fall-2012
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Xbox 360 USB data storage limit doubled to 32GB
The recent Xbox 360 dashboard update for Fall 2012 quietly increased the flash drive storage capacity from the 16GB implemented in 2010 to 32GB. Although we had been made aware of this the week of the update, we just wanted to make sure this wasn't a glitch that would be reversed at a later date.Asked if the Xbox flash drive storage limit had officially increased from 16GB to 32GB during the most recent Xbox Live update, a Microsoft spokesperson told us, "Yes. The more our customers use their profile and download digital content, the larger the file size necessary to store that content and move it between consoles gets. Therefore we increased the size of the memory to enable our customers to take more of their Xbox profile with them on the go."
Fall 2012 Xbox dashboard update rolling out to all today
Today marks the rollout of the Fall 2012 Xbox 360 dashboard update for non-beta participants – that's you guys! Regular ol' Xbox 360 users should discover a mandatory update sometime today.Among the changes to the UI and the addition of Internet Explorer for Gold subscribers, this latest dashboard refresh adds tailored recommendations based on your gaming habits, the ability to pin individual items to the home screen and enhanced searching functionality. SmartGlass support should be coming later this month, once Windows 8 arrives on October 26.
Karaoke Joysound finds its way to North American Wiis this fall
Konami has announced plans to release Karaoke Joysound, four years after its Japanese release, on the Wii in North America. We're sure everyone else who remembers this old Hudson game is as shocked as we are.Joysound uses a streaming library of over 1,000 songs, access to which can be rented for one or three days, or one month, at a time. Contents of the library have yet to be announced, and we don't know the cost. For reference, the Japanese version was 300 Wii Points for one day, 500 for three, and 1,000 ($10) for a month.The North American version ships this fall, and includes two microphones.
Sports Champions 2 takes a victory lap on PS Move this fall
You probably ended up with a copy of Sports Champions if you purchased a PlayStation Move, either because it was bundled or because you're required to own at least one sports minigame collection per motion controller (it's the law).Today, Sony revealed a followup to its obligatory sports game, due this fall. Sports Champions 2 includes skiing, boxing, tennis, golf, bowling, and "a fully updated Archery experience." Sony also promises tweaks like simpler calibration, more opportunities to customize your avatar, and multiple user profiles.The new "Party Play" mode lets users set playlists of matches, then compete for score. "You can create your own match playlist, see photos and voices from each player during the game, and draw something humiliating (or nice!) on the hapless loser," says producer Jeremy Ray. He probably means in the game. You always had the option of drawing on your friends.
Pokemon Dream Radar, Pokedex 3D Pro coming to North American 3DS this fall
The two eShop-based Pokemon games announced during the last Nintendo Direct are coming to 3DSes in North America this fall. Pokemon Dream Radar is a pseudo-shooting game in which players move their 3DSes around to find Pokemon hiding in augmented-reality environments, then catch them by shooting. Pokemon caught in this game, including "some hard-to-get Pokemon," can be transferred into Black 2 and White 2.Pokedex 3D Pro is an upgraded version of the free Pokedex 3D app, with "detailed information about the more than 600 Pokémon featured in the history of the Pokémon video game series." Unlike Pokedex 3D, which hid many of its contents behind AR markers, everyone is unlocked from the start.Pricing information was not announced for North America, but Dream Radar and Pokedex 3D Pro sell for 300 yen ($3.75) and 1,500 yen ($18.77) in Japan respectively. Is ultimate Pokemon knowledge worth $18 to you?%Gallery-155417%%Gallery-155418%
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time stealing shelf space at retail this fall
Hey, you! With the sticky fingers! A new raccoon-based simulator to help enhance your craft is coming, and you'll want to pay attention. Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time has been given the less ambiguous release window of "this fall" on PlayStation 3.Though the game is developed by Sanzaru Games and not the franchise's creators at Sucker Punch Productions, it's not in unfamiliar hands. Sly Cooper's HD debut, which brought the trio of PS2 originals to the PS3, was developed by Sanzaru, and they did a mighty fine job with it.The fourth installment in Sly's universe gives players control of his family tree, throwing players in multiple locales, including ancient Japan. But wait, you ask as you Google the same information as us, weren't raccoons only introduced to Japan in the 1960s? Clearly the game is not as realistic as we thought. But the animals talk, so that makes it slightly more realistic.Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time also features collectible costumes, granting the bandit bold new powers, as well as a continuation of the franchise's open-world design philosophy, according to the PlayStation Blog.We sure hope Bentley, the wheelchair-bound turtle, isn't jumping through time for this adventure. We're not sure how accessible ancient temples are.%Gallery-130811%
Sony: Call of Duty blasting onto Vita this fall
Call of Duty will be launching on Vita this fall, Sony's SVP of PlayStation Brand Marketing told Game Trailers in a video interview. SVP Guy Longworth, hired by Sony in October 2011, casually dropped the news about Vita's Call of Duty title, saying his kids love first-person shooters and "in the autumn, they're really looking forward to Call of Duty on Vita, and we think that's going to be an absolute game-changer for the platform."When pressed for more details, Longworth said Sony wasn't ready to announce which title will be hitting Vita, but we bet it'll be the one with the guns during that war against those bad guys with strange accents.
Next EA basketball simulation game coming fall 2012
Buried at the bottom of a press release for NBA Jam: On Fire Edition -- a downloadable title coming this fall to PSN and XBLA -- is news that the next "real" basketball game from EA Sports won't be here until fall 2012. Nothing makes for a better distraction than (NBA Jam: On) Fire! "As planned, our next NBA simulation title is in development at our Tiburon Studio in Orlando," EA Sports president Peter Moore said in the announcement. "We have top talent on the game, and we're giving the new development team time to deliver a superior experience. We're making great strides and looking forward to launching a new game next year." That lesson about giving the team plenty of time was learned the hard way: through the near-release and scrapping of NBA Elite 11. This means it'll be three full years between EA basketball sims, during which time 2K Sports will enjoy its status as the Harlem Globetrotters of the basketball video game market.
