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Lost Planet Turkey Day multiplayer review
Click to enlargeWe've been playing the Lost Planet multiplayer for the past couple of days through an arrangement with Capcom. All Xbox Live users will be able to download the multiplayer-enabled demo today and get some gaming in ... if the tryptophan hasn't incapacitated them. The demo comes with one map called Pirate Fortress, although if you pre-order the Lost Planet Collector's Edition on "White Friday" (11/24), you'll get a code that allows you to download an additional map called Dilapidation. If you've played the single-player demo, then you've played Pirate Fortress. It's exactly the same level (except you can't go in that sort of warehouse/garage area), with power-ups and additional weapons scattered all over the place. Dilapidation is much more closed in, set in the ruins of a burned out multi-story building with an underwater area (your player is equipped with some kind of fancy futuristic scuba gear that doesn't even release bubbles) and multiple tunnels and dark corners to hide in.
NCAA March Madness demo coming to marketplace
Love basketball? Love college basketball? Love NCAA college basketball? If you answered yes then you'll be gitty with anticipation when the NCAA March Madness demo hits the Xbox Live Marketplace November 20th. The demo is going to pit number one Florida against number two Kansas in typical basketball style. NCAA March Madness is expected to be available in retail stores January 2007. Put down the pre-season brackets and go download the demo November 20th ... March Madness FTW![Thanks, Matt T.]
Lost Planet multiplayer demo coming out on turkey day
Capcom announced today that the multiplayer demo of Lost Planet will (finally) be available as a free download on Xbox Live come November 23rd. Stuff yourself with as much food as possible (although not turkey, you don't want to pass out) while this thing downloads and see what all the hubbub is about. Invite a few friends too, it supports 16 players online. We've enjoyed the time that we've spent in both the single-player and multiplayer versions of the game, and the response to the XBL demo currently available, which is single-player only, has been very favorable. If you want to know more about what you can expect, check out the videos from the multiplayer demo at the Leipzig Games Convention.Retailers will also give gamers a chance to preorder the game on November 24th, which has been dubbed "White Friday" by Capcom. Anyone who preorders the game will be given a token card containing a code for XBL that will let you download a separate version of the multiplayer demo that contains an extra map, "Dilapidation." People who pony up for the collector's edition of the game will likewise be given access to a second bonus map which won't be released until summer of 2007 as a free download. So by spending ten bucks extra, you'll get a special case, an art book *yawn* and an extra map. A whole set of extra maps might be worth the extra dough, but just one? Still not sold. With so many companies offering collector's editions of their games (Gears of War, Halo 2 & 3, Perfect Dark Zero, World of Warcraft), they really need to make it worthwhile to justify the extra cost, a flimsy tin case just isn't going to cut it anymore. Check out the Burning Crusade collector's edition to see what every publisher should be offering in these fancy packages.Capcom will also be running a 60 second theatrical trailer for the game in front of movies like Casino Royale on over 2,000 screens, which = a buttload. With Gears of War using movie theaters for their "A Match Made in Hell" event, gamers will stop wanting to game on small(ish) screens, and will take the action to their local multiplex. We hate commercials in front of our movies, but we might be able to start making an exception for well-done game trailers. They are really trying to spread the word on this one, the image for this post was taken from an insert in at least one of our Gears of War game cases.Hit us on Thanksgiving on XBL and we'll see how drowsy you are.
Xbox Live survey leads to future peripheral speculation
Alright, so we've got Microsoft's HD DVD player finally hitting the hands of elated Xbox 360 owners, rumors of a 100GB 80GB hard drive, and an "all systems go" on the console's forthcoming Live Video service -- how could there possibly be anything else up ole Bill's sleeve? Apparently the company is at least pondering the release of several other goodies in the (hopefully) near future, including a premium (read: black) wireless controller with backlit buttons and rubberized grips ($59-$69), a "traditional joystick" for use with Xbox Live Arcade titles ($29-$39), a "mini-keyboard plug-in device" enabling text messaging and chat ($19-$29), and a long-awaited web browser built into Xbox Live (likely gratis). No, we didn't pull these four niceties out of a hat, but certain XBL members received a hint-filled survey that mentioned each of these devices (and bits of software) in particular, leading us to believe that at least some of these peripherals could see retail shelves before too long. The survey also made mention of an "iTunes-like" music service (Zune Marketplace?) that could offer $0.99 downloads or a $14.99 per month "rental service" similar to Napster and Rhapsody's current gigs. While nobody knows for sure what the (presumably positive) survey results will lead to in Redmond, we won't complain with Microsoft catering to our incessant demands.[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
XBL survey fuels rumors
The other day a select few Xbox Live users were contacted by Microsoft for a little survey fun. And yes I agree with you, normally surveys are yawn inducing, but this survey was extra special as it revealed new products and ideas Microsoft has been planning. Xbox Live users were asked their opinion on various new products including an arcade joystick, a mini keyboard that connects to your controller, a premium black controller, a web browser, and a rundown of various pricing options for new content and media. I know I'd love to get my hands on that sexy black controller, but which of these new products would you like to see hit retail?[Thanks, to everyone who sent this in]
Let them download cake
If don't have this one on your RSS feed, you may not know GayGamer.net does more than cover obviously gay stuff like the Foley-friendly make-out sessions in Bully. Those flamboyantly homosexual gamers can write with Fab Five-ish wit and style, as they prove with this post on the divide between Gold Xbox Live Members and their "lice-ridden" Silver cousins. Let them download cake indeed.
