x06
Latest
X07 isn't happening, UK will get own non-Euro event
We had X06 last year, so one would naturally think the European Microsoft event, which has existed since 2001 (let's not talk about 2004, k?), would give us the next digit and we'd be up to X07 -- alas, it is not to be. Aaron Greenberg says there will not be an X07 this year and that they've got something else in store.There's still no word on what this means for the Euro Xbox faithful, but GI.biz received a statement from an Xbox representative confirming that there is no X07. The rep said they're "looking at doing something here in the UK. It will be from a UK point of view, not from a European point of view." And all the Americans in the room cover their mouths like little school girls and try not to laugh. What does that mean, a "UK point of view"? This UK-fashioned event will apparently happen before Father Christmas shows up. So, what about the rest of Europe, should they expect an impressive showing at Leipzig or is MS making their stand in the UK against the PS3 and Wii armies marching across Europe? A "UK point of view"? Really ... did they really say that?[Via X3F]
100GB HD at X06 Korea confirmed fake
In a crushing blow to people who believe everything they see on the internet, German-language blog Xbox-Archiv.de reports (crappy English web translation here) that Microsoft Senior Product Manager Boris Schneider-Johne confirmed the 100GB 360 hard drive supposedly pictured at X06 Korea is a photo-shopped fake. According to Boris, there was no such product announcement. Additionally, Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb told our own Richard Mitchell that the 100GB tale "looks like fiction" to him. This should clear up the confusion resulting from conflicting reports on the veracity of this story. [Thanks Ankalagon]
Microsoft sez 100GB Xbox 360 HDD is "not official"
Ok, so we did mention that the oh-so-thrilling "100GB" overlay supposedly seen in the mysterious PowerPoint slide at Korea's X06 seemed a bit out of place, and now we're hearing from Microsoft itself that it's probably too good to be true. Correspondence with the console's creator has elicited comments dubbing the announcement "misleading" and "not reflective of an official announcement of any kind," but it curiously failed to give an outright proclamation citing the photo as burlesquely. Nevertheless, the company claims it has "nothing to announce with regard to a larger hard drive" at this precise moment in time, but it certainly didn't go out of its way to slam this proverbial door shut.
Candanian X06 podcast, eh?
Tony and Ryan from VGMDaily have a pretty solid podcast covering the happenings at X06 Cananda, including an illuminating interview with Marc "Misinterpreted" Rein of Epic fame. Here's the synopsis:0:00 – Intro0:30 – Outside the Brant House for X'061:39 – Steve says some kind words about Ryan.2:05 – Shadowrun, via Tony2:54 – John Howard tells us about the story of Shadowrun7:19 – Tiger Woods 07!7:55 – DOAX 2? Tony gets a woody8:28 – We chat with Major Nelson about X'06, the PS3, Blu-Ray, and other fun things15:33 – Break16:52 – Roozbeh Ashtyani talks to us about The Darkness23:32 – Break24:32 – Mark Rein of Epic talks to us about Gears of War, the demo, the PS3, the Wii, and how people misinterpret him all the time!31:58 – Xavier Manzamares talks to us about Rainbow Six: Vegas34:15 – Outro
Microsoft reveals 100GB 360 drive at X06 Korea
Apparently, Microsoft couldn't squeeze all the announcements they had into TGS and X06 in Barcelona, so they saved one for the X06 event going down in Korea. Trailing slides of 360 peripherals we've already seen -- like the Vision camera, wireless headset, wireless gaming receiver, and the 256MB Memory Unit -- was this shot of a 100GB hard drive, courtesy Korean gaming site Game Inside. While there is no mention of price for the unit, it is supposed to debut in March 2007. Though the images look legit, there doesn't appear to be any counterpart on Gamespot Korea's coverage of the presentation or the rest of the day's news.Now the question becomes, will the new, larger hard drive come bundled with premium 360s? With Sony's PS3 units offering both 20GB and 60GB variations, and downloadable content becoming increasingly popular, it may be time for Microsoft to up the ante in drive capacity. Or it could be another expensive add-on, appealing to only the most hardcore gamers who've already filled their 20GB (more like 17GB actually) hard drives with horse armor, Madden training videos, and gamertag pics. With 100GB bare notebook drives going for as much as $200 nowadays -- and Microsoft's 20GB drive going for $100 -- this could be one pricey peripheral.[Via Engadget]
Microsoft announces 100GB 360 HDD at X06 Korea!
