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May 31 Call of Duty 3 Gets Bravo Map Pack Reinforcement - Screens and DetailsTime to get back into the Call of Duty 3 action: There's a new map pack - codename Bravo - available now on Marketplace and it adds three brand new multiplayer maps as well as two classic maps from the original PC Call of Duty and the United Offensive expansion.
The Bravo Map Pack is priced at 800 MS Points and is available everywhere now. Here's the details from Activision:
"The Bravo Map Pack unites three never-before-seen multiplayer maps with two classic PC maps, Depot, from Call of Duty and, Karkov, from Call of Duty: United Offensive. Storm your enemy’s elevated hilltop abbeys by foot or tank on any of the numerous trails in Aller Haut. Use caution at Seine River, danger lurks around every corner in the night-time shadows of this quiet riverside town. Use your infantry skills in Rimling, where canals and tight alleyways make for perfect ambushes. Modeled after one of the original Call of Duty’s most popular maps, Gare Centrale brings the fury of PC combat to Xbox 360 with a map celebrated for its unique layout of warehouses, water towers and a train depot. One of the largest maps for any Call of Duty game, Merseilles brings its renowned blend of vehicles and vast, open combat to next-gen. This new Map Pack comes to you for just 800 Microsoft Points —Hooah!"
Next, here's some answers from the team behind the Map Pack about what to expect:
How much of an influence was the Call of Duty 3 community on the content of the Bravo Map Pack?
Player feedback certainly played a roll when creating this map pack. The community liked vehicle maps, so we made sure to include vehicles in the majority of the maps. We also added a bit of variety with Aller Haut, allowing hillside battles that are great for both sniping and all-out assaults with multiple paths through the different foliage and destroyed buildings. Adding to the variety, the moonlight and fog from Seine River gives this night map an eerie feel and allows players to lurk in the dark shadows and surprise their enemies.
Why did you choose the maps you did from the first CoD and United Offensive? Both Karkhov and Depot were hugely popular maps in the multiplayer communities for Call of Duty and Call of Duty: United Offensive on the PC, and we wanted to revive that popular experience on the Xbox 360 with new game modes, new vehicles, and new overall gameplay. Karkhov, specifically, was known as a map of massive size with intense vehicular mayhem, which made it a perfect fit for the addition of vehicles to multiplayer in Call of Duty 3. The large-scale urban environment is unique to the game, and adding next gen graphical detail to a map that was already visually stunning for its time brings this map closer to its original vision. We chose Depot because we wanted to bring a smaller, tight-quarters, infantry-based alternative to the gamers who enjoy that style of gameplay. This map has so many tight engagement opportunities, nooks that allow the player to hide and ambush, and multiple layers of both vertical and horizontal gameplay that it was an easy pick to support this gameplay style.
What kind of experiences will players get from the new maps?
Aller Haut stages Axis versus Allies on a war-torn hill, with the Axis stronghold at the top of the hill. There are destroyed buildings and plenty of trees/foliage scattered around/through the many trails leading up the hill to Axis fortress. Since the Axis has the advantage of an elevated position we gave the Allies a tank to remove the Axis’ edge.
Rimling provides a perfect layout for close-quarter combat. Dried out canals, tight alleyways, and small bridges offer great opportunities for ambush and the varied terrain elevation provides good vertical combat.
The Seine River is another close-quarter combat map, with a total different feel. The night time setting in this riverside village allows more stealth as you move about. The moonlight and thick fog give a unique look and feel not seen in our previous maps.
Which of the maps do you particularly like to fight on?
That’s pretty tough to say. If you were asking me about my favorite look and feel of a map, I would say Seine River with the moonlight, foggy night setting would take it. I am also a huge fan of Depot from the original Call of Duty, so Gare Centrale would be right up there for gameplay along with Aller Haut. In the end, I would have to pick Merseilles because I love vehicles, open areas and big battles.
And, finally, here are some screens of the new maps. They're in the Gallery below too! Marketplace Update - 31/5Sorry it's a bit late, I've had one of those days... Time to play some Forza 2 to get over it :)
Congratulations to Capcom for hitting such quality numbers on Dead Rising and Lost Planet. Reminds me that I really should get round to clearing Dead Rising from my pile of shame... Hour of Victory Demo Available NowA demo for Midway's upcoming WW2 shooter Hour of Victory is now available for download on Marketplace. It's free and available everywhere. If you have any problems with hanging or slow downloads please be patient and try cancelling your download and retrying.
Midway reckon Hour of Victory is the 'Indiana Jones' of WW2 games and is a little less po-faced than the like of Call of Duty. Should be interesting to see how it plays. May 30 Another Marketplace Update - 30/5I got Worms! Note that the new soundbank pack and the Space Landscape are both FREE!
I've only got two Achievements left to clear up in Worms - finishing the single-player campaign and then Gold damage. My mate kingkatt finished them last weekend and since then I've been obsessed with getting them...
