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Microsoft announces Xbox 360 price cuts

August 27, 2009 by Andy Merrett

xbox-360.jpgMicrosoft has announced that the Xbox 360 Elite games console has dropped in price by $100 so that it’s now $299.99. In the UK it will now cost £199.99.

The Xbox 360 Pro will be phased out, with remaining stocks priced at $249.99, while the Xbox 360 Arcade will retail for $199.99 (£159.99).

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Gaming, Microsoft, XBox 360 Tagged With: games console, Microsoft, price cut, XBox 360

PS3 And Xbox360 Rumors

June 28, 2009 by Gadzooki

ps3-vs-xbox360They say that Hollywood is the place where rumors are born and thrive. They say that there are no secrets in Hollywood. But if you were to ask me, I would go as far as to say that in the world of consumer technology, rumors are just as rife. Rumors about games, phones, gaming consoles – practically everything that’s hot – are born every day and spread through the Internet like wild fire.

Take for example the latest dish on the two arch rivals – the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox360. These two gaming consoles have been the focus of countless rumors ever since their inception. This time, the word on the street is that Sony is phasing out the 80G model and focus production on the 160G model. This happened with the earlier models (like my beloved 60G PS3 which has a fried motherboard by the way). But that’s not the only thing. Christen dela Costa at Gadget Review thinks that a slimmer PS3 is on the way – and this from a “reliable” source. I wouldn’t mind a sleeker PS3 – it is time for me to get a new one anyway!

Now for the Xbox360 – the news is that by July or August, the Pro model is going to be phased out. The reason for this is that Microsoft is coming with some new bundles later this year. They are also bunking on some game exclusives to attract more gamers.

Again, mere mortals like us can only sit and wait to see what will actually happen.

Filed Under: Games, Gaming, Hardware, Microsoft, PlayStation 3, Sony, XBox 360

The case of too many D’s… it may kill X

February 24, 2008 by Jim

Whoever said that technology is too fast to control has hit it bulls-eye once again.  I was strolling in a mall, brought my trusty 80GB iPod with me and tuned in to TWIT’s Leo Laporte saying “HD-DVD is now DEAD”.  That’s too many D’s to control I know!  The death blow may well be Walmart saying they will now officially just sell Blu-Ray DVDs,  BUT won’t push for it, would still continue to sell HD-DVD formatted way back the aisle.

I was a bit relieved that I didn’t include an HD-DVD player in my Christmas list!  I could just imagine my frustration to find out that that player dead technology a month later.  Crossing my mind is Tom Hanks’ “Green Mile” liner… “dead man walking… dead man walking….”.  Now it’s “dead tech gone… dead tech gone!”.

OK so aside from Walmart, what led to HD-DVD demise??? 

  • “Warner Bros.’ move to exclusively release in the Blu-ray disc format is a strategic decision focused on the long term and the most direct way to give consumers what they want,” chairman and CEO of Warner Bros.
  • All of us at Sony are feeling a bit blue today, but that’s a good feeling,” CEO Sir Howard Stringer said at a news conference, chuckling. “Along with Warner Bros.’ decision to support Blu-ray I want to thank Bob Iger at Disney and Rupert Murdoch at Fox for being ‘true blue’ from the start.”
  • Disney, the parent company of ABC News, was one of the first to commit to the Blu-ray format.
  • Rick Clancy, Sony’s senior vice president of electronics, echoed those sentiments

Well to note here that the rivalry between the two platforms of high-definition DVDs — Blu-ray is supported by Sony, while HD-DVD is supported by both Toshiba and Microsoft — has been raging since the discs’ development. While other Hollywood studios have gradually chosen one format over the other, Warner Bros. had been the lone exception, publishing movies in both formats.

There is a rumor that Toshiba will stop manufacturing HD-DVD players… just a rumor folks!  Now will that leave Microsoft alone on a limb… goodbye XBox?
 

Filed Under: Tech News, XBox 360

Gears of War 2

February 21, 2008 by Jaren

Gears of War

Microsoft made it official at GDC: Gears of War 2 is coming exclusively to Xbox 360 this November.

