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Cadillac secures Xbox Live ad space
Cadillac and Microsoft have reached an advertising deal that will bring virtual recreations of the CTS-V, STS-V and XLR-V high-performance models to Xbox Live, specifically to be used in Project Gotham Racing 3. The cars will be free to download.This latest revelation, part of the growing in-game advertising movement, highlights the differences between traditional advertising and in-game advertising. With the Cadillac deal, gamers actually interact with a product that is incorporated into PGR3, and more importantly, can choose to avoid it altogether. Microsoft's Kevin Browne has said that an additional 10 to 20 likeminded deals will be announced during the coming year, though it's unclear if any of these ads will be as "user-friendly" as the Cadillac one.While the Cadillac deal was orchestrated by Play, a division of Denuo, Microsoft recently acquired Massive, a company specializing in in-game advertising, which is set to spearhead this leap into Xbox Live's unlimited ad space.
Rumor: background downloading for Xbox Live this month
Boris Schneider, Xbox Germany's senior product manager, has allegedly confirmed (via Xbox Archiv) that an impending Xbox Live dashboard update will install a background downloading feature. In addition, users will be able to queue up to six content items, which will download sequentially (not simultaneously). Downloads will pause during online play sessions and while the console is powered off.Other features included in the dashboard update were not detailed. Schneider also confirmed that the update would be released by the end of the month.[Thanks, SickNic]
New Oblivion add-on inspired by Goonies
Speaking about the upcoming 'Thieves Den' Oblivion download, Bethesda developer Ashley Cheng explained, "Basically, it's Goonies." The downloadable mission will task players with taking control of a cavernous lair, which houses an abandoned pirate ship. Once the ship is yours, you're free to assemble a merry band of pirates and get your loot on.But if plundering ain't your thing, don't sweat it. According to Cheng, Bethesda has an additional 6–7 add-ons, including an epic dungeon, waiting in the queue. The plan is to release new downloadable content every 3–4 weeks as long as folks are playing. If you're concerned that these micro-downloads are taking the place of a hearty expansion, don't be. Bethesda still plans to release a full-fledged expansion or two. The Thieves Den download should be available within the next two weeks. A price point has not been set.
The Engadget & Joystiq Interview: Microsoft's Shane Kim [update 1]
If you haven't already watched the video, now you can read the transcription of our interview with Shane Kim, General Manager of Microsoft Game Studios. On Wednesday (in the middle of E3), Vlad Cole and I got some time to sit down and ask him about some of the biggest questions facing Microsoft's early entrant into the next-gen console wars, like whether there are any more developer acquisitions lined up, which Xbox Live Arcade titles will show up on Vista with Live Anywhere, what are the plans for ad-supported gaming, and just how many paid subscribers does Xbox Live has. We're corroborating with several sources: is Peter Moore's [Grand Theft Auto 4] tattoo real? You know, I wasn't there when it was put on there, it's a very personal thing so I can neither confirm nor deny. Okay... so it's real. Prior to E3, people were really looking forward to actual demonstrations of the Wii controller. That was the big buzz coming into the show and, after they unveiled it, I think people were more or less satisfied with it. So how do you think you fared versus that intense excitement towards that controller? I think we fared extremely well. One of the big things we talked about yesterday was all the momentum we're going to have this next generation. We're going to have 10 million units in consumers' hands before the competitor even ships unit one. We're well on our way to 6 million connected members on Xbox Live and we're going to have 160 games in the market by the end of the year. We've got great momentum. We had Bill Gates attend E3 for the first time ever to announce the vision of Live anywhere. Again, demonstrating leadership in the online space isn't just about what we've achieved to date, but also about how we're going to take that forward across multiple platforms and devices. And finally, first and foremost, it's about the games and the content. Yesterday we started with Gears of War and ended with Halo 3, and we sprinkled in a little bit of Fable 2, Forza 2, Alan Wake, and, oh by the way, the Grand Theft Auto 4 announcement as well. So I think from the content standpoint we're definitely doing great there. So, better online, better content, and better pricing than some of the competition; we feel good about where we're at. Do you think it's important to win E3? I think most people say you have, at least in terms of the keynotes. I think it's always great to be recognized for what you're doing, whether it's at E3 or any other point. Sometimes I worry there's too much importance placed on that but since people are saying we won this year, I'll say it's a great thing we won E3.
