yellow, enabling you to pick out enough detail to move on. However, the tumbling bell has sparked fires all around meaning it's difficult to pick out shapes up ahead. Is that a terrorist hiding around that corner or the lick of flames from burning debris? There's only one safe way to find out and that's to open fire, but ammo is limited so you can't pop a cap in everything that moves without running dry later on.

 

The current build of the game is looking very solid indeed, with Vegas promising to deliver a truly next-gen Rainbow Six experience. Visually it's on a par with - if not better than - Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and the team controls are just as intuitive. We cannot wait to play the final version - we'll bring the low-down just as soon as we've tackled the terrorist enemy for real.

[Daredevil]

X06: FIFA 07 Movie

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X06: Halo Wars Impressions

Holy entirely different genre, Master Chief! You're in a freakin' RTS!

 

Microsoft just couldn't help itself at X06 this year, announcing three new Halo properties to the already massive juggernaut Halo 3 and trumping all its other titles. The Xbox 360 manufacturer announced Ensemble Studios, known for its many excellent strategy and RTS series, is working on a real-time strategy dubbed "Halo Wars." Halo was originally designed as an RTS on the Macintosh and transformed through several genre iterations before it hit, and stuck, with the first-person shooter everyone now knows and loves.

 

The video was impressive in concept, though like most other footage at the show, it too was created in CG. It started out showing two Marines racing across a rough barren landscape in a Warthog. The camera pans into show the passenger marine, who speaks with another marine in a situation in which she (yes, she) appeared to think the situation was clear. It was hard to tell, but it looked like she had just killed off a bunch of Covenant soldiers and she was scanning the area for more. Just when it looked like the lone marine was clear, she then alerts the warthog marines, explaining that there is activity nearby and then the phone goes dead. You watch as the lone marine is stealth killed by an Elite Covenant Guard, which used a stealth shield to cloak itself, surprised the marine, and killed her with an energy sword in one swift stroke. The guard then picks up the marine and holds it close to its face. The camera zooms in to show the insect-like mandibles of the Guard, as it breathes heavily into the face of the dead marine, a look of pure disgust and hatred toward her.

 

The camera switches to another angle, at ground level about 20 feet away, and focuses in on a handful of Elite Covenant Guards, all of whom appear from under cloak. Interestingly, they appear in a familiar RTS formation. The camera quickly pans back to the soldiers in the warthog, shocked and in anguish.

 

You then see a human dropship spearing the air and cruising near the ground, and the camera switches from a strict focus on the flying vehicle outward to a bigger more exciting scenario. You then see a fleet of warthogs, and, as the camera rapidly zooms out, you can see a fleet of banshees, and then hundreds of other human and Covenant ships descending into a massive aerial battle. To everyone's surprise, a squadron of SPARTANS appears shining in their Mjolnir amour, and you hear what sounds like Master Chief's voice, "If they want a war, we'll give them a war." The SPARTANs are assembled in perfect RTS formation. The camera once again shifts. It zooms out from the convergence of imminent battle onto a cliffside and behind a proud looking SPARTAN soldier. It then ends with a Halo Wars logo and the end of the video.

 

At X06, the video left a stunned crowd of journalists, geeks, nerds, morons, gamers, fools, and dorks in surprised glee. People cheered but the wave of cries didn't sound like it did when people cheered for Halo 2 or Halo 3. The crowd was more like, "Cool! Wait, was that a Halo RTS? Whoa…Wow."

 

Halo Wars gives players an unprecedented way to experience the Halo universe; this time, as it was originally meant to be, it's an RTS. From the looks of it, players can take on the roles of a variety of human and Covenant forces, including marines and SPARTANS, an array of Covenant types, including Elites, in addition to giving gamers the ability to use independent controlling land and air vehicles. Since there is actually more than one SPARTAN, one must speculate the game takes place before the first Halo game, when the early SPARTAN program was in full gear, approximately around the same time as the first book, The Fall of Reach.