This post from Wired that Gears of War 2 is coming this November 2008. Naturally, this got me excited as I loved Gears of war, and having found out that Gears of War storyline is kinda short as I keep on asking for more, anyways my wish has come true and is coming this November.

Although I haven’t looked in the details of the game, but if it’s the continuing saga of the previous one. Heck I’m up for it. And I enjoyed the single player/co-op mode of the first one. I’m definitely looking forward for changes on this new Gears of War

Filed Under: Games, XBox 360

Mass Effect And Branched Storytelling

January 23, 2008 by Mr Butterscotch

One of the best things about games is being able to play exactly how you want to. Where do you want to go? Why do you want to do it? How do you want to play the character? It also asks some interesting things like ‘Are you the character?’ and ‘Why do you play in that way?’. I’ll ask some of these questions in this article when exploring the world of Mass Effect for the Xbox 360.

For those of you who don’t know, Mass Effect is a single player role-playing game that came out in November 2007. It’s sci-fi based, with various alien worlds and life forms to interact with. Your character, Commander Shepard, can be male or female. You see your ‘avatar’ from the third person.

I’m not about to review the game here, but I will say that it’s very good. The action is quite tight and the powers (including psionics and technology) are all very well integrated in the main. Yes, there are a few bugs such as being trapped in walls but generally the game is well put together. What really interests me in the game though is the dialogue.

Like any RPG worth its’ gold (ha ha ha) Mass Effect features dialogue. And rather a lot of it in fact. What makes it a bit special is that all of the dialogue is spoken, and characters on the whole convey what they have to say rather well – none of the voice acting that we’ve seen in the likes of Shenmue, Tenchu etc.

So, returning to your character for a moment – when you enter a scripted dialogue sequence, you have normally three options at your disposal. Do you give a sensible, reasonable answer (nice); do you give an answer that’s curt (direct) or something resembling that which you’d say to your boss on a Monday morning if given the chance (nasty)? These three options form the core of much of the non-violent interaction with the characters in the Mass Effect world and as such as colourful experiences.

What really interests me is that generally speaking a lot of these interactions won’t really affect the story. Whether you help the scientist get his body released by the government through threats or sweet-talking is really irrelevant – and that’s a good thing. You’re free to explore, via your character, some interesting openings and dialogue without jeopardising the ‘main mission’ if you will.

Your character does have an alignment of sorts and it’s one that fluctuates throughout gameplay. Paragon is the ‘good’ alignment, making your character more virtuous. Renegade does exactly as it suggests; your character is somewhat the wild card and will behave as such. This will give you access to different endings, depending on whether you have a higher Paragon or Renegade meter.

The morality of the game is the crux of this feature – and is something that I feel will be made much more of as games immerse players more fully. As points are not removed (only added on in a form of ‘reputational factor’) your character, under your guidance, changes the course of the game.

The fact is that many choices in Mass Effect are ambiguous – the fact that a large number of decisions don’t affect the main quest makes them even more so. So, should you shoot? Should you switch off the life support? Do you leave him or her behind to their fate? If so, why? These are the sorts of questions you’ll be asking yourself when playing Mass Effect.

Truly, one of the most interesting parts of the game for me was a moment of dialogue. It’s only happened once so far but I’m sure it’ll happen again. I was engaging in conversation regarding the return of a body and my character was quite aggressive. I didn’t play that option – but it seemed the only sensible recourse. The fact that I got to the outcome was pleasing, but thinking about it afterwards, the way my character went about it made me smile.

The dialogue and branching options are something I’ve no doubt we’ll see much more of in the future. Aside from the action sequence, emotive dialogue is really the only way forward for games – to create something truly dynamic, exciting and immersive then games must become emotive. This might not be the ‘Nintendo Wii’ way of doing things, but HD is here to stay, along with simpler control mechanisms. When these two converge we’ll start to see something really special.

