Xbox 360 Ειδήσεις {News Topic}

[p3tran]

H M$ θα αγορασει την Capcom?

 

A nice juicy rumor in this months edition of the Electronic Gaming Monthly; it is said that, after Rare, Microsoft has plans to take over Capcom as well to get more feet on the ground in Japan! It would make sense after Lost Planet and Dead Rising that were both Xbox 360 exclusive.

More about this rumour and some other nice rumours (Just Cause 2 has green light from Eidos and Konami pushing to get MGS to Xbox 360) by clicking the link below.

http://www.news4gamers.com/xbox360/News-14538.aspx

[Stormwatch]

30λεπτη κουβεντα του CliffyB με το EGM και πλανα απο το GoW party....

 

http://download.gamevideos.com/7390/gv.com.the1upshowgow_640x480.wmv

[xrest]

Xbox 360 Exhibition Vol 1 disc

 

 

[xrest]

Rumor: Xbox 360 For $100?

This obviously sounds way too good to be true, so consider it rumor/unicorn-caliber fantasy at this point, but Techcrunch is saying they have a "rock solid source" telling them that mega-retailer Amazon will be selling some Xbox 360's for $100.

 

Yeah. $100. That isn't a typo. $100. Just to be clear, that's $100. Got it? One hundred dollars. American.

 

They point to the "Core System" as the model to be promotionally slashed, but don't give any other specifics about what else to expect. Keep your eyes peeled and your F5 well-oiled for maximum cheap ass gaming potential. Michael McWhertor

 

Amazon To Sell Xbox 360 for $100? [Techcrunch]

 

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/amazon/...100-214112.php

[xrest]

Review of XBOX 360 HD-DVD

 

Regardless, the HD-DVD add-on for the 360 is nearly identical in playback to the Toshiba (HD-A1) and if you compare component to component and Dolby Digital to Dolby Digital, there is nary a difference.

 

The bottom line is that if you own an Xbox 360 and you decide you would like to watch HD-DVD films, then the $200 is a very wise investment. This is a small cost when compared to today's standalone units and considering you get nearly the same performance as the Toshiba units, it is an investment that delivers a lot of bang for the buck.

 

http://www.dvdtown.com/news/reviewof...hddvdadon/4186

[xrest]

Huxley Gameplay Trailer in High Definition

 

WEBZEN released today a brand new game play trailer featuring in-game footage for its highly anticipated massively multiplayer online first-person shooter Huxley. Produced for and shown at the G-Star trade show in Korea, the new trailer showcases intense FPS action, a variety of locations including the hub city, vehicles, monsters and much more.

 

Huxley utilizes the Unreal 3.0 engine and WEBZENʼs proprietary networking technology to create an enriched game play experience with up to 5,000 players in the same world. Huxley takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where human beings have mutated and divided into two opposing races – the Sapiens and the Alternatives. Key to their battle for survival is Lunarites, a promising new energy source highly coveted by each race.

 

Forced to fight against one another for the continuance of their races, the Sapiens and Alternatives must accomplish the unthinkable as they work to eliminate the opposition and gain control of the world and its resources.

 

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/12223/Huxley-Gameplay-Trailer-in-High-Definition/

[privateer]

Xbox 360's HD DVD drive already functioning on PCs

 

http://www.engadgethd.com/2006/11/12/xbox-360s-hd-dvd-drive-already-functioning-on-pcs/

[xrest]

Capcom's Lost Planet Summit

 

[privateer]

The Turn 10 Weekly Pitpass Report

 

Well here's the deal. Since X06, we've been hard at work on two main areas which are central to the core of Forza 2: performance and graphical tuning. That's not to say that other disciplines aren't getting daily progress (such as car models, audio, tuning, and AI) but it seems performance is where most of the system devs are focused on right now -- and it clearly shows.

 

As a result of a Herculean team effort, this past week, Turn 10's systems architect Chris Tector checked into the latest build some magic code that now renders the game at 60 frames-per-second with most of the post-processing special effects and car HUD turned on. Because Forza 2 is pushing so many polygons and next-gen effects, the team has had a heck of a time pushing the engine to run the game at a locked, butter-smooth, 60 fps.

 

The end result, as you can imagine, is simply gorgeous with a capital G. Although games at a consistent v-sync'ed 30 fps look and play great (see also: PGR3), doubling the framerate makes all the difference in the world. Combine that with the fact that our physics engine is now running at an even higher refresh rate than the previous Forza, and you have hands-down the most realistic driving sim on consoles. Of course, like any game development circumstance, these features are often trade-offs for other features. It's still too early to tell what may or may not have to be changed/tweaked in order to maintain 60 fps -- hopefully nothing -- as far as we're concerned.

 

http://forzamotorsport.net/devcorner/pitpass/pitpass24.htm

[privateer]

Big Halo News Coming This Week

Bungie promises "some pretty BIG surprises."

 

If 1UP's three weeks of Halo 3 coverage haven't been enough for you, Bungie Studios may have the right fix. The original Halo turns five years old this week, and in their latest weekly update, the studio's promised "some pretty BIG surprises and maybe announcements," as "a bunch of stuff is going down to celebrate the 5th anniversary of a little game we like to call Halo."

 

We haven't heard much about Halo Wars outside of the tasty CG trailer at X06 -- could Ensemble Studios finally be spilling the beans? Will official screen shots and footage of Halo 3, something we've only been able to tease about so far in our coverage, make their way online? There's plenty of possibilities, so stay tuned as the surprises unfold.