 

In a first major step for Microsoft, Halo Wars will not be developed by its creator, Bungie. Instead, as aforementioned, Halo Wars is in development by Ensemble Studios. This new move signifies Microsoft's full dedication to expanding its most popular franchise both creatively and financially, but it also means that Bungie is giving up an unspecified amount of creative control to another developer. Nobody doubts Ensemble's skills as an RTS developer, but Bungie has been extremely protective of its property in the past, and to let another developer (or to submit to Microsoft's demands to make more Halo games come hell or highwater), is a significant step. Futhermore, it sees Bungie not only as the developer of Halo 3, but as an overseer of the Halo property in multiple ways: as a keeper of the license and essence for the movie, as an overseer of the Halo universe in its RTS form, and finally, as a guide for Peter Jackson and Wingnut Interactive as they forge new waters between games, interactivity and story-telling.

 

X06: Gears of War Multiplayer Hands-on Part Deux

New build, new map, new weapon, same bloddy chainsaw.

 

For a game Peter Moore calls "the best looking game on any platform this year," Gears of War holds its own. In our latest hands-on session, a four-on-four team deathmatch in a new map called Canals, we found the latest build to be free of any frame-rate issues, to feature the same stop-and-pop gameplay, and the same bloody chainsaw.

 

Like the map at the E3 demo, Canals is fairly symmetrical, offering no great advantage to either the Coalition of Ordered Governments (bunch of Fascists, we say) or the Locust Hoard, the misunderstood group of underground warriors, known for their brutality, poor skin and even worse dental hygiene. We are slated to play single-player and co-op Gears manana, which we have come to learn translates to "tomorrow" in Spanish - the native language of Barcelona, the host city of X06.

 

The Canals map was a basic multiplayer setup, with a knee-deep river crossing a war-torn urban landscape, covered by bridges and filled with giant boulders that provide useful cover. As I played the map over and over, I noticed again that there are several natural battleground areas, where the COG and Locust are bound to meet. Usually there is a sniper rifle or a rocket launcher or one of the new weapons we found, a crossbow, in the middle - the prize for the strongest player or, like me, the guy who likes to hide behind cover and plunder the riches when everyone else is dead. Heh.

 

Visually, Canals looks like what Prague in the 1940s looked like if the Nazis would have got a little too excited with the dynamite. The size of the map is relatively small, and if it weren't for groups of yelping Dutch games journalists shooting my character in the face, I could sprint across the entire map in about 30 seconds. Maybe less. But sprinting is not what you do here, of course, as stalking through the map, seeking cover, working with teammates and going for bloody headshots is the best way to win a round.

 

The revival system has been fleshed out, and if a comrade is unfortunately gutted or blasted or impaled, you have several seconds to rush to his side and revive him. The injured player presses A to keep his heart beating while the screen turns a shade of blood red. An enemy can shoot him in the back of the head, ending his life for good, or a timer runs out and he bleeds to death, his comrades looking on in agony. That's most likely because it still is difficult to take a great many bullets, just like in real-life, as I would imagine. A few steps out in the open are a death sentence, as all-but the newest news will put assault rifle rounds into your rather large, next-gen skull.

 

The weapon set was the same at E3, for the most part: two pistols, an assault rifle, shotgun, smoke grenade and sniper rifle. Instead of the "boom stick," the feared grenade launcher, we discovered a bow weapon with an interesting aiming device. The longer you hold down the aim button, a reticule bends from a wide arc into a straight line, as if you were pulling a bow string taught. We imagine that a short pull would allow you to shoot arrows into the air that dropped down into enemy flesh; a long pull would produce a devastating shot that, if landed said an Epic developer, would cause the afflicted to explode. Of course, we didn't have much time to aim the bow as opponents in the COG filled my Locust character with bullets, for shame.

