XBLM
Latest
Lost Planet demos hit 1 million downloads
Capcom announced today that the single-player and multiplayer demos of Lost Planet have been downloaded over 1 million times combined. Additionally, Capcom states that hundreds of thousands of hours have been spent playing the Lost Planet demos. Considering that the multiplayer demo has consistently landed on the top 10 Live games for several weeks now, this is hardly surprising. No doubt, Capcom hopes that the hundreds of thousands of demo players will translate to hundreds of thousands of retail copies being sold when the game ships. Of course, there's a big difference between zero dollars and sixty dollars. Have you played this demo extensively? Will you pony up the dough for the full version?
Lost Planet patched (before it's released)
Capcom has announced that they are going to offer a patch via download from Xbox Live the same day Lost Planet releases in the United States. During the Thanksgiving weekend, when the Lost Planet demo hit the XBLM, Capcom gathered player's reactions by trolling forums, reading blogs, and searching news sites looking for what gamers thought and were complaining about. In the end, Lost Planet's multiplayer is going to see some great new features, fixes and overall be a better gaming experience. Here's to you Capcom for actually taking the time to listen to your fans concerns and fixing those annoying problems ... now only if Epic would listen to our wailings.
Red Vs. Blue brings holiday cheer to XBLM
A special Red Vs. Blue holiday video has landed on Xbox Live Marketplace. We were so busy rocking Assault Heroes earlier that we failed to notice. There is a Red Vs. Blue theme available as well, which will run you 150 points. We love us some Red Vs. Blue, so you can bet we're downloading the video right now. Unfortunately, Microsoft decided to pull a Scrooge, as the video is available only to Gold members. Silver Live members will have to wait until December 20th. At least you'll get it in time for Christmas, right?Has anyone gotten the video (or theme) yet? Is it super funny?
Microsoft launches XNA Creator's Club
Though you might envision a "creator's club" to be some sort of blunt object used to beat beautiful games out of misshapen code, it's actually the next step in Microsoft's ongoing XNA initiative. The "community-powered arcade" is now within reach of any gamer and would-be developer willing to download XNA Game Studio Express (for Windows XP) and spend some time coming to grips with the Visual C# and .NET frameworks its based on. Chris Satchell, general manager of Microsoft's Game Developer group, recounts Microsoft's cunning strategy of having one creative idea at a time. "When it comes to encouraging development on XNA Game Studio Express and through the XNA Creators Club, the limits are truly endless. What users will see today is just the beginning of the plans we have to revolutionize game development one creative game idea at a time."Of course, you'll also want to make your masterpiece playable on an Xbox 360 ("playable" being the keyword so often forgotten by some developers). In order to migrate your game to the 360 and to gain access to samples, game assets and other goodies, you'll need to join the XNA Creator's Club. It's been added as a purchase on the Xbox Live Marketplace, priced at $49 for four months or $99 for an annual subscription. Early adopters will have an opportunity to get their games published on Xbox Live Arcade in a contest launching next month.Well, what are you waiting for? Get cracking on your non-derivative 3rd-person shooter, Cogs of Conflict! Download -- XNA Game Studio Express[Full, slightly boring, press release after the break.]
Haven't downloaded TV or movies off of the XBLM
Since the release of downloadable TV and movie content on the XBLM I have yet to download a single episode or movie. I'm not really certain why I haven't taken part in the download service, because it is quite easy. Though, it's probably because I'm not a huge home movie watching kind of guy and I'm not uber obsessed with current TV shows (although South Park does roxorz). The pricing structure isn't bad at all, I can't complain, especially if one only would want a certain episode instead of an entire boxed DVD season. But, I think the main reason I don't purchase content is because it's not as much of an impulse buy as shopping in the mall is. I actually have to purchase Microsoft Points, navigate to the content I want, and wait for it to download. Anyone out there a regular XBLM movie or TV show downloading whore? If so ... we'd like to hear your story.
Mass Effect X06 combat and dialogue video
The Mass Effect X06 that was promised yesterday has been released and we have YouTubified it just for you (it's available on Marketplace now as well). The video showcases some of Mass Effect's dynamic dialogue system, but it's mostly about the squad combat. You are allowed real time control over any member of your party and have access to numerous weapon upgrades and magic (called Biotics in the Mass Effect universe). Players can also pause the action at any time -- much like KOTOR -- to give squad mates orders. This option allows you to tactically plan what would otherwise be a difficult battle. KOTOR was based on a d20 rule set, but if any such calculations are present in Mass Effect, they are well hidden. All in all it looks like a blast, and we can't wait to get our hands on more info.
Lost Planet as epic entertainment
A Lost Planet theatrical trailer popped up on Xbox Live Marketplace today (as did a trailer for Battlestations: Midway). We'd love to show you the trailer, as that is our style. Unfortunately, it is currently nowhere to be found on any of the internets, so you'll just have to take our word for it that it's pretty neat. Presented in CG, it adopts the growing trend of making videogame commercials in the same style as movie trailers. In other words, it's made as though grown ups might actually be interested in it (imagine that). Lots of snow, lots of epic battle scenes, and a throaty narrator, the trailer has all the trappings of your typical blockbuster. We especially like the ending slogan that comes ripping towards the screen one word at a time -- you know, "JANUARY 12TH ... BLOOD ... RUNS ... COLD." Of course, the question remains whether or not the game itself will be so compelling (though signs point to "yes").And, just because we wouldn't want you to feel left out, we've embedded a five minute gameplay trailer that we found at GameTrailers. Check it out after the break.
