Terrence Stasse

Xbox By Terrence Stasse

SimCity Lite for XBLA? - A Kingdom for Keflings

So who's read Gulliver's Travels? Raise your hands, don't be shy. Hmmm, more than we would've thought. Those familiar with the tale should remember the island of Lilliput (and its rival) which was the home of, well, tiny people. A Kingdom for Keflings is rather similar in concept: you're a giant among insects (so to speak). From there the game concept adds in some dashes of SimCity and Black & White, as the goal is simply to build a city and castle as well as attract more Keflings.While coming to us from the same devs who did Band of Bugs, A Kingdom for Keflings looks like it's doing things that we've all seen before. Hopefully Ninja Bee will find the sweet spot of city-building, avatar control, and simply watching the simulation play itself out, so that the game doesn't simply tread old ground.

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Gaming By Terrence Stasse

Footage of Shred Nebula

So after some delays to the project's release, Shred Nebula is finally getting some of its marketing going. With so many twin stick shooters out these days most gamers (understandably) have some reservations about playing more games like them. While it isn't exactly the same as playing the game, videos of gameplay definitely give a much better idea of what the game is really about than just descriptions and screen shots. So for those out there who are looking for something a little more than just words and static images, check the video. To our eyes it looks like s more substantial and traditional take on Geometry Wars and Phoenix. Oh, and the music sounds good too.[Via Gamerbytes]

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Xbox By Terrence Stasse

XBLA DLC this Wednesday: N+ and Puzzle Quest

They've both been quite some time in coming, and this Wednesday will see the release of new downloadable content for games that are themselves downloadable. N+ will be getting a new level pack which contains 150 single player levels, and 50 co-op levels, all for 200pts (which, as the devs point out, equates to a point per level). As for Puzzle Quest, its player named DLC, Revenge of the Plague Lord, will contain 4 new classes, a new map area, 25 new quests, 40 more items and a raise of the level cap. The Puzzle Quest expansion will be priced at 700pts. [Source N+][Source Puzzle Quest]

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Gaming By Terrence Stasse

New Rocket Riot screens and interview

You know, we need more games with the style of Rocket Riot. When thinking about the way that retro titles should go we definitely prefer this style to that of Mega Man 9. Over at xblarcade there's an interview with the developers that gives some history of the project, as well as what to expect from it. As another twin stick shooter for XBLA, Rocket Riot does its best to differentiate itself with its destructible (and good looking) environments. Also mentioned in the interivew are the origin of the game's name as well as some details out XNA 2.0 (the game was made with it).%Gallery-20224%

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Gaming By Terrence Stasse

E308: Geometry Wars 2 release date and screens

After the tipoff that Joystiq got about the game, the announcement of Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 wasn't exactly surprising. Still, it's good to get an official confirmation, and after the press conference Bizarre Creations sent around an email announcing the game's release date and providing some game assets. While the conference only gave the date of "next month", the specific date is August 6. There's also supposed to be a trailer coming soon as well, so stay tuned for that. %Gallery-27593% [Via Press Info]

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Xbox By Terrence Stasse

E308: New Gears of War, website, theme, more

You Gear-heads out there probably already know this, but in the aftermath of the Microsoft press conference, the official Gears of War 2 website received and entire overhaul in preparation of the kick-off of the Gears 2 hype train. The new site incorporates .NET framework and a whole new set of features. In addition to the new site, the Marketplace also has some Gears 2 goodness up for download. The XBLM was recently updated with a new Gears 2 theme an a new video from the conference.[Thanks to everyone who sent these in!]