Filed Under: Gaming Features, XBox 360

This Year’s Sequelitis

January 17, 2008 by Mr Butterscotch

Gaming is well known for its sequels; in fact one could very easily argue that it’s the glue that binds the industry together. What do you mean, I hear you ask? Well, simply put, for as long as games have been about, there’s been a sequel to the last big hit (hell, there’s even been sequels to games that haven’t been hits).

2008 is of course no exception to the rule – you could say, why break the habit of a lifetime? Pacman after all had Ms Pacman to follow. This probably makes me sound quite bitter, but I’m not. Some of my favourite games historically (including Super Metroid, Street Fighter 2 Turbo, Forza Motorsport 2 and many more) have in fact been sequels. With that in mind, let’s see which games are coming out with a number following the name for this year…

Metal Gear Solid 4
MGS4, or Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is being developed by Kojima Productions for the PS3. There’s rumour that it’ll be the last game to feature Solid Snake, but then they also say it’ll be the last with involvement of Hideo Kojima, but if either of these things happen I’ll be surprised.

The game is set in 2014, features nanotechnology and Liquid Ocelot. Snake is sent to despatch him after an armed uprising takes place in the US. As it’s in the future, Solid Snake is of course far older than the last outing. The game is hugely advanced in the graphics department but sticks with the formula of bosses, sneaking and good old-fashioned action.

Resident Evil 5
Back once again for a fifth iteration (well in fact, let’s face it there’s far more such as Survivor etc), Capcom is releasing Resident Evil 5 on the Xbox 360 and PS3. Details are sketchy so far beyond the fact that Chris Redfield stars as the protagonist and the game will have a feel of Black Hawk Down.

There’s ample evidence to support the idea that the game will be similar in interface and controls to Resident Evil 4 (which is no bad thing), but there will be more interaction with the environment. One cited detail so far has been how Chris may suffer from heat. Enemies this time around appear to be Africans with melee weapons including scythes and machetes.

Ninja Gaiden 2
One of the best games to grace the original Xbox was certainly the original Ninja Gaiden. I say original, but of course it has been in the arcades, 3 games on the NES, a game on the PS3 and Master System – and that’s not even naming them all. However, let’s forget about that for the moment and consider the video of the game. It looks simply stunning.

Action looks incredibly fast paced with a lot going on at once, it is rumoured to have all the weapons from the first game as well as many new ones. The storyline should hit about thirty hours and the action-RPG elements such as the weapon combos are expected will be emphasised.

So, what to make of these sequels? Well I’d just like to say first of all that I don’t have anything against games that have a number at the end of them, as long as they offer something genuinely new and exciting to the series, I don’t see why they shouldn’t be made.

On the other hand however I’d like to say that new IP’s should always make it through the net. Developers and producers shouldn’t just rely on something safe when they know it’ll succeed, as it will eventually dry up the market for games. Long live the sequel, but let’s also foster creativity and newness.

Filed Under: Gaming Features, PlayStation 3, XBox 360

Games to Watch for in 2008

December 27, 2007 by Jaren

Here are list of games which I like that are said to be released by 2008, so better watch up for this games. They may or may not be considered gaming gems, but for me it’s the gold. These are the games that would really prevent me from outside contact to human beings. I prefer inanimate objects to people and yes, I love my laptop more than my girlfriend. So if I have these games, I would never leave my house and I won’t stop playing these games.

  • Devil May Cry 4
  • GTA IV: Grand Theft Auto IV
  • Resident Evil 5
  • Fallout 3
  • Ninja Gaiden 2
  • Splinter Cell Conviction
  • Fable 2
  • Halo Wars

Filed Under: Games, PC, PlayStation 3, Security, XBox 360

Best Games of 2007

December 26, 2007 by Jaren

Here are the list of the best games for 2007, I have some favorites on the list that’s why I’m so excited to share it to you.

