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NCAA football and basketball downloads coming to Xbox Live
Microsoft and ESPN have announced intent to pump complete college basketball, football, and other ESPN programming to Xbox Live customers. Commercial-free, standard-definition NCAA games will be available for 3 bucks a pop or $4.50 for "high-definition" versions -- other content will be priced as low as $2. Great, right? Only thing is, they aren't available until 48-hours after the game is over. Seems to us that any fanatic willing to burn cash for a game would have already seen his fill of highlights and news by then, eh?Update: Service begins today with Saturday's USC vs. Oregon State game.
More details about upcoming ESPNews HD
We already knew that ESPNews HD wasn't launching this year, but rather, in March of '08. What we didn't know is how ESPN's third high-def station was going to look. More deets have surfaced and quite frankly, the channel is going to look sweet in HD. ESPN is utilizing a scaled down 16x9 high-def video feed and supplementing three sides of the screen with their "HD Sideline" graphics -- think scores, news, headshots, and of course, advertisement. Frankly, we're stoked that ESPN isn't transposing their current ESPNews 4x3 feed and implanting graphics on either side resulting in a non-HD 16x9 channel; something like what CNBC is doing.
HDTV Listings for October 16, 2007
What we're watching: Tonight marks the premiere of ESPN's new in-depth news show, E:60. Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
ESPNews not going HD until March 2008
We already had a hunch that ESPN's 24-hour news channel wouldn't be making the leap to HD until next year, but any hopes of it launching sooner have apparently been dashed. Reportedly, ESPN has "already signed carriage deals for ESPNews HD with DirecTV, Comcast and Time Warner Cable (partly owned by Time Warner, parent company of AOL, which owns Engadget), according to network executives." When it finally goes live at the "beginning in March 2008," it will become the third ESPN network to be available in an HD flavor. It's stated that the channel will feature "an innovative HD sideline graphic which will wrap around the top left and bottom of the HD screen" to offer up news and statistics in a format tailored for high-definition displays. March can't come soon enough.
TI mounts new DLP push
TI has given its 20-year old DLP technology a shot in the arm in the form of a $100 million advertising and marketing campaign. The ads should be airing during HD broadcasts of ESPN's Monday Night Football, as well as ABC and ESPN's Nascar Nextel Cup offerings. And if you don't have a HDTV, TI will be moving a 60-seat DLP 3D cinema around the country during the Nascar season to start your HD addiction. This marketing effort is taking place even when iSuppli has estimated shipments of 1.5 million DLP sets in 2007, about flat from last year. It's a bold move for a technology facing increasing competition from plasma and LCD. We're hoping the DarkChip 4 devices deliver real-world results, or the slogan "It's all in the mirrors" could morph into "It's all smoke and mirrors."
ESPN brings PodCenter to the iPhone
Add ESPN to your list of major media outlets who have designed a portal specifically for the iPhone. While they might have had an easier time customizing their PodCenter with podcasts and downloadable media for the iPhone (after all, they were already halfway there with a PodCenter), they win absolutely zero points for the URL you use to get there: http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/iphone/If you know of a better way, please sound off.As far as the iPhone-ified UI, ESPN did a pretty good job. Shows are listed descending by date, and tapping on a specific episode presents a logo, brief description and the ability to stream the episode. ESPN has also launched a few new shows for this rev to the PodCenter, though I can't get a single one to play yet. For now, I'll chalk that up to growing pains, since this iPhone UI more or less just launched today.[via iPhone Alley]
VCAST TV adds temporary channel for X Games
If you thought Verizon's launch lineup for VCAST TV was a bit thin, don't fret -- MediaFLO's got bandwidth to spare -- but you might get extra channels spoon-fed to you one special at a time. Subscribers may have already noticed that EXPN has already showed up on that tiny screen of theirs, offering up all the X Games 13 coverage they can handle from July 22 through August 7. The extra channel supplements X Games coverage on ESPN Mobile TV (one of VCAST TV's permanent channels), so between the two, mobile warriors shouldn't miss a minute of the action.[Via mocoNews]
ESPN launches casual games site
Adding to the list of massive corporations hopping on the casual bandwagon, ESPN recently announced the launch of ESPN Arcade. Users can play over 40 free games on the ad-driven site, with the U.S. Marines being the first to plaster its banners across the pages. Games range from action to arcade to puzzle and have one thing in common: sports themes. If the concept of Baseball Sudoku doesn't make you want to vomit, ESPN Arcade is right up your alley.