 

The cover system is implemented with great success and feels very intuitive. Ducking from barrier to barrier is simple and performed with ease. Close combat, at this point, is a bit of a problem. Aiming is slow and inaccurate, and as enemies surround you, chainsaws at the ready, you find your reticule struggling to keep up with the zipping opponents. In fact, close combat will most likely be your downfall unless you switch to a shotgun and get lucky or switch to a chainsaw and get lucky.

 

All too often, the chainsaw feels like a complete matter of luck, as you and an opponent collide, both pressing and holding B for a melee attack. One of you will get the chainsaw out. The other, if equipped with a chainsaw, will feel as if the two seconds holding down the melee button should have resulted in the death of the enemy. Instead, you will find your extremities severed from your body -- frustrating, to say the least.

 

While we look forward to more multiplayer, as well as single and co-op play tomorrow, Gears of War was a special treat today following the X06 press conference. It plays well and, while it has a few minor third-person shooter problems to deal with, such as control, it looks amazing and remains one of the must-have games of the year. More tomorrow.

 

X06: Call of Duty 3 Progress Report

The same levels as shown (and played) before, but now in Europe!

 

Activision showed off a single-playable level of Call of Duty 3 at Microsoft's X06 event directly after the one-hour conference, offering gamers a chance to handle the same level displayed in June and in Paris earlier this month.

 

The training level, Saint Lo, which was called the "bloodiest battle of the war" on August 1, 1944, shows players how to handle and switch weapons, throw grenades, duck, lay prone, shoot and aim, is surprisingly tough (for a training level).

 

In Treyarch's hands (instead of Infinity Ward, which created the series), Call of Duty 3 offers a similar experience as Call of Duty 2, with intense, chaotic, linear levels, and realistic and impressive sound and graphics. COD3's training level was a little rough in the sense that code was still showing on screen, but it played well enough. After shooting and grenade practice, you'll switch weapons and then jump on a truck filled with American noobs, only to be shot down and thrown straight into battle.

 

The first level quickly turns into a blood battle, with Germans fighting to defend a blown out church and graveyard. You learn to take cover, aim by bringing up the gun to your eye, move and shoot quickly, and repeat ad nausea. Once you get into a blown-out house, you'll experience your first "Saving Private Ryan" moment, as a German soldier attacks you in hand-to-hand combat. You'll need to press the left and right triggers simultaneously and then repeatedly to defend yourself, and then hit X to attack. If you're not fast enough, he'll brutally choke you to death while looking with cold steel eyes into yours. This new feature has turned out to be better than average and does add a touch of personal intensity.

 

Once you beat this fella, an American tank is available outside. You'll jump on it and crouch to avoid fire, springing up every so often to smartly and quickly aim at any nearby enemies. After passing through a handful of tough spots, you'll direct your tank to blow up distinct locations, destroying cannon towers and snipers alike.

 

The demo ends soon after.

 

Graphically, COD3 isn't much prettier than COD2, but amplifies the intensity with more explosions, more people on screen, slightly tougher AI, and what seems like double the amount of sound. This first training level is almost deafening -- in a good way.

 

We'll have more soon on COD3.

[Daredevil]

X06: Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Screens

 

 

X06: Kane & Lynch Screenshots

 

[Daredevil]

X06: Fuzion Frenzy 2 Screens

 

 

X06: Definitive Conference Analysis

Halo news, Peter Jackson, HD-DVD and what it means to you.

 

A tattoo. That was the only thing missing from the long list of major Microsoft announcements from corporate VP Peter Moore. We had GTA4, Halo, HD-DVD, Marvel and more Halo. Here's our look at the big news and what it means to you.

 

 

Hello Halo

 

Halo Wars is coming. At the tail end of X06, Microsoft's games conference in Barcelona, today, Microsoft regional vice president Chris Lewis showed off the first trailer of Ensemble's upcoming title, an RTS with all the excellence of Age of Empires 3 set in the Halo universe. We all knew it was coming. Hell, IGN 360 Editor-in-Chief Doug Perry predicted it just yesterday. The lights grew dim and armies of the Covenant and Spartans began an epic, big-screen battle.