If you've been hankerin' for a bit more room to stash pr0n Xbox Live downloads and other various medias on your 360, and you're not so keen on squeezing in a backup solution or dealing with a frumpy external drive, it looks like you're in luck. Microsoft just announced a 100GB hard drive for the Xbox 360 at their little X06 shindig in Korea, and the drive should be making its way to shelves -- at least in Korea -- by March of '07. There's no info on price yet, or really much info at all, but when has a PowerPoint slide full of Korean characters and lame-fonted "100 GB" overlays ever steered you wrong?[Thanks, Michael R]
Joyswag X06 Winner
After poring through over 50 entries for our X06 swag giveaway, we finally narrowed it down to a winner. The winning entry (above) combines our love for Legos, Star Wars, and dismembering Totem Ball players into one excellent graphic. Congratulations to our winner -- we'll be in touch shortly to arrange shipment of the swag. To everyone else, please continue reading to enjoy some close-but-no-swag entries.
Marvel Universe Online trailer update
Marvel Universe Online caught the attention of many true believers at X06, and now the MMO's trailer is available on the web. Microsoft and Cryptic Studios haven't included any gameplay sequences, but the extended CGI clip teases us with the usual suspects from the House of Ideas. Everyone seems to be grabbing a piece of the Marvel pie these days, with Activision handling the Spider-Man, X-Men Legends and Ultimate Alliance games, and EA attempting to rebound from the dreadful Nemesis fighter. Read more about how Marvel and City of Heroes developer Cryptic decided to play nice in the IP sandbox.
X06: Gears of War gameplay video
Remember when Halo came out, and everyone around the planet collectively dropped their jaws in awe and drooled at the incredible gameplay, and it helped sell bazillions of original Xbox consoles?Then everything was touted as being, 'the next Halo.' Besides Halo 2, nothing was called this more often than Brute Force when it was in development. However, Brute Force pretty much suckedwhen it was released, and we're hoping this doesn't happen with Gears of War as well. We like Gears of War, and don't want it to get sucked into the black hole of the video game store known as the bargain bin.While our experience with Gears so far has been impressive, this gameplay video is a tad underwhelming. What stands out: puny grenade explosions, repetitive shooting, and AI that won't flank you. Although the chainsaw attached to the gun at the end is a nice touch.Check out the video after the jump and let us know what you think.
X06: ...and the rest
Quick impressions and thoughts on some other noteworthy games shown on the X06 show floor. Guitar Hero II (360): Not playable, but demo'ed continuously by two rock gods with the stamina of heavyweight boxers (see picture). They confirmed that the final Xbox 360 guitar controller would look like a Gibson Explorer but refused to comment on wireless capabilities or the intriguing D-pad on the base. Game itself looked nice in hi-rez, but graphics lagged a bit with the music at this early stage. Viva Piñata: Playable tutorial walks you through building a house, attracting new piñatas and making baby eggs. Rare demo with ten hours of progress showed a thriving garden brimming with life and fully accessorized piñatas. Hired helpers prevent the game from becoming a micromanagement chore. Looks like it could be a hit with the Pokemon set. Forza Motorosport 2: Game had major frame rate issues, making it very difficult to play and/or judge. PR handlers say it's 60 percent complete... that last 40 will be an uphill battle. Halo 2 (PC): Game played great with the mouse and keyboard, and looked great on the decked out Dell Dimension 9150 with large widescreen monitor. Other than that, it's still Halo. Map editor was not available for demo. Crackdown: Grand Theft Auto meets Hulk: Ultimate Destruction in a mess of a game with rough graphics, sloppy controls and an awful camera system. Needs serious work to be a worthy contender. That about does it for X06 posts from Barcelona. Sorry if I didn't cover your favorite game, but there wasn't enough time to do justice to everything available on the show floor. If there's anything you're still wondering about that wasn't covered in our X06 posts, I'll do my best to answer specific questions in the below comment thread in the coming days.