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Xbox By Terrence Stasse

E308: Major Nelson updates with tons of new dashboard details: install games to HDD & more

Things are moving really, really, fast in the world of the 360 right now. After the news that the Dashboard would be receiving a makeover, many of you thought that it was the end of the known world. Luckily, Major Nelson has updated his blog with some of the many new details of the new interface. The first of which is that the blades interface isn't going away, it's now just a smaller part of the larger Xbox Guide.Even bigger though is the option to install games entirely to the HDD for faster load times and no disc drive noise. However, to get the installed game to boot, the disc has to still be in the drive for an initial check to make sure you still own it.The new party system that's built into the interface supports up to eight people and allows for chat, sharing of media, and simultaneous launch of games, all for the entire group. As for the so-called Xbox Live Primetime, it's basically a system that allows users to participate in what amounts to virtual game shows, many complete with prizes and a live host.The last few bits include a few notes on Avatars, including their integration into Arcade games, future retail releases and of course the newly christened "Live Party". Also, for those techies out there, the update will add 16X10 over VGA or HDMI, and support for 1440x900 or 1680x1050. Oh, and you'll be able to buy anything from the Marketplace via Xbox.com too. Plus the ol' Major promises that there is still more details to be revealed as the update draws ever closer.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

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Gaming By Terrence Stasse

E308: No new Bungie announcement?

Well, the main Microsoft press conference has come and gone with many a megaton indeed. Still, there was one megaton which didn't rear its head: Just what the heck is Bungie working on, and just why the heck is Bungie.net down "for cleaning"? Well Bungie, all your sly hinting was just to mess with us wasn't it? Hopefully not though, as the site appears to be counting down to something (we'll be watching that sucker, don't worry). While it would be strange for a big announcement from Bungie to not come via the press conference, don't forget that they're independent now and are likely trying to do things their own way.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

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Streaming

Streaming By Terrence Stasse

E308: Netflix on 360

It's been rumored before, but now it's confirmed. And in a big way, see there no extra cost for live members to watch Netflix movies via the digital distribution of XBLM. Additionally, the Netflix movies that are downloaded can be shared via the aforementioned party system. While the details were a bit scarce, the news that XBLM has as big a partner as Netflix is great start.

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News

News By Terrence Stasse

E308: Dashboard overhaul and Avatars

After our initial reveal of the Xbox 360 avatars, it was still in the realm of rumors. Now, after the Microsoft press conference, we can be sure that they are absolutely real. And they're just a small part of a much larger overhaul to the entire 360 Dashboard. Avatars will integrated into the larger 360 experience via a community "channel", when your friends come online, their avatars will appear in said channel. Microsoft is also creating a party system via the community channel which will allow for users to chat in large groups, share the media from their hard drives, and more. Demonstrated was the ability to move the party from photos, to videos, to games all while keeping the party of Avatars and players together. Also unveiled was "Xbox Live Primetime" which allows for Avatars to be used in a mix of game show, video game and traditional TV. Additionally, Microsoft promises to have "real prizes" available through Primetime.

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Xbox By Terrence Stasse

E308: Microsoft Press Conference Preview

With the Microsoft press conference starting in less than half an hour, it seems that Gamerscore blog has updated via a Microsoft Media Alert in their Video Podcast that showcases the announcements that are going to be made during the conference. Two player local and Xbox LIVE co-op for Fable 2. (Coming Oct. 2008) Gears of War 2 campaign level unveiled and Horde mode (5 player co-op multiplayer) Guitar Hero: World Tour – eight player Battle of the Bands, redesigned guitar, drums, microphone, and studio music creator Rock Band 2 will play all your old music and exclusive on Xbox 360 – new online and instrument options Lips karaoke game with motion-sensitive microphones New avatar system Uno Rush – includes brand new avatar system New Xbox experience (dashboard?) Portal: Still Alive coming in 2008! And more (not announced in the video) We should have more details on all that and more as the press conference begins and continues on.

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Gaming By Terrence Stasse

E308: Too Human Demo Online now

After all the controversy that has surrounded the game, gamers can finally give Too Human a shot for themselves. While it's possible that the demo of the Norse inspired dungeon crawler might not give one the full flavor of the game considering how story and loot driven the experience is supposed to be. Still, something is better than nothing, especially with a game that has been so divisive as this one. The demo is 1.1 gigs and is online now.