 

Yes, Microsoft knows how to end its press conferences, a stark contrast to the opening of the conference, during which Lewis quoted sales numbers and spurted sugar-coated hyperbole. But, much how the E3 conference finished off with the debut Halo 3 trailer, Halo Wars sent a similar rush of chills down the spines of hundreds in the gaming press. What's more, Peter Jackson appeared on stage at the Theater National Catalunya on this warm September evening to announce that he, Wingnut Studios and Microsoft Game Studios will work on a new Halo "game," a blending of film and videogame into an interactive, emotional "experience." Until we see otherwise, we will go ahead and just call it a game, but we are nonetheless excited to see what Jackson has in store for the Halo universe and beyond.

 

This announcement is clearly a huge step for Microsoft as it spreading its most successful franchise across multiple genres. In addition to Halo 3, the first-person shooter; we will have a Halo RTS; a Halo "interactive movie thingy;" and the Peter Jackson directed film. Clearly this vaults Halo from videogame to something more, and the future is bright for our favorite Spartan. Prepare for Halo The TV Series, Halo The Magazine and Halo The Lunch Box.

 

Exclusive Or Not?

 

On the footsteps of Sony's major announcements at Tokyo Game Show last week, Microsoft countered with a right cross of its own, including news that anticipated third-party titles BioShock, Splinter Cell Double Agent, a new Banjo-Kazooie title, Eidos's Kane and Lynch and a new FPS, Crossfire, would be exclusive to the Xbox 360.

 

What's more, Grand Theft Auto 4 will feature two "epic episodes," downloadable content through Xbox Live that is also exclusive to the 360. It's not yet known if the PS3 version will have its own exclusive content when it released alongside the 360 title on October 16, 2007, although that can't be counted out given Rockstar's longstanding relationship with Sony. Microsoft Vice President Peter Moore did take the stage to say that the downloads are more than skins and costumes for one of the most massive games in history. The episodes will be feature hours of new gameplay, missions and will be released sometime after the initial GTA4 release. No price has been announced for the exclusive content.

We are all for additional content, providing that it's actually "additional" and not something that should have been included in the retail disc, like, say, alternate jerseys and classic teams and stadiums in Madden 07. Personally, we draw the line at Grand Turismo HD, a build-your-own, buy-your-own game. Downloadable content, in the wrong hands, could be nothing more than a way to take your hard earned cash, where you are forced to buy additional items needed to beat a game, or items that should have been in the first place. This is a slippery slope we don't want to see 360 titles traveling. Nonetheless, extra, episodic content, in a Half Life 2 sort of way, could be just what GTA fans were looking for. We just don't want to hit an invisible wall on a bridge in Vice City and be forced to pay a 1,000 Microsoft Point toll.

 

Back to exclusives, Microsoft has been a bit loose with the term lately. At Leipzig this year, the company announced an "exclusive" on next-gen soccer with FIFA 07 and Pro Evolution 6. Turns out the "exclusive" was only in Europe and only for a few months, the equivalent of calling Madden 07 a next-gen exclusive until it hits the PS3 this November.

 

But after talking with Microsoft reps, we did learn that Kane and Lynch and Crossfire are legitimate exclusives. Splinter Cell will appear on the PS2, PC and original Xbox. Banjo-and-Kazooie is now a first-party title anyway, a natural exclusive. And BioShock will be exclusive to 360 and Games for Windows and, according to Microsoft at a quaint dinner in the hills of Barcelona, will not appear on the PS3. PS3 owners, if it's any consolation, can watch Spiderman 2 on Blu-Ray.

 

Live Arcade Madness

 

Following the release of a few duds on Xbox Live Arcade (Time Pilot and Scramble), Moore surprised of all with the announcement of Doom on XBLA. What's more, it became available on Marketplace today and will feature two-player split-`screen. In fact, you are probably downloading it now while you read this.