X06: Alan Wake, Bioshock, Mass Effect demos
Some of the most anticipated upcoming games for the Xbox 360 and PC weren't playable on the X06 show floor but were shown off by the developers in behind-closed-doors demos. Here's some quickie descriptions of the demos and some thoughts on what was shown: Alan Wake: Developer Remedy shared lots of new information about this "psychological action thriller" (a term used by the developers to describe the game multiple times). The story, told rather clunkily through some Max Payne-style exposition, revolves around Wake, a writer who finds his life begins to mimic his best-selling novel. Grappling with insomnia in a rest clinic in the Pacific Northwest, he finds the line between his waking life and his nightmares begins to blur. The most striking feature graphically is the dynamic lighting, which casts soft shadows and glistens beautifully off everything from the trees to the water. The demo also showed off environmental effects with a quickly gathering storm that cast everything in eerie, somber tones. The demo ended with a thrilling chase by a glowing entity that took out all the electrical lights as it approached. Definitely one to watch for. BioShock - Following up on the demo shown at E3, Irrational showed off a new area which again showed off the game's beautifully dark underwater environments. The developers emphasized the importance of using improvised attacks and abilities like teleportation against the lumbering, suited "Big Daddy" and the "Little Sister" he jealously protects. They also stressed the importance of moral choices in shaping the game experience -- as the demo fades out, our protagonist is busy deciding whether or not to beat a little girl with a wrench. Best moment: using telekenesis to throw a teddy bear into a fire and then using the flaming bear to set an enemy on fire. The demonstrator said they hope to "redefine the first-person shooter" and it looks like they just might. Mass Effect - The game looks as pretty as ever, with convincing character animation and facial expressions, especially during the branching conversations. The developers showed off how the game map spans from a galaxy-sized Milky Way view down to individual planets, and mentioned that two separate players will likely take completely different paths through the game. A quick boss battle showed how squad placement commands can be used to set up a cross fire that emphasizes each character's particular abilities. Shows promise but the full scope was hard to gauge from the demo.
X06: XBLA mini-impressions
While demos for major retail games dominated the show floor at X06, there was a small neglected corner devoted to current and upcoming games for Xbox Live Arcade. Some of the more interesting upcoming releases: Assault Heroes -- Yet another overhead shooter with dual-stick controls for movement and shooting. This one sets itself apart with vehicles and... that's about it. Graphics are impressively detailed for a Live Arcade title. Heavy Weapon -- Also a dual-stick shooter, but this one is from the side view. Co-op play has been added since the E3 demo, and the graphics have been polished up quite a bit. Simple, but surprisingly addictive -- all it needs is a jump button to be truly complete. Small Arms -- Described by the demo attendant on hand as "Super Smash Bros., but with weapons," a pretty accurate assessment. Lots of button-mashing in both long range and melee combat. Controls and balance need some touching up, but has the potential to be a great party game. Street Trace NYC -- Very early version of a hoverboard/shooter deathmatch, complete with rail slides and rocket launchers. Targeting was a mess and managing all the different weapons and functions while boarding was difficult. Needs work. No specific releases or prices were available for these titles, but Microsoft said they are all expected by the holidays worldwide. Also see: Lumines Live mini-impressions
X06: Shadowrun impressions
It seems that nowadays every other game falls into some sort of "shooter with X" category. It's a shooter with a shaky, cinematic camera. It's a shooter with a cold, barren setting. The best way to pigeonhole Shadowrun into a similar category would probably be "shooter with magic abilities."Based on the popular pen-and-paper RPG series, Shadowrun is a straight-up multiplayer melee with single-player training against computer-controlled bots. The developers hope to set it apart from the hundreds of other similar games with a variety of special abilities, ranging from the technological (a glider) to the supernatural (a health-regenerating tree, teleportation). Using the abilities is as easy as hitting a button, but using them effectively takes a little bit of skill. After some practice, though, the results can be incredible -- one developer showed off by teleporting through a wall on his glider and picking off the disoriented players below with a few well-placed shots. Players can further customize their characters with four selectable races, which vary in speed, strength, magic ability, etc.Shadowrun will be the first game to support cross-platform matches between players on the Xbox 360 and Windows Vista. The X06 demo showed off this support with PCs and Xbox 360s networked together seamlessly for an eight-player team capture-the-flag match. While the developers said they were taking pains to make sure neither platform had inherent advantage, the game seemed much smoother and more polished on the high-end PC than on the 360.While it's not likely to completely revolutionize the genre, Shadowrun is shaping up to be another fine online "shooter with X." Look for it to launch alongside Microsoft Vista, whenever it ends up coming out.Previously: Shadowrun impressions from E3
Joyswag: X06 Photoshopping contest
While we were unfortunately unable to fly you all to Barcelona to attend Micosoft's X06 conference, we would like to share our X06-related bounty with one lucky Joystiq reader. The person who sends in the most amusing .jpg format edit of the above picture to joyswag [dot] submissions [at] gmail [dot] com will take home the following goodies given out at the conference: An Alan Wake flashlight An Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures comic book from Dark Horse Three limited edition pieces of art from Mass Effect All entries are due by midnight Eastern time on Sunday, Oct. 1, so put down those outstretched arms and get cracking.