Double Agent plus 12 mos of XBL in Canada
Reader Forbiddon from Canada spotted a great deal for Sam Fisher fans in the Great White North. Buy a copy of Splinter Cell: Double Agent for $59.99 CA (already $10 off the regular Canadian price) and get 12 free months of Xbox Live. The Best Buy Canada site currently doesn't mention the XBL offer, so you'll have to take his word for it.
There is no PlayStation HUB, only PlayStation
Just when we were getting used to calling Sony's as-yet-unnamed online service PlayStation HUB, Sony goes and pulls the marketing rug out from under our collective (and terribly presumptuous) feet. Sony's Kaz Hirai recently told Next Generation that they have a philosophical difference with their competitors when it comes to branding their online service. In other words, no PlayStation Live or PS3Connect24. Says Kaz:"What we don't do however is have a brand name for the network service, you know, like PlayStation Online or PlayStation Live, and this is because we don't we don't see a 'PlayStation offline.'"Sony insists the service will be free for consumers and flexible for publishers. Of course, this reminds us of the similarly free and flexible -- and poorly supported -- online services seen on the PS2 and the PSP platforms. Before we get needlessly worried that the PS3's online service will be another poorly supported, nameless offering, we'll wait to learn more during Sony's Gamer's Day event in San Francisco later today.[Thanks, theinvisiblemooseman]
Stop crying, Lumines Live! hits XBLA tomorrow [update 2]
About frackin' time news now, with the announcement that tomorrow's Xbox Live Arcade release is none other than Tetsuya Mizuguchi's plummeting block opus, Lumines Live!. Priced at 1200 MS Points ($15), the game features 12 different skins (or levels, for the uninitiated), 5.1 surround sound, online multiplayer, a bevy of single-player modes and a vaguely inspirational message transmitted through pulsating lights and spinning squares. So, what happened to all that stuff you had to buy seperately? It's called the Advance Pack. An optional download costing 600 MS Points ($7.50) will add 22 more skins into the game -- and that's it. Considering the value of HD graphics and enhanced sound in a game which heavily relies on hypnotic presentation, $22.50 for a new Lumines title with 34 skins doesn't seem like a terrible deal, certainly not to those still addicted to the original game. Of course, not being able to play it on the bus may come as a significant loss to you, not to mention the curious fact that the main game has fewer skins than the add-on. Stack blocks and defy sweeping timelines (if you're so inclined) on Xbox Live Arcade from Wednesday morning, 1:00AM PDT (0800 GMT). The full press release is embedded after the break. [Update 1: Now includes interview with Mark Coates, program manager for Xbox Live Arcade.] [Update 2: The Advance Pack is nowhere to be seen. Major Nelson says it'll arrive at a "later date."]
Reminder: no Live today
Just a friendly reminder that there is no Xbox Live service today. It will be gone for up to 24 hours. That's, like, totally a whole day. What the hell are we supposed to do? Read Xbox 360 Fanboy? Oh, wait ... yes. Yes, you should read Xbox 360 Fanboy. That's an excellent idea. Anybody have any other plans?