  • Best Action Game Nominees
  • Assassin’s Creed (my pick)
    The Orange Box
    Super Mario Galaxy

    Winner
    Super Mario Galaxy

  • Best Shooter Game Nominees
  • Bioshock
    Call of Duty 4
    Halo 3 (my pick)

    Winner
    Bioshock

  • Best Online Multiplayer Game Nominees
  • Call of Duty 4
    Halo 3 (my pick)
    World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade

    Winner
    Halo 3

  • Best Party Game Nominees
  • Guitar Hero III (my pick)
    Rock Band
    Warioware: Smooth Moves

    Winner
    Rock Band

  • Best Racing Game Nominees
  • DiRT
    Forza Motorsport 2
    Project Gotham Racing 4 (my pick)

    Winner
    Forza Motorsport 2

  • Best Role-Playing Game Nominees
  • Mass Effect
    The Witcher
    World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade

    Winner
    Mass Effect

  • Best Strategy Game Nominees
  • Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
    Supreme Commander
    World in Conflict

    Winner
    Supreme Commander

  • Best Sports Game Nominees
  • FIFA 08
    Madden NFL 08
    skate.

    Winner
    skate.

  • Best Original Game Nominees
  • BioShock
    Mass Effect
    Rock Band

    Winner
    Bioshock

  • Best Overall Game of 2007 Nominees
  • Bioshock
    Rock Band
    Super Mario Galaxy

    Winner
    Super Mario Galaxy

Best Games of 2007 according to Yahoo! Games

Filed Under: Games, Gaming, Online Gaming, PC, Wii, XBox 360

Bungie Leaving Microsoft

October 5, 2007 by Jaren

There’s been rumors flying around, that Bungie makers of the Game Halo, is leaving Microsoft and is going to set out, to stake a claim in the gaming world to become independent company. An issued press release from Microsoft states that Bungie is about to to “embark on a path to become an independent company.”

Bungie, a company owned by Microsoft has been making loads of money and with the recent success of Halo 3, in my opinion they’re well-equipped to be independent, Good for us gamers, we should expect the same kind of commitment and focus on the Xbox Platform and as well as opening up to other gaming platforms too. As Harold Ryan, studio head for Bungie said, “This exciting evolution of our relationship with Microsoft will enable us to expand both creatively and organizationally in our mission to create world-class games,”. “We will continue to develop with our primary focus on Microsoft platforms; we greatly value our mutually prosperous relationship with our publisher, Microsoft Game Studios; and we look forward to continuing that affiliation through Halo and beyond.”

If my memory serves me correct Bungie still has several projects up their sleeves such as Halo Wars, the Peter Jackson project, new Halo 3 downloadable content, and maybe Halo 3 for PC.

Now let see what happens, and hope for the best, and may there lot’s more Halo games to follow.

Filed Under: Games, Gaming, Microsoft, PC, Random Thoughts, XBox 360

Halo 3 Issues

September 28, 2007 by Jaren

The long awaited game Halo 3 from the developers Bungie Studios, officially last launched Tuesday, September 25, raked a record-breaking $170 million on its first-day sales. Remember the date September 25 the biggest day in US entertainment History.

But still that wasn’t smooth sailing, yes it did cause some minor problems and lots of frustrations with all the publicity Halo 3 racked up. There are also the issue of the scratched Limited Edition Halo 3 disks, which has been answered with a promising news, You can send it back for a free by filling out a form and send in their scratched limited-edition discs for a free exchange through the end of December. Just Click this Link for the Disk Replacement.

And the experience of game play problems on Xbox Live such as screen freezes, inability to access Xbox Live and a weird game update that would lead to a very frustrating error message, which was due to the part of the Halo 3 and that these “minor issues” as Microsoft claims is due to the uber amount of traffic caused by the notorious Halo 3 (you sneaky devil) and is dubbed the “most active Xbox Live gaming day in history”. Yeah I was one of the unlucky dudes the experienced those problems, I wanted to play it so badly, I almost cried when I couldn’t login to Xbox Live, but luckily for me, my Limited Edition Halo 3 disk has no scratches on it (yehey!).

Filed Under: Games, Gaming, Online Gaming, XBox 360

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