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Kaz Hirai says "Thanks" to Microsoft
It's been no surprise that whenever Sony is faced with the accusation of copying Microsoft's online strategy, they talk about progressing the industry as a whole and broadening the scope of the business. Kaz Hirai has furthered that mentality by going on the record saying "thanks" to the software giant."Thank you, Microsoft, for helping us in taking consumers online," he said to Mercury news. "The most important thing for us is to make sure online is an integral part of the experience. It's not a 'nice to have' feature. It enables new businesses."Even though the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 will soon be going head-to-head, it's obvious that Sony and Mr. Hirai believe that this is a collective endeavor all the same. Think of it as competitive synergy. Of course if that's not the case then at least he's putting on a good poker face.
360 dashboard update to be ready by morning
The long awaited 360 dashboard update is finally coming, arriving by invite for most Stateside gamers sometime early tomorrow morning.The update will actually begin to go out by 2:00 AM PT, but, according to Major Nelson, it "can take up to four hours for a user to be prompted to receive this update," so the invitation to download the small-in-size (but large-in-scope) update could arrive as late as 6:00 AM PT.Patient gamers can look forward to 125 new features for their cream-colored Xboxes, including the ability to queue multiple Marketplace downloads, keep your place in DVDs, and even fast-forward to just the choicest parts of videos (like the one featuring the titular Tomb Raider above). Plan your evening and/or morning accordingly, folks.See also: A video tour of the Xbox Live Spring update 360 BC update "in the next few weeks" [Thanks to everyone who sent this in; also via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Microsoft calls PS3 online strat "plagiarism"
The turf war continues with Chris Lewis of Microsoft kicking up some dirt about Sony's online strategy for the PlayStation 3. In an interview with Eurogamer, Mr. Lewis accused Sony of stealing their idea and implementing it as their own."Plagiarism is a good thing - that in itself isn't such a problem, it's what the market wants. But we've known that's what the market wanted all along," he said. Adding that he thinks it's flattering, Chris stated that he's glad to see Sony bridging the gap and covering ground to catch up, but that he's a little hazy on the whole thing."How the pricing is going to work still to me seems very unclear." Well, if Sony sticks to their guns, then the answer is simple: it'll be free![Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
$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.
New Battle for Middle Earth II trailer available
This is for all those LOTR fans out there. Check out the Battle for Middle Earth II trailer (in HD) and see what will be hitting the Xbox 360 in the coming weeks. Gamers will be able to throw down over Xbox Live and challenge each other to battles. Hope you have that Orc-killing attitude ready.
PS3 service goes after Xbox Live Arcade
With a keen eye, IGN noticed a job offering floating around the internet that is described as looking for a "a superstar engineer with a strong graphics background to develop an unannounced downloadable title for the PlayStation 3 launch in November."So we all know that Sony's PlayStation Network Platform wants to compete head-on with Microsoft's service, but this gives even more fuel to the fire in their effort to tackle Xbox Live Arcade with downloadable games as well. That Game Company posted the call for programmers, and it turns out they want to bring the trippy web game flOw (that's free) to the next-gen console. This begs the question: What other downloadable games are being cooked up for the PS3 service? Guess we won't know until November.
Peter Moore shares his thoughts on Sony
With the looming launch of the PS3, it's always fun to get a reaction from the front-liners on the other side. Peter Moore sat down with Eurogamer the other day and spilled his thoughts on Sony and their new controller."At Microsoft we did the same controller six years ago ... The gamers' response was muted at best," he said. He went on to speak about how the applications for such a controller were fairly narrow. And with the sacrifice of the force feedback, there's a strong argument that the PS3 controller will have lost much of its allure. Regardless, the gamers will be the ones who decide what works and what doesn't come November.Mr. Moore's comment about the price point summed it up: "I can only imagine what's going on back home for 599 Euros for what looks to me like a platform that's on a par at best with some of the software we're showing."
And the Xbox Live grand total is...
We've said it before and we'll say it again: Xbox Live has come a long way since the launch of the 360. Content was few and far between back then. But now, with downloads in the millions, it's evident that gamers are hard pressed not to find something worth downloading or buying on the network.For an interesting perspective on how much content floods Xbox Live now, just take a look at the total cost it would run you to purchase it all! With some of the stuff duplicated the actual total is a bit lower, but even so, $957.38 is still pretty hefty. That's 76,590 points for everyone else.