XBL down for maintenance on Oct. 17th
Major Nelson sends word that the Xbox Live network will soon disappear into a nebulous offline abyss for some maintenance. Currently scheduled for Tuesday, 17 October and expected to last for 24 hours, attempts by your Xbox 360 to connect to Live will be met with unnerving digital silence. Mark the date on your calendars and be sure to reschedule your planned sessions of disconnecting early, screaming into your headset and informing other players of their sexual orientation.The official Xbox website will also be taken down and worked upon in order to accomodate "some secret cool stuff." None of which, as the site insists, includes a dashboard update. Incidentally, 17 October is also the release date for Splinter Cell: Double Agent. [Via Major Nelson]
Xbox 360 launches in South Africa
If you're a gamer living in South Africa, chances are that your visual periphery was dominated this past weekend by Microsoft's Xbox 360 launch and its accompanying marketing campaign. Nearly a year after the system's first-worldwide launch, the Xbox 360 became officially available to eager shoppers at the stroke of midnight on Friday, 29 September. Playable in-store kiosks, radio advertisements, campus tournaments and vaguely sinister cardboard stands announced not only the arrival of "the next generation of gaming," but the expansion of choice.Unless you wanted to import the original Xbox or stick your hand into the awkward and tangled mess of Gamecube distribution lines, the PlayStation 2 was the only console the average gamer could reliably and affordably find in game stores. The merits of Sony's system have long since been established and it's easy to argue that South Africa got the best console out of the bunch, though "best" loses much of its meaning when it becomes interchangeable with "only." Consider for a moment how your gaming habits might be affected if two out of three consoles weren't readily available to you. For comparison's sake (and because we didn't have much else to do) we attended one of the midnight launches at BT Games (Northgate) in Johannesburg, taking care to snap pictures and generally harass people who simply wanted to pick up their pre-orders in peace. Several midnight events took place all over the country, coinciding with the beginning of rAge -- a gaming expo we'll tell you about later.
Bringing home a barrage of Xbox 360 trailers
Major Nelson has once again updated his blog with a convenient list of X06 additions to the Xbox Live marketplace. If you're in any way enamored with glitzy trailers, pre-rendered footage or relentless teasing, you'd best switch on your console and start downloading some of these clips: Call of Duty 3 Banjo Kazooie Marvel Ultimate Online Viva Pinata Assassin's Creed Splinter Cell: Double Agent Blue Dragon Lost Odyssey Bioshock FIFA 07 Rainbow Six Vegas Halo Wars If you're a more traditional gamer and actually enjoy interactive forms of entertainment, you'll be pleased to learn that several of our readers have spied F.E.A.R. and Sonic the Hedgehog demos scurrying about in the marketplace. Be sure to let us know what you think of them, but not before viewing the embedded video (after the break) and answering one simple question: What the hell is going on with that nose?
Fighting fire with Xfire: Sony's version of Xbox Live [update 1]
[Update 1: A Sony Online Entertainment has contacted 1UP and clarified that the Xfire technology was only being evaluated for the PS3 launch title, Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom. "This proposed deal is completely separate and independent from the PlayStation Network Platform, and is something that SOE was examining specifically for Dark Kingdom." It seems we're back to square one. Thanks, Sanchinos. Original post text retained below.]Sony's answer to Microsoft's online network has, up until now, been a vague structure loosely comprised of PS2 network adaptors, a variety of developer standards, some sticky tape and at least one used copy of Final Fantasy XI. With the arrival of the PS3 and its PlayStation Network Platform, Sony aims to round up all the loose components of online play and rudely shove them beneath something resembling an umbrella. 1UP has the scoop on just how the Japanese giant hopes to accomplish this -- enter Xfire, an established matchmaking and messaging client that Windows PC users are bound to be familiar with. By incorporating a modified version of Xfire into PNP, Sony should be adequately (and one should hope, rapidly) equipped with all the rocks it needs to create a mass avian extinction within the online realm.Extracted from the transcript of a Viacom earnings conference call, the information creates some expectation as to how exactly Sony's service will function and what adantages it may have over Xbox Live. Firstly, it seems fair to suggest that the PS3's network may interact with the PC in the same way Microsoft's Live Anywhere initiative does. Other features from Xfire should also make the migration to PNP, along with server browsing, friends tracking, voice chatting and matchmaking that inevitably connects you to a person keen on highlight pathetic skills and sexual orientations.Of course, it's still unclear as to how exactly PNP deals with private servers and those run by developers. Will it be a completely seamless process of joining and creating games, or will the only online unification be in the form of a PS3 menu that lets you search for servers across a myriad of games? More answers and details should be forthcoming soon.[Note: The above image is a mock-up. It is not a true representation of what PNP will be like. So there.]