Double Agent single player sneaks to XBLM
For those of you who missed Splinter Cell: Double Agent -- or simply haven't had the time -- a single player demo is now available* on Xbox Live Marketplace (it looks like a College Hoops 2K7 demo is up as well).. I am loth to admit that I am one of those who have not played Double Agent at all. I think I had Enchanted Arms on my rental queue at the time (oh, if I had only known!). Still, if you haven't had a chance to play, or if you're just the kind of person who needs a demo to make purchasing decisions, now is your chance. The demo clocks in at about half a gig, so find something else to play while you're downloading. Here's a suggestion: just watch the Halo 3 ad over and over again until the download completes.*As usual, we are informed that this content will be available for Silver members in about a week.
Small Arms pictures and theme on XBLM
We missed this earlier today (thanks to my recent move, I haven't had internet for three days!) but there is some new Small Arms content available on Xbox Live Marketplace. The theme (150 points) features Fox Claw, Marky Kat (fear the shotgun), Tyrone, and Lord Peet. The gamer pics (100 points) feature the same characters and also ... um ... a ham. Yes, a ham. We may be stepping over the line here, but that just might be the best gamer picture ever. It's also perfect -- and a little diabolical -- that we have just enough points left over for these after purchasing Small Arms. Go grab 'em if you're so inclined (you know you want the ham).And since we're talking Small Arms, how is everyone liking it (or not)?
Burger King picture pack is FREE!
If you are a fan of that scary BK King we all know and love from Burger King, then go to the XBLM and download the free Burger King picture pack. It includes a few BK King pictures, the big buckin' chicken, Whopper Jr. and others. And if you're having a little trouble locating the picture pack, (as I did) it's under the Xbox Community section. I think this subliminal advertising is taking effect, I have a weird jonesing for a Whopper and some fries. Don't be greedy, pass the ketchup packets!
Dark Sector faces the ch, ch, changes
Dark Sector has undergone some significant changes over the years. Way back in 2004, Dark Sector was revealed as the "first" next gen game. It was going to blow our minds whenever the mysterious "Xbox 2" finally showed up. A trailer for the game was released, featuring a man in a cybernetic ninja suit performing sneaking around on a space station. Later trailers revealed that the game was about man reaching the outer edges of our solar system, or "the dark sector." A new trailer is now available on Marketplace, and it's, shall we say, different. It looks like the developers have dropped the space theme altogether, opting instead for Eastern Europe. We know, we know ... space, Eastern Europe, what's the difference, right? Makes perfect sense. Oh, and apparently Dark Sector has something to do with the Cold War now. Oh, oh, and our hero no longer has a cybernetic ninja suit, but is instead infected by something that grants him special powers. He does have a new badass blade thing, though, and that counts for something.For posterity's sake, we have embedded both the old and new trailers after the break. Watch them both and see how much a game can change in two years.
Lost Planet multiplayer demo is out
As it was prophesied, the Lost Planet multiplayer demo is now available. We'd love to tell you how great it is, but so far we have been unable to get into a match. Judging from yesterday's video, we're betting it's pretty damned good. Do you agree? Go grab the demo and let us know how it is.
Oblivion: Knights of the Nine now available
Boy, when it rains it pours. Microsoft is making damned sure that 360 owners stay glued to the couch this Thanksgiving. After all, MS wouldn't want you going outside to score a Wii or PS3 on Black Friday now would they? First, Small Arms is released. Then Video Marketplace goes live. Tomorrow we have the Lost Planet multiplayer demo, and now, now we get new content for Obliovion. Entitled Knights of the Nine, the new content is the not so exclusive expansion that will be packaged with the PS3 version. The content is supposed to be epic in scope, giving players access to new items, new enemies to fight, and a new faction to join (guess what their name is ...). Unfortunately, we still have memories of Morrowind destroying our old Xbox's poor little disc drive, so we've been shy about Oblivion. Have any of our Oblivionites out there dropped 800 points for this yet?
Xbox Live Video Marketplace is live, $6 HD rentals [update 1]
Happy birthday Xbox 360! For your first birthday, daddy got you something really cool ... downloadable movies and television shows! While the PS3 Blu-ray marketing machine is busy selling folks high-def movies on little discs, Microsoft decided to forgo the discs and just sling the bits straight into your 'box. They already spilled the beans on this one a couple weeks ago, and we even picked Microsoft's Scott Henson's brain on it, but there was still one thing they wouldn't dish on: the price. Prices are broken down into six categories: new release movie rentals, classic rentals, and television purchases, with high-def and standard-def offerings in each. New releases 720p HD movies -- 480 MS Points ($6) 480p SD movies -- 320 MS Points ($4) "Classic" feature film 720p HD movies -- 360 MS Points ($4.50) 480p SD movies -- 240 MS Points ($3) Television purchase 720p HD television -- 240 MS Points ($3) 480p SD television -- 160 MS Points ($2) So far they've got 48 movies and 50 TV shows broken down between 2 movie studios and 12 television networks. We're surprised Universal, who're supporting the HD-DVD and Zune platforms in a big way, didn't climb on board for the initial launch but we're certain there's a warehouse full of lawyers working to get more content partnerships established. Pics of the service after the break.[Update: Video of the service added after the break]
March Madness demo (in November?)
