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Burnout Paradise events, online focus confirmed
Burnout Paradise at E3 was something of a love/hate experience. On the one hand, its frenzied high-definition crashes and pyrotechnic displays reminded us why we love Criterion's visceral racing series in the first place. On the other hand, the demo was devoid of any of the modes popularized by previous entries, particularly Takedown, instead spearheading the series into an online free for all that seemed decidedly removed from what what players had come to expect from Burnout. With such tremendous focus being placed this time around on multiplayer racing, the developers now reveal that they have garnished the Burnout experience with "hundreds" of online challenges and an 'EasyDrive Friends List,' which will be internal to the game. According to the team, this will allow players to pop in and out of online races on a whim without having to fuss with a lobby.In addition, for those who remain conflicted, Electronic Arts has offered up just what single player challenges players can expect from Burnout Paradise once it ships in early 2008. Specifically, EA has confirmed that the game will feature four types of single player events, including regular races, 'Marked Man,' 'Stunt,' and 'Road Rage' challenges, though sadly it appears that the 'Crash' events did not make the cut. In addition, taking a page from Atari's Test Drive: Unlimited, EA notes that the entire Paradise City game world will be available from the word go, and that players will be able to "start and even end a challenge at their leisure." Finally, as previously mentioned, Burnout Paradise is among those titles confirmed to take advantage of Sony's upcoming rumble-ready DualShock 3 controller. In addition, as demonstrated at E3, the game will also include support for both the PlayStation Eye and Xbox Live Vision webcams, which will be chiefly used to take candid snapshots of players at the moment of impact.
Camera support for next Burnout? Why? How?
Computer and Video Games has an extremely short story (more like a haiku, really) in which Criterion's Alex Ward hints at digital camera support for both the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Burnout 5. Our first thought upon reading this was, "Why does this game need camera support?" Is there going to be some sort of wave-your-hands-to-move- the-on-screen-steering-wheel mode? Is the game going to display our twisted, mangled faces as we react to the twisted, mangled cars on screen? Are they going to let us take pictures of our own car and then blow up an in-game model of it? Because that last one would be kind of cool.Our second thought was, "Hey whatever happened to the HD EyeToy promised for the PS3?" The thing was shown off way back at E3 2006 working with SingStar and gimmicky card battle game Eye of Judgement. Since then, the Sony camp has been dead silent on the peripheral. The best information we were able to find is a cryptic October interview with EyeToy designer Richard Marks that calls the device "a concept rather than a product line." Since the PS3 supports data from practically any USB webcam for video chats (even the Xbox Live Vision cam), has the idea of a specific, Sony-branded EyeToy fallen by the wayside?
Save $10 on Vision and wireless controller
We've destroyed our Sunday paper looking for good 360 deals and thankfully came upon Circuit City's ad. This week at Circuit City or online you can get the Xbox Live Vision camera for $29.99 and the wireless controller for $39.99. That's a savings of $10 on each item! $30 is a great "try me" price for the Vision camera to see if you enjoy it. And it even comes with UNO in the package and TotemBall to download. Did you find any great Xbox 360 deals in this week's paper or online?
Texas Hold 'em to get Vision upgrade?
Sharp-eyed 360 Fanboy reader, Gregg Smith, noticed something after this morning's fall update. If you list your Xbox Live Arcade games by category, there is a section for Vision Camera enabled games. In that category, Texas Hold 'em -- or as I call it, Texas Hold Them -- is listed as Vision enabled. Granted, I don't play Hold 'em very much, so I fired it up just to be sure. Lo and behold, there is no Vision support. Does this mean that Hold 'em will have an upgrade in the near future, or did someone at 360 HQ make a mistake?
Totem Ball gesticulates onto Xbox Live Arcade
In case you missed it, yesterday's Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday title was the gesture-controlled Totem Ball, released for the low, low price of 0 Microsoft Points (that's $0 USD). The catch: you need Microsoft's Xbox Live Vision camera to play the game.Totem Ball was announced as a free download for all camera purchases but, considering the device hit retail a little early and the game's release is a little late, the retail box came with no Totem Ball registration key. No worries, that's why they stuck it up on Live as a free download (you need the camera either way). The first gesture-based XBLA game proves that the Vision camera is capable of being using as an input device, but is it more than a simple proof of concept?
Major Nelson demos Vision camera
Rather than just a standard pod blogcast this week, Major Nelson has instead posted a video podcast. Big deal, you say. But wait, there's more! This video podcast is all about the new Vision camera, which comes out tomorrow (assuming you couldn't snag one early from Toys R Us). The video -- weighing in at over twenty minutes long -- outlines all the super nifty great features of the peripheral. And, did we hear that Rainbow Six: Vegas will feature face mapping? We're pretty sure we did.Those of you interested in the camera (vibration functions and all) should definitely check it out.