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Gaming By Terrence Stasse

Sorry readers, no Shred Nebula next week

First, we need to apologize to you guys. When we received an email from Crunchtime staff that told us that Shred Nebula had grabbed an open release slot and would be releasing July 16th we jumped at the chance to tell you. Unfortunately it seems that there was some word from the higher reaches of Microsoft and plans changed. And changed fast. Whether or not that had anything to do with other current events, no one can really say. And while Shred Nebula is back to having no official release date, we'll be sure to keep you informed about the latest happenings with the title. It's really too bad, unless there's something Microsoft has up it's sleeve we're back to *shudder* Coffeetime Crosswords as next week's XBLA release.[Via Press Info, Thanks very much for the clarification guys!]

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Xbox By Terrence Stasse

Lots of new Gears 2 footage

So the media blitz begins. GameTrailers just put up quite a few new Gears of War 2 videos, kicking off the massive amount of video that's going to hit the tubes during E3. The above video is about 5 minutes of multiplayer gameplay complete with curb stomping and meat shields. The rest of the videos (posted after the break) consist of a single old-map new-map comparison (Gridlock) and map fly-throughs for River, Security, Gridlock, and Day One. Oh, and be wary, this'll use up some serious bandwith.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Xbox By Terrence Stasse

And so it begins: New Halo Wars screens and art

With E3 beginning so soon the news is really starting to flow, and over the next few days things'll be moving pretty fast around here. The first thing we've got are a few new Halo Wars screens along with a bit of concept art and info. Apparently Ensemble has worked hard to make sure to get all sorts of little things from the Halo universe into the game. We'll be seeing Sentinels in one or more forms (with a least a single variant that aids you if you gain control over its factory), and while the developers are coy about it, it's extremely likely the flood will show up in some fashion. After tomorrow's press conference there'll likely be much, much more on Halo Wars. Including, if loose talk is to be believed, some news on a demo. %Gallery-23398%

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Gaming By Terrence Stasse

COD4 playlist changes in the pipeline

Considering how long the game has been out now, we're glad that Infinity Ward is keeping up with its community and making sure that they continue to play. Over at IAMfourzerotwo's blog he's updated readers on the playlists that'll be "in testing" over the weekend. The best and most liked of the lot will be added to the playlists in the next update. The four playlists that'll be tested include Multi-bomb Search and Destroy and Hardcore HQ. The full run down with playlist descriptions are listed after the break.

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Gaming By Terrence Stasse

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix video; release Q109

If you haven't tried the original yet Puzzle Quest yet, now would be a great time what with that price drop. As for the sequel (which we still can't believe is actually being made), Puzzle Quest Galactrix had its first bit of gameplay released which shows off some of the changed game mechanics.Changing over from a grid based system to a hex-based system would mean of course that gems wouldn't fall when those beneath them were removed, so the play field has been moved into zero gravity. Now, the gems will "fall" in the direction that they were swapped. Move a gem diagonally up and to the right and the gems from diagonally down and to the left will move to fill the space. If that sounds confusing check the gameplay video after the break. And the current release window is the first quarter of 2009.

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Gaming By Terrence Stasse

New Castle Crashers video: Beefy mode

Sure, sure, we're all (devs included, more than likely) frustrated with the fact Castle Crashers hasn't yet seen some sort of final release date. But that doesn't mean we can't learn more about the game to help to pass the time. The latest feature revealed on the Castle Crashers dev blog fits right into the game's quirky art,and is known as Beefy Mode. Apparently activated by the awesomeness of peanut butter and jelly, Beefy Mode hulks-out your little character to steroid size and provides a power boost.In an effort to keep even more video from cluttering the front page the short gameplay clip is embedded after the break.

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Xbox By Terrence Stasse

Arcade 360 not receiving any price cut?