 

Other titles -- some announced, some not -- include Contra, Small Arms, Gyruss, Mutant Storm Empires, TotemBall, Defender, Assualt Heroes, Sensible Soccer and Heavy Weapon. We're still waiting to hear on a number of anticipated yet unannounced titles like NBA Jam and Killer Instinct and even the original Spy Hunter.

 

Obviously the success of Arcade is unprecedented. Still, the Arcade library consists of a litany of out-of-date retro games and a number of forgettable titles. But with heavy hitters on the way like Symphony of the Night and, now, Doom on the list, Microsoft is becoming increasingly ambitious with Arcade. It will be hard to imagine any game that you loved in the past, not under the domain of Sony or Nintendo, not in the queue in Redmond.

 

Gears of War Marches on

 

CliffyB jumped on stage in Barcelona to continue his single-player Gears demo where the E3 demo left off. That isn't exactly accurate though, as we remember a giant worm exploding from the ground like an 18-year-old libido on prom night. Instead, we found Marcus, hiding behind the shallow walls of a drained fountain, shooting Locust drones in the face as they emerged from their own dirty holes in the earth.

 

At first glance, the enemy appeared a bit stupid, accepting bullets in the shoulder like they were gracious pats on the back. When the Locust should have been diving for cover and salvation, it stood there, receiving round after round before falling dead. When not being shot, however, the Locust did find cover and even attempted a flanking maneuver. CliffyB, in a moment of daring and bravado, leaped over the fountain wall and attacked a Locust with his chainsaw at the ready. Only the chainsaw never activated, and the Locust and Marcus sort of ambled next to each other in a kind of war dance, some kind of collision issue at work. CliffyB, never dismayed, simply rolled away, charged again, and took down the Locust with a now-functioning saw. Bloody death ensued.

 

The framerate was clearly improved and working at a smooth clip. A pounding cinematic score bumped in the background. But one of our most anticipated games of the year still has a ways to go before a game-of-the-year nomination, despite being at the top of our must-have list of 2006, excluding Viva Pinata, of course.

 

HD-DVD Is Here

 

The final significant announcement at X06 told the price and release date of the peripheral HD-DVD.

 

$199.

Mid-November.

 

Pencil in the date, HDTV owners. While we still have no idea how the thing will hook up to a TV (outside of a strange HDMI dongle of some sort), the soon-to-be-most-affordable HD-DVD player on the market appears to be a slick little bargain. Microsoft already said that 1080p resolution will mysteriously be possible through a Fall update, presumably through Xbox Live and not off a disc.

 

But if you call now, and mention the name "Miller Time" to your operator, the HD-DVD drive will also include Peter Jackson's King Kong HD-DVD, and... wait for it... your very own universal media remote. How much would you pay for this special package? $400? $300? If you call now, you will get both King Kong and the universal remote absolutely free with the HD-DVD drive.

 

Microsoft did well by keeping the total price of a premium 360 and the HD-DVD on par with a premium PlayStation 3 console. What's more, the happy-go-lucky kid from Eerie PA with a massive DVD collection doesn't have to buy HD-DVD if he doesn't want to. Frankly, a lot of us out there are pleased with DVDs and the $35 high-def discs don't have much to offer besides a few extra pixels.

 

But hey, super techie early adopter will be stoked that MS just introduced the HD-DVD bargain of the century with the $200 box. Even mainstream manufacturers will have to take note that a 360 and HD-DVD drive will cost less than the current standalone sets.

 

Sure, the drive is a bullet-point-by-bullet-point attempt to keep pace with the feature set of the PS3. But the option is nice, although we would hope to see future uber-premium 360 consoles with an internal HD-DVD drive, complete with HDMI and a popcorn maker, if possible. Buttery mess or not, though, 2007 looks to be a promising year for the 360.

 

It's 6:10 a.m.

 

IGN 360 team, out.

[xrest]

to mass effect ontws paramenei to kalitero next gen grafiko.alla to alan wake de paei pisw...koita omorfia k tromo pou thaxei..