Madden '08, sports titles in general, move to real-time play
Electronic Arts has gone the extra mile with their next-gen iterations of sports titles. They've birthed a partnership with ESPN to dramatically increase real-time content. If you ask us, this may actually force EA to build yearly games with actual gameplay tweaks and enhancements instead of updated rosters and slight graphical boosts. Let us explain.Starting with the summer's release of Madden '08, if you've got one of them fancy high-speed internet connections, you can have streaming information directly impact your gameplay experience. It's going to be like fantasy baseball, or whatever those fake online things are. If a player gets injured, guess what? He won't be on the team in your game. If it's raining in such-and-such stadium for real, it's going to be pretty wet for you in the game, too. On the flipside, stat increases will crop up to reflect a player who's having an unexpected hot season.Some games have already implemented some of these elements, allowing gamers to get sports news displayed as a ticker or podcast during their gaming sessions. While there will be a lot of people praising the innovations to bring sports games closer to real-life, there will be those who cry foul. Where do you guys stand? Is this a good move, or will it hinder the experience for you?
Verizon to offer "ESPN MVP" sports content
ESPN got driven clear out of the MVNO game, but it wants another go at winning the hearts and minds of US mobile subscribers -- this time through a partnership with Verizon. "ESPN MVP" will become a new standard feature of Verizon's VCAST offering at no additional cost, offering a slew of sporty content: news, stats, configurable alerts for scores and news, editorial content, fantasy team management, and quite a bit more. It'll even feature ESPN's instantly recognizable "Bottomline," a scrolling ticker of updated news and scores. Look for it to hit tomorrow on the LG VX8300, Chocolate, and VX8600, alongside Motorola's V3c, V3m, and K1m; additional compatible models will follow in the "coming months."[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Cox disables ad skipping on ABC and ESPN VOD content
The constant battle between impatient television viewers and disgruntled providers got a shot of adrenaline today, as Walt Disney's two biggest channels have inked a deal with Cox Communications that is sure to simultaneously appease marketers and enrage customers. Reportedly, Cox will now begin to "disable the fast-forward feature that allows viewers to skip ads" in both ABC and ESPN video-on-demand, meaning that users who choose to view older programming via Cox's VOD channels can smash the FF button 'til their heart's content and get nowhere. Of course, users who actually set their DVR to record said content at its normal airing time are still free (for the moment, at least) to blaze right on through those annoying blips commercials, which means that you should probably become a lot more disciplined in your DVR scheduling if you belong to Cox. The worst (or best, depending on perspective) part is the precedent that this sets, as now the door is gaped wide open for more and more providers to grab the reigns of our DVRs and dictate just how far we push the notion of timeshifting. [Warning: Read link requires subscription][Via TechMeMe]
First look: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
As promised, the new Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare trailer (embedded above) aired on ESPN and hit the intertubes with a vengeance. And after watching their little teaser, you can color us impressed. Not only is the modern warfare theme a welcome change to the COD franchise, but the shear amount of action and destruction makes us want to go out and preorder Infinity Ward's little gem right now. And if you are interested, they also released an extended HD version of the trailer on the game's official website CharlieOscarDelta.com. Take a look, think it over, and judge for yourself as we know COD fans are eager to see Infinity Ward take back the developer's reigns.[Thanks, to everyone who sent this in]
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare confirmed
Word on the intertubes is that Activision has officially confirmed upcoming sequel Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare earlier this morning. This of course follows suite with Infinity Ward's news post last week, as we'll be treated to the very first CoD 4 video footage on April 28th during the NFL Draft airing on ESPN. Which is exactly what the advertisement to the right confirms. So guys, let's recap. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has been confirmed, it's being developed by Infinity Ward, and is leaving behind the WWII storyline. Remember, tune into ESPN on April 28th for your first look to what CoD 4 has to offer ... we dare you to not be excited.
ESPN to produce World Series of Poker, Cold Pizza & Mike and Mike in HD
Why has ESPN taken so long producing the World Series of Poker in high-def? Don't get us wrong, we are glad that the show is finally switching to HD but we just wish they would have done it sooner. It's not like ESPN can even call WSOP the first HD Poker series as INHD Mojo has been airing the Vegas Open for close to a year now. The show starts back up in July and will feature 32 hours of HD. Additionally, two more ESPN shows are making the jump to HD: Cold Pizza & Mike and Mike. These three shows should jump ESPN's yearly HD output to nearly 9,000 hours according to TV Week's calculations. Back to the WSOP, here's hoping the poker table's hole-cams will get an HD upgrade to those tiny high-def cams.