Xbox Live Vision camera reviewed, nudity imminent
Our pals over at Joystiq managed to get their hand on the Xbox Live Vision camera over the weekend, and what with the official launch of the Vision being two weeks away, they weren't expected to see any other gamers video-chatting during their testing. As it turns out, Joystiq's innocent reviewer met another camera user within minutes of booting up Uno, an encounter made doubly-memorable by the bare-assed greeting that the other Vision owner decided to send down the pipe. As well as functioning as a broadcasting platform for rookie streakers, the Vision is capable of mapping player's faces onto in-game characters and EyeToy-like gestural control: titles taking advantage of these features will hit the XBL Marketplace on September 19. Other tidbits that Joystiq noted include: an anthropomorphic design enhanced by the fowards-backwards / left-right custom tilt of the camera, and the complete listing of what's included in the two different camera bundles. Budget buyers will be looking to pick up the $40 package which includes the Vision, a one month XBL Gold membership, the Xbox 360 headset, and free downloads of Uno and a 3D platform game called TotemBall. The $80 bundle gets you a twelve month XBL Gold membership, 200 Microsoft Points, and a free download of Robotron: 2084 on top of everything included in the $40 package. Something tells us that September 19 is going to be a disturbing day for Uno players on Xbox Live.
Joystiq hands-on: Xbox Live Vision camera (or: IT BEGINS!)
A small, plain box arrived unexpectedly from Redmond over the weekend containing nothing more than the diminutive Xbox Live Vision camera floating in a sea of amniotic packing paper. No retail box here, just the tiny little camera and its accompanying PR fact sheet ("Microsoft Corp.'s line of Xbox 360™ Authentic Products continues to grow while ..."). The sheet does detail the two bundles that will be released on September 19th, clipped after the break.We hurriedly grabbed some snaps before hooking up the Vision to the ol' 360 and taking it for a spin around the UNO block ... where IT happened. We've grown (abnormally) accustomed to the sort of blue language one finds while playing outside of the confines of your Xbox Live friends list -- this is of course, entirely different than the blue language you enjoy while playing with your friends, but we digress -- but it wasn't ten minutes before we had our first PG-13 exposure. Read on for the entire, sordid tale (with NSFW pictures!).
Toys 'R' Us jumps the gun on Xbox 360 camera
It seems one forgetful Toys 'R' Us out there has begun stocking Microsoft's Xbox Live Vision camera out on store shelves a wee bit early -- by a whole month actually. With visual proof posted on Flickr, one lucky guy has walked away with a peripheral that many 360 owners are very much looking forward to.In case you're wondering what was inside the package, here's what it offered: A headset, the camera, codes for one month of Live Gold and a registration key for Uno. We guess TotemBall isn't really coming with the camera as previously reported, unless it is available in a totally different bundle option.[Via Engadget]
Xbox Live Vision sneaks onto store shelf
It's a whole month early -- Microsoft's Xbox Live Vision camera is still due for actual release on 9/19 -- but during a recent Toys 'R' Us run lucky tipster Leo managed to walk away with his very own Live Vision camera, courtesy of an evident stocking snafu. The shiny package includes a headset, the camera, codes for 1 month of Live Gold and a registration key for fan-fave Uno. Of course, we don't suppose he'll be able to get much use out of it until Microsoft launches the device officially, but it makes for a good Flickr set, and some decent bragging rights.
Free game coming with 360 camera
Gamasutra has received confirmation that the Xbox Live Vision camera for the 360 will come with a free game: TotemBall.TotemBall is controlled almost entirely through gestures; that is, the game tracks a player's arm movements to control a rickety, wheeled totem pole tower around each level, collecting items and trying to reach the exit within a time limit. Microsoft's Jeff Stone also tells the site that "more gestural games are in early development." Coming out on Sept. 19, GameStop has unofficially listed the camera's price at $39.99. With that price point and the integration of the camera into a myriad of games currently out and on the horizon -- such as World Series of Poker -- this seems like Microsoft's must-have peripheral for the 360.
Current XBLA to be updated for use with camera
Speaking to Godfree at Gamertag Radio, Xbox Live Arcade Manager Aaron Greenberg confirms that some of their current XBLA offerings will be updated to make them compatible with the Vision Camera, including Spades, Bankshot Billiards 2, and "other classic titles." The aforementioned games will be joined by UNO, which is already compatible with the camera.The games will be Vision-compatible via updates when the Vision Camera launches on September 19.