We missed this earlier today because we were busy checking out the Rainbow Six: Vegas demo, but it looks like a demo for NCAA March Madness 07 is now available on Marketplace. That's right, the wind is bitterly cold, the sky is gray, and the leaves are falling, so it could only mean one thing: March Madness! Seriously, last time we checked it was November, so it's just a wee bit early, donchathink? At least this demo, unlike the Vegas demo, is available to all Xbox Live members and not just Gold members -- assuming you're in the US or Canada anyway. Go grab the demo and tell us what you think. Is it a worthy basketball title, or should it be put back on the bench?
Superman demo tomorrow?
We revealed two weeks ago that a Superman Returns demo was on the way, and now Xbox Solution reports that it should show up tomorrow. We haven't seen anything official regarding the demo (and Xbox Solution curiously neglects to cite the source of their info), so chalk this one up to a rumor for now. If any of you have seen this info reported elsewhere, let us know. Frankly, we hope it does come out tomorrow, because we're actually pretty anxious to give Supes a try. Anyone else out there (cautiously) optimistic about this title?
Lost Planet webisodes 1 & 2 now on XBLM [update 1]
The Lost Planet viral marketing continues with the introduction of webisode 2. This webisode features a little more character interaction, but the meat of the trailer is clips of the actual gameplay, including the mech that transforms into a snowmobile. We really must commend Capcom on its marketing skillz, because they seem to be working. Starting way back in May with the demo, every little snippet gets us more interested in the game -- let's not forget the Turkey Day multiplayer demo either. Check out webisode 2 after the break.
Low def trailers for High Def content on XBLM
Most of you know by now that movies and TV shows are coming to Xbox Live Marketplace on November 22nd (just one day shy of the Lost Planet multiplayer demo!). To promote this momentous occasion, a few trailers have been put up on Marketplace, featuring previews of what you'll be able to download. Yesterday, it was a Paramount Pictures preview, and today it's MTV. Naturally, these videos are there to promote all the high definition content you'll be able to buy starting on Thanksgiving eve. Why then are these videos so damned ugly? The Paramount download wasn't great but it was passable. Now, the MTV video ... well, we've seen higher resolutions on YouTube. Seriously, it's a pixelated mess, like watching something on SEGA CD. What's funny is that we actually grabbed the "HD" version of the video. Let's hope this is a mistake and not an indication of what we can expect from the video Marketplace.Anyone grab the UFC trailers? Are they any better?
The MSM responds to Microsoft's HD announcement
The mainstream media (or MSM for those of you down with the Web 2.0 lingo) doesn't cover every video game story out there, so when they dom, we always perk up and take notice. Following Microsoft's big HDTV announcement Monday night, several major mainstream outlets covered the news. Let's see what they had to say: Time Magazine considers the downloadable space as a whole, where "many companies including Microsoft competitors Apple, Amazon.com and Google are getting into the video distribution business. Microsoft's ace is that the Xbox 360 is already connected to the TV, a hurdle others try to overcome by marketing multimedia set-top boxes or creating unwieldy hardware partnerships." The New York Times compares Apple and Microsoft's similar, but oh so different, strategies, writing, "Microsoft will go into the video business with a different business model. Apple, most analysts believe, does not make much money selling iTunes content, but makes up for it by selling more iPods, which are extremely profitable. Microsoft, which analysts say loses money on each Xbox 360 it sells, expects to make up for that shortfall by selling games -- and now video. Reuters looks to the more obvious competitor. "Sony Corp., which ships its PlayStation 3 on November 17 with its own digital-distribution network, PlayStation Network, also will look to movies, TV content and music down the line but has not yet announced specific deals. Games will be the first focal point, as they have been for Microsoft during the past year with its Xbox Arcade service." So, Microsoft got there first (or, rather, they will when the service launches on November 22nd): A high-definition video download service connected to a set-top box already installed in millions of living rooms (and counting). But there's still more questions than answers in this shady, poorly-lit basement cockfight for living room supremacy. Like: what about the borderline impossibility of future cooperation with Sony Pictures? That would make it hard to be a comprehensive service. What about iTV?
Microsoft's Scott Henson on TV and movies
As rumored, Microsoft announced a new feature last night allowing high-definition movie and television downloads directly to your 360's hard drive. Yeah, the same hard drive you already have ... there's no accompanying drive announcement. Of course, this introduced any number of questions regarding the viability of such a strategy; luckily, we recently had a chance to speak with Scott Henson, director of platform strategy for the Xbox 360, to get some more details on the service, due to launch on November 22nd.