Xbox 360 impressions: Shadowrun
Shadowrun is Microsoft's launch pad for Live Anywhere, the game that the company hopes will unite (in comradery and competition) Xbox 360 and PC gamers. It's an online-based game similar to Counter-Strike, only with magic and tech enhancements (e.g. the ability to glide).Since Shadowrun can't be released until Vista is deployed, developer FASA has clearly had -- and will have -- a lot of time to fine tune this title. The weapons, magic, and tech abilities are well balanced, and players will have to pick and choose wisely.Mechanics aside, the demo map we previewed was extremely bland. It did however, highlight some of the unique tactics that must be employed to win, including teleporting through walls and floors, planting health replenishing trees, and using extra-sensory vision. It was a lot to handle in a 10-minute session, which is a sign that Shadowrun has the depth to support Microsoft's vision.
Vista in-box games get an upgrade
After years without an update, the classic time-wasters that come included with Windows are finally getting an upgrade thanks to Microsoft Casual Games division. I checked out the Vista versions of Solitaire (perhaps the most casual game of all) MineSweeper, Hearts, Majong Titans, Chess Titans, Inkball. All have recieved a graphical facelift befitting Vista's Apple-ish look. There's also a new 3-in-1 game aimed at kids called Purple Place that looks particularly suited to Xbox Live Arcade. I jokingly inquired about integration with XBLA, and was told that pipe dream was quickly scrapped in favor of boring corporate compliance. Not that Solitaire has much multi-player potential anyway. In fact the Vista in-box games won't be included in some business versions, a smart move if you want your people to get any work done. Another example of how your employees could be spending their productive hours after the jump.
Live Anywhere bad news for gaming IM
Being able to seamlessly connect with your friends while playing games is becoming increasingly important, both to gamers and to games companies. Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony all emphasised the importance of online as well as offline play, but Microsoft's announcement of Live Anywhere must surely have struck a nerve with a few niche companies.Niche up till now, that is. Companies like Viacom and Verizon who are heavily investing in the gaming IM space -- bringing social networking and gaming closer together -- are now in direct competition with a company that can reach multiple platforms easily. By connecting Xbox Live, Windows Vista, MSN Messenger and mobile phones together, Microsoft will make it hard for others to encroach on their territory.
Xbox Live Vision camera, Racing Wheel, Wireless Headset coming this fall
We've been hearing about the camera for the Xbox 360 for so long, that we almost forgot it still hasn't been released. Well, Microsoft finally came clean about the cam, and gave it an official name at the company's E3 event today. The Xbox Live Vision camera will be available this fall, and will allow users to use their 360 for video-conferencing, video-emails and gamer picture customization. Microsoft also announced the Racing Wheel controller for driving games, and a wireless headset, which presumably will bring joy to parents everywhere. All accessories are expected to be available this fall.Continue on for official pictures.
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.
Lumines Live to hit Xbox Live Arcade
Peter Moore just announced that Tetsuya Mizuguchi's formerly PS(P and 2)-exclusive title, Lumines, is heading to Xbox Live Arcade in the form of Lumines Live. What's new? The music-heavy title will feature Warner Music Group's content integrated into the game. Their example showed a Madonna video playing behind the game. Sony got to borrow some XBL action, all Microsoft's doing is playing catch-up.
PS3 pad loses DualShock name and vibration but picks up Wii-esque motion detection and wireless connectivity
In a shocking turn of events, the PS3 controller has gone from banamerang to wireless DualShock 3, except without the DualShock name and vibration.If you take a good look at the back of the new control pad (see the close-up above), you'll notice that the DualShock 2 brand name imprinted on the old controller has now been supplanted by a row of LED lights to show which input has been set, either wirelessly or via the wired USB recharge port. Sony's now the only name in-line for PS3 controllers either on the pad or in the press releases (see "the new PS3 controller").
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 was then yanked: photographic proof above. It should be back tomorrow. Gamers who were lucky enough to grab it early, please report your impressions.