HDTV Listings for April 3, 2007
What we're watching: ESPN is rolling out its Full Circle coverage again for the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship between Rutgers and Tennessee.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
ESPN to broadcast all MLS games in high definition
MLS = Major League Soccer. Now that we have that out of the way Soccer fans can now enjoy the game in HD thanks to a deal cut with ESPN. This deal reinforces ESPN's commitment to HD as the network now offers seven sports categories with complete HD coverage. The MLS games will be found network-wide on ESPN2, ESPN and ABC but we are thinking that most will be on ESPN2. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it's just that soccer isn't as popular as, well, championship poker here in the US but maybe high definition will help.
MobileESPN lives... on Verizon
MobileESPN is back from the dead sheriff, only this time as a zombied version of its former self. No longer an MVNO, the service for sportos is now limited exclusively to Verizon Wireless subscribers under a new multi-year deal. According to the AP, the deal is not yet finalized but should be announced sometime today with a service launch in "the coming months." And it's free for those of you already ponyed up for VZW's VCAST service and compatible phone. Verizon is also expected to announce later today that the ESPN channel on their MediaFLO-based VCAST TV service will feature much of the same programming you're already familiar with -- albeit, presumably in bite-sized chunks more suitable to TV on the go. This must be what the execs at Verizon had in mind when they passed on the iPhone. Braaaaains, give us your brains![Thanks, unfuccwittable]
Halo 3 events recapped [update 1]
Over at Bungie.net, Frankie has posted a fact filled Weekly Update, and does a nice recap of whats been happening lately on the Halo 3 front. Frankie confirms some details about the special Halo 3 commercial that is going to be airing Monday, that there will be a FREE Halo 3 theme released Monday, and also that they've been testing "Pimps at Sea" at its alpha stage. Also, about midway down the page Frankie lists some facts about the commercial and drops a little hint that the it is "packed full of clues and stuff". Wha? Clues and stuff ... I can guarantee that there will be 4,000+ articles picking apart this commercial frame by frame come Tuesday morning. Be quick, head over to Bungie.net, fill your brain with knowledge, and wait patiently for manic Monday to come.Update 1: It looks like the Halo 3 theme I mentioned may not be free after all and may not arrive Monday. Hey, it was wishful thinking wasn't it?
Halo 3 commercial expectations
We've been flooded with Halo 3 news recently and so we'll make it a personal mission to continue the bombardment. As you know, we have our calendars marked for December 4th already , because that night on Monday Night Football we're going to get to see the premier of the Halo 3 one minute commercial. There already seems to be a hype machine churning for what is essentially just a commercial ... but a commercial everyone is frothing from the mouth to see. So, let's recap the facts. We know that Bungie didn't create the commercial in-house, that the commercial will use actual 3D models from the game, that it is 100% CG (no actual Halo 3 footage for you!), that it will only be shown once on TV, but will be available on Xbox.com and Xbox Live, and that nobody really knows exactly what to expect. With that knowledge, time for some speculation. I'm thinking the commercial is probably going to showcase the prettiness of the Halo universe and give us a glimpse into the storyline that Halo 3 is going to be based upon. Maybe we'll see some new weapons, new vehicles or some new covenant, but no new announcements. We at Xbox 360 Fanboy are going to be hard to displease, because we'll accept any Halo 3 footage, but what about you guys? Are you expecting some really juicy stuff, secrets revealed, or the start of a new ilovebees ARG? Or are you just happy to get to see some CG Halo 3 and all that jazz? Please discussify.
New image from Master Chief's Monday Night invasion
Let's see, he's got the crouched position down pat, and that armor could probably withstand a direct hit from Joey Porter or Richard Seymour. Heck, even the guy's name is synonymous with the sport (in Kansas City, anyway). But is Master Chief -- cue Hank Williams, Jr. -- really ready for some football?!! Bungie seems to think so, which is why they've released this image from a new Halo 3 commercial that will appear during ESPN's next Monday Night Football broadcast. The ad was produced by visual effects studio Digital Domain using Halo assets, so don't expect to see any in-game footage. Still, it looks pretty sweet, and it just might make sitting through Tony Kornheiser more bearable (note to ESPN: first TV timeout, please).