 

On a quick side note, however, Bungie's polling the female Halo audience about a potential interest in having a female Spartan voice recorded for Halo 3. To date, Bungie's kept much of Master Chief's personality relatively ambiguous. "If we do it, it won't be comical, stereotypical or insulting -- we'll pick a great, strong female actress who can pull off bloodcurdling death cries and rattles," says Bungie.

 

So, for all the ladies out there, if you want your female Spartan, speak up!

[xrest]

Viva Piñata Review

 

8.0 Presentation

Great style. Viva is rife with humor that will appeal to all ages.

8.0 Graphics

Frequent slowdown as the game autosaves hurts the nice visuals.

9.0 Sound

Excellent sound effects that help bring the world to life.

8.5 Gameplay

A unique game that is a surprisingly deep and engaging experience.

7.5 Lasting Appeal

More online features would have greatly extended the life of the game.

8.5

Great OVERALL

(out of 10 / not an average) See All Award Recipients

 

If you've played The Sims or Animal Crossing and enjoyed them, Viva Pinata is a safe bet. The gameplay is more interactive and hectic, and facing the consequences of your actions, be they good or bad, is enjoyable gaming. Viva Piñata may have been designed with children in mind, but Rare has created a game that anybody with an open mind can get into and have fun with. The characters are endearing and the abounding sense of discovery can't be denied. Despite the slim interpersonal Xbox Live interaction we would hope for in a game like this, Viva Piñata has enough to explore and keep you busy that it makes for a solid purchase.

Another Take

from Douglass C. Perry

For many years now, Microsoft and Rare have wanted to create game for all ages, including games for kids. Viva Pinata is definitely a kidsʼ game. That may put you off. But as opposed to the dozens of crappy kids games churned out by other publishers each year, Microsoft and Rare have made an engaging and surprisingly refreshing title. It's deep in the way that old Nintendo kids games used be, like The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Brothers, even Pokemon.

 

Viva Pinata isn't a platformer or an RPG though. It's really a very conscious blend of The Sims, Animal Crossing and Pokemon. I like to call it a garden sim, or jokingly, a shovel simulator. But it's more than that. And the only way to really convey the gameplay of Rare's new gem is to play it. It never plays the same way twice, and it's filled with surprising AI behavior, so if you and a friend each started games simultaneously, you'd have completely different gardens within a few hours. The gameplay is deep with choices, it's very well explained (though there is an overabundance of text for a kid), and it's never slow. Your garden will start off quickly: Animals show up and move in, they eat, breed and fight. Weirdly masked helpers appear to give guidance, and their help, their shops and their presence adds greatly to the experience. The online aspect, sharing and trading animals (like sending Sours to your buddy) should play out very well in theory; unfortunately, I was unable to try it, so I don't know firsthand.

 

In the long run, I'm inclined to think that I'll like Viva Pinata better than either Kameo or Perfect Dark Zero. Itʼs certainly different enough.

[xrest]

Japan Games Festa

 

This weekend, Osaka not only saw the PS3 launch, but also the annual Japan Games Festa. My original plan: Stay up all night for the launch, then head over and cover the event. What happened: Stayed up all night for the launch, slept all afternoon. Thank goodness Kotakuite Jeff was well rested and willing to hit the show. Here's what he had to report back:

 

No real news, but Gears of War did get a Cero Z rating and was only playable behind a curtain... Blue Dragon had long lines to play!

The dreaded CERO Z rating is Japan's equivalent of "games as porn." Likewise, Dead Rising received the same rating and was edited. Undeterred, Japanese gamers still lined up to play the unreleased GoW with a wait that clocked in at 45 minutes. Blue Dragon's line-up time was 60 minutes. And that's even with playable PS3 and Wii games on the show floor!

 

[Stormwatch]

OXM Christmas Issue

 

On the Disc

 

Demos

 

360 Only

 

Need for Speed Carbon

WWE Smackdown 2007

Lego Star Wars 2

Sonic the Hedgehog

Fuzion Frenzy 2

 

Reviews

 

Gears of War 10

Rainbow Six Vegas 8.5

Need for Speed Carbon(360) 8

Need for Speed Carbon(Xbox) 7

Fifa 07(360) 7.5

Reservoir Dogs(Xbox) 4

Capcom Classics Vol.2(Xbox) 5.5

Cars(360) 5.5

Xiaolin Showdown(Xbox) 3

Cabela's Alaskan Adventure(360) 4

 

Burger King Games(360 and Xbox)

Big Bumpin' 5

Sneak King 6

Pocketbike Racer 6.5

 

Totem Ball 3

Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 4(Xbox) 8

Import Tuner Challenge(360) 4

Marvel:Ultimate Alliance(360) 8.5

Marvel:Ultimate Alliance(Xbox) 9

Justice League Heroes(Xbox) 6

WWE Smackdown VS Raw 2007 8.5

Doom(Live Arcade) 8

Dig Dug(Live Arcade) 7.5

Open Season(360 and Xbox) 6

Avatar:The Last Airbender(Xbox) 6.5

World Series of Poker(360) 8

 

Rumors

 

Doom 2 possible on Live Arcade

Sam and Max possible on Live Arcade

Alan Wake delivered episodically in 2008

Rallisport Challenge to be revived by EA <-------- !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[privateer]

Lost Planet

 

http://trailers.gametrailers.com/gt_vault/t_lostplanet_webisode2.wmv