Since it's been pretty much confirmed that the 20GB 360 is going to be getting a price cut down to $299.95, we hoped that the Arcade SKU would be getting a similar price cut. In light of the rumors of a 60GB HDD SKU though, we did speculate the price drop was simply to clear shelves of the older 20GB units and that the future 60GB unit wouldn't debut at $299.99. While that could all still be proven wrong, as more info comes in it seems to be the most likely scenario. Thanks to a tip from our good buddies over at ps3fanboy we've got an advertisement from Circut City that seems to confirm that by the weekend of July 27 the Arcade unit will not have gotten a price cut. Makes you think about why someone would buy that over an HDD equipped unit at $299.99; unless of course they'll all be off the shelves by then .... Only time will tell, but look for E3 to clear up a lot of these uncertainties.

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Gaming By Terrence Stasse

Of idle animations & exaggerations: MK VS DCU

We haven't been too kind to Mortal Kombat VS DC Universe in the past, but we did our best to reserve final judgment, hoping that the gameplay would redeem the premise, the art design and the series background. Well, the gameplay is here and it doesn't do the job we were quite hoping for. It's true that there are some interesting ideas, but there seems to be a certain level of ... disconnection that we can't put our finger on. Maybe it's the animation, the hit detection and a particular by-the-numbers flavor that the game seems to posses. Could just be us though.

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Xbox By Terrence Stasse

Capcom announces herding XBLA game: Flock

A herding simulator from Capcom huh? Flock is a puzzle game built around moving farm animals around a grid style environment with a UFO. The animals you herd have effects on, and are affected by, the specific parts of the individual levels and the puzzle aspects come in from using those effects to complete your goals. Described as similar in concept to Lemmings, Flock is going to have over 50 different stages, co-op online play, and a level editor. No word on an estimated release date. [Via Gamerbytes]

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Gaming By Terrence Stasse

Plunder gets renamed to Age of Booty

We thought that Certain Affinity wanted to distance itself as far as possible from the Bungie joke-game Pimps at Sea, but it looks like we were wrong. Renamed to Age of Booty from Plunder, the pirate themed hex-based strategy game stil doesn't have a firm release date (even though the site still says late spring/early summer) but we hope that a name change indicates that Capcom and Certain Affinity are gearing up for finalization. %Gallery-18289%

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Xbox By Terrence Stasse

E3 XBLA release redeemed: Shred Nebula UPDATE

UPDATE: The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry ... Oh Coffeetime Crosswords you are a funny, funny game, but are certainly not the kind of release we want to see during the week of E3. Thankfully an email came that ended our apprehension. Having been flying under the radar a bit this year, Shred Nebula has no official date will actually be hitting the Live Arcade on July 16th. For the calender challenged that's an unknown day of the week next Wednesday. The top-down shooter may appear to be just another twin-stick game but it actually has roots in both Asteroids and, believe it or not, Street Fighter. With a concept like that, and the promise of large free-roaming space environments we're willing to give Shred Nebula a good portion of our time when it's released during the busy week next week. %Gallery-11478%[Via Press Info]

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Xbox By Terrence Stasse

Rumor: First pics of "Lips"

They've become so common with Microsoft that pre-E3 rumors and leaks are often thought to be absolute fact. While most of the other rumors about Lips had some sort of thread tying them to Microsoft, this one seemed to just come out of left field. From over at Gamekyo come not only the pics, but also the confirmation that the developer of the game is iNiS, the devs behind Elite Beat Agents. But honestly, no matter the pedigree of the rumored developer, this looks so cheesy that we actually kinda don't want it to be real. The mics do look good, but if this is accurate they really need to change the art. Ugh.[Via NeoGAF]

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Gaming By Terrence Stasse

Force Unleashed launch trailer; minor spoilers

Those of you who really care about "spoliers" should shy away from this Force Unleashed trailer knowing simply that the game is looking good. For those who can see these type of "twists" coming a mile away (it is Star Wars after all) the spoilers won't really matter. Plus, we're sure there's even more too come and we can't help but be distracted by the wooden voice acting of the apprentice's love interest.

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