MS releases E3 content on XBLM
E3 content has started showing up on Xbox Live Marketplace, as promised. Here's what you can download so far ... High-Definition Trailers Showcasing: BattleStation: Midway Brother In Arms Hell's Highway Bullet Witch College Hoops Dance Dance Revolution Universe Dead Rising John Woo Presents Stranglehold NCAA Football 07 Rain Sonic the Hedgehog Test Drive Unlimited The Lord of the Rings: The Battle For Middle-Earth II Demos Showcasing: Test Drive Unlimited Top Spin 2 Movie Trailer Showcasing: Poseidon Gamer Pictures To Use: Adidas Promo Set X-3: The Movie Set... with more stuff on the way. Here's the official schedule. I'm gonna need a bigger hard drive.[Thanks, BrklynKid]
High definition sports fans: It's PGR3 tourney time
Even though the NHL and NBA playoff games are over for today, you can still get some high-def tourney action in if you have an Xbox 360 and a copy of Project Gotham Racing 3. The regional finals for the North American region will be going on at 10 pm EST, the winners of this round travel to Italy and compete at the Lamborghini factory in June. Gamers have been playing Gotham since the launch of the Xbox 360 but this is the first official online tournament.Check out our breakdown on why PGR3 makes a good HDTV spectator sport with its live action, camera angles and competitive races and log on to check out the tournament later tonight.
Xbox Live returns with Message Center integration
Well, Xbox.com and Xbox Live were both down all day for scheduled maintenance. So... what are we looking at? Background downloading? Revised Dashboard? Maybe, just maybe, some pre-E3 goodies laying dormant on our consoles, awaiting the signal from Redmond HQ to activate their super-advanced features?Nope, it's a message center, adding onto Xbox.com's friends management update last month. The new message center will allow gamers to read messages sent from a console to Xbox.com if you have an Xbox.com only or a Silver account, both ways with a Gold account, but only up to 200 messages per day...that's 200 if they're on your friends list but 25 if they're not. Yeah, we know, it's a little confusing. Lucky for us, someone at Microsoft anticipated our dilemma and created a lovely chart to keep it all in order for us. Lucky for you, we're willing to decipher it for you: pony up for a Gold Xbox Live account or this feature won't do you much good.Major Nelson has added some shots of the new services to his Flickr stream. Check em out, if you're into checking out steamy shots of software interfaces, like we are. [Thanks, Chris]
Major Xbox Live update coming soon [update 1]
Tomorrow, Xbox Live, Xbox.com, and the Xbox forums will be offline (from 5:00 am – 6:00 pm ET). Microsoft is using the down time to install a major update, which is likely to support plans to feature E3 coverage on Xbox Live. As Microsoft gears up to test the limits of its digital distribution service, the internet is erupting with speculation as to which features could be added.The obvious new addition would be the ability to download (all of those E3 clips) in the background. And while there are a host of other 'wish list' features that could also be integrated, reports suggest that the update will not affect the Xbox 360 dashboard.[Update: ruled out "Tsunami" as codename (used for Xbox Live 3.0 update) and revised possible features.]
E3 on Xbox Live, Microsoft's ambitious plans to test network's limits
Peter Moore recently detailed Microsoft's plan to use the Xbox Live Marketplace to provide timely E3 coverage to Xbox 360 owners. According to Moore, Microsoft plans to upload "all the videos and the news as quickly as possible" onto the Marketplace, where potential millions will be waiting to download the content. This ambitious project will hurtle Microsoft's digital distribution service into uncharted waters. Will the Live network be able to handle millions of simultaneous downloads on top of the free Gold week? Moore remains confident, stating, "If we can get through Halo 2 ... then I think we can get through anything."Moore says the goal is to "give you the flavor of what's going on, on the show floor..." Does that include the flavor of the West Hall? It's hard to imagine Microsoft tossing the other guys some free PR. Our advice, stick to a less biased source (like this one) for your E3 coverage — we kid, we kid.[Thanks David; via bit-tech.net]
Valve planning something for Xbox 360...episodic?