X06: Lost Planet multiplayer impressions
Capcom sure knows how to do an action game. That's the first thing that popped into my head when adding Lost Planet: Extreme Condition to my list of simple Capcom action games like Mega Man, Final Fight and Dead Rising that just seem perfectly tuned for hitting and/or killing stuff.The single-player demo at X06 was unfortunately the same one available on Xbox Live for months now, but a new multiplayer mode showed off how much better things can get with human opponents. It's basically a kill-or-be-killed deathmatch situation, but managing your health and heat energy as you fight adds a slight twist to the team-based standoffs. The play area seemed a little too large and barren for eight player deathmatch, but the open space allowed plenty of opportunity to double back and sneak up on unsuspecting opponents.Once you do find your target, tight, responsive controls make aiming a breeze and using the shoulder buttons to do quick 90 degree turns really helps with manuevering in the heat of the fight. Climbing into a vital suit and blasting away at the suddenly small-seeming opposition is great fun too, but the suit's plodding pace makes this less than viable as a long term strategy.The multiplayer mode seems like a solid addition to what is shaping up to be yet another impressive Capcom action game. Now how about giving us some more single player demo levels, huh?Previously: Lost Planet single player impressions from E3
X06 brief, see it again for the first time [update 1]
If you were unable to catch the live webcast of Microsoft's X06 briefing, it's now available on Xbox.com (links directly to video). We've given you some snippets of it already, but now you can get the whole enchilada (mmm ... enchiladas). The briefing was filled with lots of glitz, glamour, and video, things that were lacking in a certain other keynote at TGS earlier this month. Viva Piñata, Gears of War, Blue Dragon, you name it. If it's a big game, it's there. Check it out, if you're so inclined.Update: It looks like the link wouldn't play nice with our interface. Should be fixed now. Click here.
X06: Assassin's Creed gameplay video
Taken directly from the X06 press briefing yesterday, here's a video of Ubisoft's Jade Raymond demonstrating Assassin's Creed gameplay. That's right. For really reals y'all. It's actual gameplay of Assassin's Creed. No CGI filler here, just the real deal. Unfortunately, this video ends before the mysterious death screen, which has something of an anachronistic feel to it compared to the overall game. We're not sure if the demonstrator was supposed to die or not, but the demo snapped off very quickly when she did. Check out the video after the break.
X06: Gears of War gameplay is bloody good
We snagged this X06 video of Gears of War gameplay for your enjoyment. Filled with lots of gunfire, blood, and apparently ineffective grenades, it's sure to delight both young and old. Emergence Day is getting closer and closer, folks. See the video after the break. (Fanboy Trivia:CliffyB is behind the controls of this demo.)
Halo Wars trailer gives us goosebumps
Okay, so you missed the X06 briefing and the Halo Wars trailer. Your 360 crapped out on you and you couldn't download it from Marketplace. To top it all off, your slavish devotion to X360F prevents you from looking it up on one of the internets. It's okay, friend, we understand your pain. You need merely click "continue" to see the video embedded after the break. And by the way, that headline is not a joke. It gave us goosebumps (well, maybe not Ken, but he is made of sterner stuff than I). So, who wants this game? Raise your hand.
BIH content, 9/28: big sweaty men edition
The Bringing It Home content train just keeps a' rollin'. Today we are blessed with another demo, Smackdown Vs. Raw 2007. The full list goes a little something like this:Tony Hawk's Project 8 trailerWheelman trailerFrontlines Fuel of War trailerX06 Game Montage videoCrossfire trailerWWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2007Fable 2 theme (150 points)X06 theme (free)Also new today, Europe can finally download all Oblivion content packs (insert obligatory horse armor joke here). Oh, and we missed it last night, but there is now a Halo Wars theme (150 points) and picture pack (80 points) available.