$40 XBL Vision camera & UNO bundle detailed by MS source along with prices & dates for other 360 accessories
Our friendly anonymous source at Microsoft has provided us with a few more details concerning the 360 accessories announced back at E3.Perhaps the most important involves the bundling of the Xbox Live Vision camera with a wired headset, the popular Live Arcade title UNO, and a month of Live Gold service for $39.99 when it releases in the States on September 19, 2006.Granted, this is still an unofficial report (based on a leak of "official" info), so understand that you're probably not gonna get much confirmation from MS until they're good and ready to give it. If you'd like information on what other peripherals are coming out "Holiday 2006" (so sometime in the 4th quarter) and at what price, read on for more.
Xbox Live cam tester caught on camera
Even though the Xbox 360 camera ain't dropping until September, recent Xbox Live Arcade title Uno features Vision camera support. Cheap Ass Gamer daphatty ran into a camera beta tester while playing a game recently, only to fumble when trying to record it for posterity proof. So what did he do? He laid in wait, finally capturing (on camera) his prey. Camera tester Maestro1 had the camera turned on but -- in what was surely an attempt to psych-out his opponent -- had the camera directed not at himself but at his dog. Is Maestro1 invisible? Is the dog playing? Did he travel into the future to get the camera? Draw four? Aww shucks!(Blurry cam) video embedded after the break.[Thanks, SickNic]
Xbox Live Vision camera coming mid September
Major Nelson has revealed that the Xbox Live Vision camera is all set for a simultaneous European and North American launch on the 19th of September. The forthcoming Xbox Live update will be adding support for the camera, so once this little gadget is released you should be able to plug it straight in and talk face-to-face with your gamer buddies or bet your life away in a virtual game of Texas Hold 'Em. There's still no official pricing but earlier rumors suggest that the cam will be priced from around $20-40 depending on whether or not you opt for a bundle that includes a headset, a month of Xbox Live and an XBLA game.[Via Engadget]
Xbox 360 camera plus poker equals immersion
After the Microsoft keynote we managed to spend some time with one of the games supporting the 360's camera peripheral, World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions. In this game, the camera is used to take a frontal and sideways shot of the player's head, which is then turned into a 3D representation of the player.The process takes about three minutes, and is a little rough around the edges, but the immersiveness from seeing your opponents' faces both in 3D and in a superimposed webcam display is undeniable. The PMS Clan ladies demonstrating the game were impressed, describing it as a way to increase the addictiveness and realism of online poker, and wondering when they'd see their own faces in their favourite FPS. However, we find the concept of seeing our own dead bodies disturbing enough without adding our faces to it.
360 cam to usher in home surveillance?
eHomeUpgrade.com has big plans for the forthcoming Xbox 360 USB camera. Forget video chat, face-mapping, snapshots, and motion-capture gaming ... what about home surveillance?! Wow.Imagine if you will, a network of wireless, motion-tracking cameras stationed throughout your home. Now imagine your Xbox 360 is the hub. And now, there you are, secure in your living room, clutching your controller and ... watching ... watching every twitch on your 42" plasma.
Xbox 360 camera unveiled at XFEST
A loyal tipster dropped some exclusive shots of the Xbox 360 camera on the desks of the Xbox 360 Fanboy team this morning (lucky bastards). Taken during XFEST, the pictures showcase three functions of the camera: video chat, face mapping (presumably used to create an in-game character in your likeness), and games that incorporate live video feeds. The tipster also noted that the camera would be released this fall, not in May as speculated last month.
Leaked scans reveal new look Xbox Live Camera
Yesterday, new details about the Xbox Live Camera emerged, revealing its still-taking and gesture-initiated capabilities. Today, we catch a glimpse of the newly remodeled peripheral, courtesy of some leaked scans from an Xbox 360 publication in Hong Kong. According to the scans, the camera will be released in May.The scans also feature the Quick Charge Kit, which includes a charging dock for two rechargeable battery packs-also to debut in May.
Xbox 360 camera sighting
According to OXM.co.uk, a game developer recently tipped off CVG.com after seeing Microsoft's elusive Xbox 360 camera in action. The developer claimed to be impressed by the videochat feature. However, no comment was made about other possible functions of the camera-and no, users will never be able to customize their gamer pictures with the device. Is Microsoft finally ready to release this peripheral? Since unveiling the camera last year at E3, Microsoft has been reluctant to offer up any new details-suggesting that the idea might have been shelved. Many sources speculated that the recent dashboard update was going unlock the camera peripheral, but that hope has since come and gone. The delay is certainly associated with a concern for what the camera can be used for. Considering how one media outlet recently sensationalized the danger of the DS's Pictochat application, think of the media circus that would ensue an Xbox 360 peep show. Definitely not the kind of PR Microsoft is looking for. It may be an "impressive" device, but the Xbox 360 camera could never get past the inner offices of Xbox's most trusted.Visit Xbox 360 Fanboy for more details.