Dead Rising: patch chance lost!
How fortuitous that the winner of our first Dead Rising giveaway just recently acquired a new HDTV -- on that old set of his, he'd likely have some difficulty reading the annoying edicts coming from security guard and phone etiquette fiend, Otis. After users of non-HD television complained about the unusual amount of squinting required to read the on-screen text, Capcom admitted awareness of the problem and doled out a list of DIY solutions, none of them nearly as effective as a downloadable patch would be. So, what's the word on that?Unfortunately, the word is "no." Speaking to 1UP, a Capcom representative pointed out that "the amount of text and the size of the patch necessary to change the text" were prohibitive in producing a patch. "We had asked the team if it was even possible but ... due to the scope of what a patch would need to cover, it wasn't possible." This is far from a game breaking fault, but it's certainly disappointing that Capcom completely failed to spot a problem that would end up affecting a notable group of players. Coupled with King Kong's scenes of SDTV darkness, it seems some developers are a little too eager to rush into the HD era.
Live Anywhere on a cell phone: First pics
Mobility Today scored the first photos of the Live Anywhere platform in action on a mobile phone. Xboxic does a good job deciphering the blurry pics:The first picture is pretty blurry, but it shows Major Nelson's gamertag and three selections, two of which are "Games" and "View Gamercard". The middle is too blurry to make out, may have something to do with his online status. In the second picture, Live Anywhere has the same game comparison function as Xbox Live, just in case you needed to see if your buddy just beat your Small Arms score while, say, in the supermarket.What do you expect Live Anywhere to grace your cell phone with beyond this basic stuff?
Europe gets free XBL Gold
Our unlucky Europeans friends have to pay more and wait longer for just about everything video game related. But at least they get a free10 days of Xbox Live Gold September 20-29 courtesy of Windows Live Spaces. How many people out there signed up for Gold service permanently after one of these trial periods?
First look at fall dash update
MaxConsole scored some screens of the Xbox Live Fall Dashboard Update that show a spruced up UI and XNA integration. Like (or dislike) what you see? Don't tell us, tell the guy actually working on the update.Update: Here's the same pics in high res.[Thanks Xantium]
Bioware demonstrates digital actors at Austin Game Conference
An intriguing article on Gamasutra details Bioware's visit to the Austin Game Writers Conference and their resulting presentation, "Creating Characters for Games: Writing for Digital Actors." One of the few developers that puts as much, if not more, emphasis on stories and characters versus other elements of their games, Bioware outlined a change in writing methodology required for visually lush next-gen games. Unlike older, less ambitious role-playing games which furthered the story via motionless character portraits or a handful of canned animations, the upcoming Mass Effect has tasked writers with taking things such as body language and subtle physical gestures into account. It's an interesting case where the writer can rely on the graphics to tell a part of the story -- usually it's the other way around.The article also delves into the creation of the story and how the player's choices need to be plentiful while still remaining within the framework of the overall game. Again, the digital actor can be used to guide the player down certain paths, avoiding erratic or non-sensical behaviour that has a character suddenly going from cheery to murderous after the press of a button. There's definitely a tug of war going on between the player (who wants freedom) and the storyteller (who wants to tell a coherent tale). With more realistic graphics and lifelike characters being introduced in the coming years, it's unclear as to who will end up having the greatest grip. See also: Bioware defines Mass Effect Video of E3 Mass Effect demo hits XBLM Joystiq's impressions of Mass Effect at E3
25-year-old XBLA game delayed by a week
In a moment that's sure to elicit a grin or an unstoppable urge to fling your retinas into the back of your head, a game that was released in 1981 has somehow managed to be delayed for a week in the year 2006. Konami's side-scrolling shooter, Scramble, was all set for release this Wednesday when Microsoft's elite and possibly overworked team of testers concluded that the game simply wasn't ready to hit Xbox Live Arcade. The official word reveals that "during the final testing and certification of the title, we discovered some minor issues that should be addressed. Therefore, we are going to take an extra week and fix these items to ensure a high quality game experience for all when the title does launch on its new date of Wednesday, September 13." This isn't the first time the weekly XBLA release schedule has had to make due without a new game -- this week's replacement is a Project Gotham Racing 3 UNO deck priced at 100 points ($1.25 in non-funny money). As exciting as theme decks and picture packs may be, the consistency of game releases has been somewhat shaky so far. Let's hope future XBLA Wednesdays don't have more games taking XBLA sick days. Har.[Thanks Matt!]