[xrest]

Blue Dragon

 

[Daredevil]

hehehe poly jp

[The_Sheep]

kai ena grab apo ena videaki tou ign gia to fifa07, to game fainetai poli omorfo, eidika sto simeio pou milane oi devs kai exei apo piso tin othoni me to game, fainontai oi filathloi na kounane simeiees kai na panigirizoun pou gia ligo nomiza oti itan cgi

[Bourdoulas]

GTA 4, PGR4, Halo Wars and a collaboration with Peter Jackson all due for Xbox 360

 

Microsoft has unveiled a whole host of software for the Xbox 360 and Windows at X06, including exclusive deals on some of gaming's most lucrative franchises and new IP.

 

Leading the assault was Halo Wars, an all-new real-time strategy game based on the Halo franchise and designed exclusively for Xbox 360 by Ensemble Studios, creators of Age of Empires - which goes some way to explaining why Microsoft was so keen to shutdown the fan-made Halo RTS, we suppose.

 

Bizarre Creations' Project Gotham Racing 4 was unveiled with a teaser trailer, while it was revealed that the next iteration of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto franchise will benefit from two exclusive 360 episodes available online within months of the October 2007 release.

 

Ubisoft's Splinter Cell Double Agent is also now exclusive to the Xbox 360 and Windows, as is Irrational's new IP Bioshock.

 

Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, also took to the stage in Barcelona to reveal a collaboration with Microsoft to create content hoping to blend movies and games, and has formed an offshoot of his movie company called Wingnut Interactive to work on a new Halo series as well as another unnamed project.

 

Rare's Viva Pinata also got special attention at the event, as did Mistwalker and Artoon's RPG Blue Dragon, with the queues at last week's Tokyo Game Show hailed as evidence of the respect the developer commands.

 

On stage Peter Moore boasted of 160 hi-def games for the console by Christmas, all with the 1080p support, before blitzing the attended crowd with a show reel of upcoming and previously announced titles including the hotly anticipated Gears of War.

 

The design team from Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed gave the first live demo of the game, while it was revealed that Kane & Lynch by Io Interactive will debut on Xbox 360, as will Crossfire from Pivotal, also due for Windows Vista.

 

The price of the HD-DVD for 360 was revealed to be EUR 199 or GBP 129, and will be released mid-November bundled with a media remote and a copy of King Kong.

 

Over 50 HD-DVD movies are promised by the end of the year, with Moore calling the peripheral "the perfect compliment to your gaming experience".

 

Stating "we're not complacent" with regards to Xbox Live, Microsoft's regional vice president Chris Lewis trumpeted the service and revealed that 60 per cent of users are now connected to the online service, compared to just ten per cent on the original Xbox.

 

Between them, users have access to 1500 items amounting to 57 million downloads to date.

 

Xbox Live Arcade has reached ten million downloads to date, revealed Lewis, unveiling new titles - both original IP and retro games - including Sensible World of Soccer and id's classic FPS Doom.

 

Microsoft's cross-platform offering - Live Anywhere - will incorporate a simple interface, with Shadowrun helping to launch the service next year, and Marvel Universe Online from Cryptic Studios to follow at a later date.

 

Lewis claimed that the rollout of Xbox 360 units, which now accounts for 1.3 million in Europe and 5 million worldwide, is the fastest any company has managed, and reiterated that the company aims to ship 10 million by the end of this year.

 

Other countries due to receive the Xbox 360 before the end of 2006 include Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia and South Africa.

 

 

Pare kosmo na xeis...

[The_Sheep]

WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2007 demo

sto marketplace

[privateer]

Bringing it Home Day 9

 

 

Trailers:

Tony Hawk's Project 8

Wheelman

Frontlines Fuel of War

X06 Game Montage

Crossfire

 

Demos:

WWE Smackdown vs. RAW 2007

 

Gamer Pics and Themes:

Fable 2 Theme

X06 Theme

 

In Game Content

Four Oblivion packs $ (150 points each. Only Available in In France, Italy, Germany and Spain.)