New "Oblivion" content on Marketplace
The title says it all folks. Check out this new premium content available on Xbox Live for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Major Nelson gives us the word: Uncover a famous pirate's lost ship and claim it for your own. Designed for stealth-based characters. The "Thieves Den" content will run you for about 150 points, or less than two bucks. But with it, you won't ever have to pay for an inn again! More details are available at the website.[Via Major Nelson]
Totally awesome E3 games that everyone missed
Lore Sjöberg of Wired took a look at the games from his imagination this year's E3 that no-one wanted to play. In his own words, all these games contained the best mini game of all "not standing in line." So did he find any gems in his mind at E3? Here's a selection of what he imagined saw: Sandbox -- playing off the popularity of open-ended GTA style games comes Sandbox, a game that's 100% true to its genre. Sandbox exposes children to the delights of a real life sandbox, sans the real life sand. The developers told Sjöberg that they'd like to include a shovel and bucket in the final game, "but that may not be a realistic goal." Mission: Marketplace -- this game progresses the demand for downloadable content and episodic games to its climax. Mission: Marketplace's innovation is that it requires players to purchase all the content separately -- alternatively you can just plunk down $200 and watch the credits roll. We can't wait for this one. That's not all: he also discovered Pac-Man Boulevard, a game that demonstrates the continued advantages of sequels over original franchises and Casual Game: The Game, a game so casual that engaging your brain (or even possessing one) reduces your overall enjoyment. We're like, totally hyped about these completely revolutionary games, so get your arse over to Wired and read all about 'em.[Image credit: art.com]
Xbox Live is "Bringing It Home" in numbers
In case you didn't know, Xbox Live is kind of a big thing.As a matter of fact, it has officially been christened "the world's largest platform for high-definition on-demand content," having topped 24 million downloads. That's a huge growth spurt from its humble beginnings in November last year. During the "E3: Bringing It Home" event, over 1.5 million people logged on to download 5 million nuggets of content. That's 600 terabytes of data in only 7 days, for those of you interested.Here were the top downloads during E3: Bringing It Home:1. Halo 3 Game Trailer2. Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Playable Demo3. Test Drive Unlimited Playable Demo4. MotoGP '06 Playable Demo5. X-Men: The Last Stand Pack6. Gears of War Game Trailer7. Call of Duty 2: Skirmish Map Pack8. Spiderman 3 Game Trailer9. Fable 2 Trailer 10. Uno Xbox Live Arcade GameDid you participate in the Xbox Live frenzy during E3?
First impression: Moto GP '06
At the THQ area, they were proudly showing off their incredibly gorgeous Moto GP '06. This title shines bright and controls very well for the Xbox 360. Despite not even being played on a retail console, the demo was enough to satisfy my need for speed.
Xbox Live Marketplace brings home HD E3 trailers and demos [Halo 3 update 2]
Ok so thats basically direct marketing speak from Microsoft. But it's true. This week Xbox 360 owners have been able to download trailers and demos of some of the same games that they will be showing in LA. Yesterday I was able to download the demo for Test Drive Unlimited (which is not so unlimited, the demo has a 15 minute timer boooo!) and Lost Planet, as well as the trailers for a lot of other games, movies and apparently there will also be video straight from the E3 floor. If you don't have a 360, you can also get a hold of the high definition trailers from Xboxyde. To find out exactly what and when things are available, check out the Marketplace section of MajorNelson's website.We'll get back to you after Microsoft's pre-E3 showcase, in the meantime, check out live coverage at Joystiq.Today's XBLM releases:Game Trailers:Call Of DutyCuldcept SAGAHitman: Blood MoneyLost Planet Extreme Condition Marvel: Ultimate AllianceNBA 2K7Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis Tony Hawk's Project 8Demo:Lost PlanetAs just announced during Microsoft's presentation THE HALO 3 TRAILER IS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD ON XBOX LIVE. That is all. Also available on bungie.net.
Lost Planet demo lost, but not for long
It looks like the Lost Planet demo was briefly available on XBLM a day earlier than scheduled and then yanked. Photographic proof above. It should be back tomorrow. Gamers who were lucky enough to grab it early, please report your impressions.
Still downloading... downloading... downloading... (Xbox 360 annoyance #003.1)
We're all about Xbox Live's game demo service. In theory. Last night, we spent just over 90 minutes waiting to get our sweaty palms on The Outfit demo (and we know we're not alone). The problem for us wasn't that it took so long. We knew that 6 PM (Eastern) wasn't the best time to fetch the file. And we knew that our broadband connection probably wasn't optimized for this function. The point is, we anticipated a long download-and we were okay with that.The real problem is that the Xbox 360 is crippled when it's downloading. We've known about this. We've bitched about it before. But last night's episode warrants another post. It's not like we can't find anything to do for 90 minutes (there is a world of possibilities out there, right?). But, if Microsoft wants to claim that the Xbox 360 is all about choice, then give us that choice. Let us listen to music. Let us watch DVDs. Heck, let us play games! Let us do all of these things while we download a game demo from the Marketplace. Microsoft, are you listening?Other Xbox 360 annoyances: 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 008, 009, 010, 011, 012, 013Xbox 360 delights: 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 008, 009, 010, 011
The Outfit demo to hit Live this weekend
According to IGN, the demo for THQ's The Outfit has been certified by Microsoft and should hit the Live Marketplace today...or tomorrow..or the next day. Either way, downloaders will be pleased to discover that it's the first 360 demo to be fully playable online.
Even more Marketplace content
We just can't get enough of that downloadable goodness, so we thought it only fair to let you know that -- hot on the heels of the Condemned demo -- even more Marketplace content is now available. According to Live stalwart Major Nelson, a whole barrage of picture packs and themes are now waiting for your hard-earned points.If the idea of the Here, Kitty Kitty! Picture Pack doesn't float your boat, you'll probably be more interested in the Quake 4 demo that's also available. Since demos for upcoming titles seem few and far between, it's a wonder what they'll manage to fit on game magazine cover discs with all the content now freely available online.