Valve announced today development of future game releases for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console, with the first (unnamed) title "coming soon." Valve's Gabe Newell said, "The combination of Source and the 360 provides game designers the chance to create powerful entertainment experiences...Whether developing a traditional FPS, RTS, RPG or delving into new genres, the Xbox 360 is a great platform for expanding Source and our game experiences.”Of course there is no mention of what this mystery title is, as they're undoubtedly saving the big reveal for E3. But what could it be? We know Microsoft is interested in episodic distribution (Peter Moore told me so himself) and that Ritual is interested in bringing their Source-based SiN Episodes to the 360 (they've said so), so it seems a reasonable assumption that Valve could be bringing the episodic efforts of SiN and Half-Life 2 to the 360 platform, with Microsoft making the big announcement at E3. What say you Joystiqers?[Thanks, Nate, Jeremy, and Crimson]
Free Xbox Live Gold week, or free virtual girlfriend? It's all so confusing! [update 1]
As we were just saying in the previous post, Microsoft's got a lot of irons in the fire. The "free Xbox Live week" promotion seems to be particularly well-liked by the folks at Microsoft and Verizon, as the two companies have made plans to make the week of May 8th through May 14th free to broadband-connected Xbox 360 owners. The newest promotion is timed to coincide with E3, and will also include a giveaway of one million Microsoft Points and a "backstage" E3 pass (did you boys pick those up on Craigslist, by any chance?). Just because we're borderline obsessive-compulsive, here's everything that Joanna Dark says upon loading the promotion page (with our comments in brackets): Don't keep me waiting [I'm hurrying, but these damned foil packages are so hard to open in the dark!] I'm free all week [As opposed to for-pay the rest of the time... undertones of prostitution here. Sure, why not?] You got a week. Come get some. ["Some what," we wonder, as we stare at Ms. Dark's fetching hindquarters.] Don't arrive early. [A joke about premature arrival? Totally unexpected.] Are you ready to play? I'm game. Are you? You want a piece of me? [Can't get much more explicit than this.] Hope your couch is comfortable [It's fine for playing games. Here, put down that riding crop and have a controller.] Hey, you got me all week [Why does she punctuate only some sentences? This annoys us.] I'll be there. Will you? ["She told me to come but I was already there." -- AC/DC] [Via too many tips to count.][Update 1: Neither Microsoft nor Verizon have announced this deal yet, so we eliminted language in the first paragraph that suggests that the companies have made an official proclamation. A Microsoft spokeswoman notes, "we plan on releasing more information early next week."]
Survey says: Nintendo setting sights on Xbox Live
It really is a great credit to Microsoft's online Xbox Live network that its competitors are pausing to observe and take notes in their quest to provide a similarly seamless multiplayer experience. With Sony's forthcoming PS3 network (no really, they actually have an online strategy now) boasting similar features to that of Live, it would seem less surprising then that a recent survey sent out by Nintendo pokes and prods with regards to how they may adapt their Wi-Fi service in the future. If the information is accurate, it would appear that Nintendo is looking to trounce the current online king with a few interesting features.According to the information received by Joystiq, the following topics were tapped by the Nintendo Wi-Fi survey: Comparing game stats with your friends, enemies and loved ones. Uploading screenshots, including those proving that you got all the shines. Posting user-made content, such as art and videos, and rating the content of others. See what your friends are currently playing (and subsequently berate them for playing Barbie's Orchestra Conductor) Creating or reading blogs linked to the Nintendo Wi-Fi site. Scheduling specific times to play against friends. Submitting strategies and tips to a central to help those in need. Personalizing the WiFi.com homepage. The survey also enquires about Nintendo's current DS online service and the use of friend codes. Though it's just a survey, one can still take away some positive things from this. It not only shows that Nintendo cares about what gamers want (or that they're doing a stellar job of pretending they do), but that they are actively trying to improve their online service. While the DS Wi-Fi service is remarkable for bringing handhelds together online (for free, natch), its general use and feature set could definitely use some refinement before being shifted over to the Revolution. And by "refinement", we mean "dump the game-specific friend codes already."Though you may have your feelings on the Xbox 360 as gaming platform to contend with, there's no denying that the Xbox Live service has done the console world a great service by spurring on connectivity and highlighting the importance of multiplayer gaming across the globe. [Via Joystiq, thanks Sloopydrew!]