This is the in game content that was previously available in other regions.

[panther_512]

Kαλησπέρα παιδιά.

 

Καταρχήν σόρρι για το off topic, αλλά θα ήθελα τη γνώμη των XBOX360-άδων.

 

Ο παραγωγός του Madden 07, πρόσφατα είχε δηλώσει ότι η έκδοση του Madden για το Wii σε πολλά σημεία θα είναι ισάξια με του XBOX360.

 

Μεγάλες κουβέντες, ειδικά αν δούμε τις πρώτες εικόνες του Madden για το Wii.

 

 

 

Σήμερα, στο gonintendo.com δημοσιεύτηκαν οι καινούργιες pics για το Madden 07 Wii version (περισσότερα στο Wii topic).

 

Ορίστε μία:

 

 

 

 

Προσπάθησα να διασταυρώσω τις εικόνες, μπάς και είναι pics από την XBOX360 έκδοση και τις πασάραν και καλά για του Wii. Όσο και αν έψαξα όμως, δεν βρήκα καμιά pic του XBOX360 που να αντιστοιχεί σε αυτές.

 

Οπότε, εσείς πώς βλέπετε αυτές τις νέες pics? Η ποιότητα είναι ολόιδια με του XBOX360, οπότε είναι του XBOX360 εικόνες?

 

Ή η ποιότητα των γραφικών είναι πιό κάτω, οπότε μπορούμε να δεχτούμε ότι είναι του Wii?

 

 

(ίσως η ερώτησή μου να πρέπει να πάει στο "Απορίες, εντυπώσεις, προβλήματα")

[Blackjim]

Bringing it Home Day 9

Demos:

WWE Smackdown vs. RAW 2007

to ena xazo demo pisw ap'to allo!!

gamw tin M$ mou gamw!

 

X06: Video presentation of Fifa 2007

 

http://www.xboxyde.com/news_3623_en.html

 

einai auto pou exei kai sto merketplace.

Sto XBL kiolas einai poly pio HQ ( 320MB nomizw ).

aksizei na to deis omws.

[xrest]

Madden 07

 

[Daredevil]

Kαλησπέρα παιδιά.

 

Καταρχήν σόρρι για το off topic, αλλά θα ήθελα τη γνώμη των XBOX360-άδων.

 

Ο παραγωγός του Madden 07, πρόσφατα είχε δηλώσει ότι η έκδοση του Madden για το Wii σε πολλά σημεία θα είναι ισάξια με του XBOX360.

 

Μεγάλες κουβέντες, ειδικά αν δούμε τις πρώτες εικόνες του Madden για το Wii.

 

 

 

Σήμερα, στο gonintendo.com δημοσιεύτηκαν οι καινούργιες pics για το Madden 07 Wii version (περισσότερα στο Wii topic).

 

Ορίστε μία:

 

 

 

 

Προσπάθησα να διασταυρώσω τις εικόνες, μπάς και είναι pics από την XBOX360 έκδοση και τις πασάραν και καλά για του Wii. Όσο και αν έψαξα όμως, δεν βρήκα καμιά pic του XBOX360 που να αντιστοιχεί σε αυτές.

 

Οπότε, εσείς πώς βλέπετε αυτές τις νέες pics? Η ποιότητα είναι ολόιδια με του XBOX360, οπότε είναι του XBOX360 εικόνες?

 

Ή η ποιότητα των γραφικών είναι πιό κάτω, οπότε μπορούμε να δεχτούμε ότι είναι του Wii?

 

 

(ίσως η ερώτησή μου να πρέπει να πάει στο "Απορίες, εντυπώσεις, προβλήματα")

h poiothta panther einai poly pio katw apo ayth tou 360 pics gia thn 360 version 8a breis edw kai gameplay videos edw, h pic pou ebales mallon apo 360 vers