Marketplace Update - 30/5: Mad Tracks Available NowMad Tracks is now available for download on Xbox Live Marketplace. It's 800 MS Points, or you can download the trial version for free.
If you want to know more about the Micro Machines-style racer I've got an interview with the Mad Tracks' developer here, or more details and screenshots here. Also another couple of things up on Marketplace today:
Stayed up a bit late last night playing Forza 2. I absolutely love it. Did my first Xbox Live races which were ridiculously smooth and hassle-free, especially with the new non-collision mode that ghosts other cars when they're near you. No more stacking into a pile-up of cars when you've been behaving yourself! Also qualified for my first tournament, which is extremely cool. And now I've bought the bodykit for my 350Z all I need to do is give it a sweet design... May 29 Talkin' Tracks: Mad Tracks Q&AMad Tracks is the latest game to hit Xbox Live Arcade. Developed in France by Load Inc., it's an old-school arcade racer that brings to mind games like Micro Machines and Mashed - not a bad thing, I'm sure you'll agree!
I hadn't heard or seen much of Mad Tracks until today. And then two great things happened: Denis Bourdain from Load Inc. got in touch so I could ask him some questions, and I got the chance to play the game. The game plays brilliantly, but it probably makes more sense for Denis to tell you about it than me...
"Q: Mad Tracks is described as a ‘party racing game’. Sounds a bit like Micro Machines or Mashed – how accurate is that comparison?
Denis Bourdain: You’re absolutely right to compare Mad Tracks to Micro Machines, the scale and playability are similar. The biggest difference is that Mad Tracks has mini-games. You’ll play pool or darts in Mad Tracks (of course, racing is on the menu as well). Mashed is not a very good example, it’s a darker game, aimed at an older audience. I would pick Mario Party or ReVolt if you ask me!
Q: Give us an idea of the kind of experiences players will have with Mad Tracks.
Denis Bourdain: Fun, fun, fun and a little competition. Pierre de Coubertin (creator of modern Olympic games) said ‘the important thing is to participate’, well same thing in Mad Tracks. You won’t win all the time, but we guarantee a high fun factor. We love to hear players curse at each other because they’ve been hit by a cryogenic beam!!
Q: How do the Xbox Live multiplayer modes work in Mad Tracks?
Denis Bourdain: Up to 4 players Live, up to 4 in split screen, no system link (we will implement this in our next release). Multiplayer modes are pretty much what you find on other Xbox titles. We created 84 leaderboards, so you’ll get a chance at scoring one way or another!
Q: What are the environments like?
Denis Bourdain: They are everyday environments. The core game takes place on a British Mini Golf course, an American Toy store and a French bistro (the one we used to have lunch in!). In future add-ons, you’ll get the chance to race in a German castle, a Victorian house and even on the ice of Antartica.
Q: Mad Tracks has both races and minigames. Could you tell me about the minigames?
Denis Bourdain: Mini golf, pool, foosball, darts, we tried to find many gameplays that could be fun while driving. Some are really goofy like “Beastie Balls” where you have to get away from a growing numbers of rubber balls – high luck factor, so the beginners have their fair shot at winning.
Q: Tell us more about the types of cars you will be able to control.
Denis Bourdain: We've got 12 original cars, three types (light, heavy and sport) and eight colours to choose from. We took great care in car physics, we love racing and have worked in very ‘serious’ games like Formula 1 simulation. But don’t be scared, Mad Tracks is still an arcade game easy to pick up!
Q: I hear there are a number of power-ups in Mad Tracks – what do they do?
Denis Bourdain: You'll be able to wield 12 different pick ups. Some are defensive (oil drop, flash bang, etc.) and some offensive (rocket, ice beam, etc.) and we came up with special ones like turbo rockets or time warps. The original thing is that pick ups are stackable. The more you pick up, the bigger choice you have.
There are lots of serious racing games on Xbox – why is the time right for Mad Tracks?
We have a lot of respect for racing games, especially on next gen consoles. But we don’t compare Mad Tracks to PGR or Dirt!! Mad Tracks is an XBLA title hitting the marketplace at 800 points. In addition, we’re not that serious :)
Q: What kind of Achievements are there in Mad Tracks?
Denis Bourdain: Mad Tracks features Achievements that will make you explore the game. Every challenge takes place in an open environment. We also linked an Achievement to split screen gaming.
Q: You’ve got plans for PDLC – could you tell us more about them?
Denis Bourdain: We’ll be releasing an add on in one month (‘Mad Tracks Bravo’) and one in two months (‘Mad Tracks Encore’). We have plans to release more if the game is successful, but shhhhhhhhh. A series of Theme packs and Gamer pics will also be available at each launch.
Q: How has the process of developing for Xbox Live Arcade been?
Denis Bourdain: Getting the concept approved was somewhat an adventure. I went to Seattle to meet the XBLA folks without an appointment. They liked the game and I went back to Paris with a contract. From that point on, we started working on porting the original PC game.
If you ask any dev team, working on the Xbox 360 is great. We had to go through a pretty big learning curve. The Xbox 360 is easier than starting on the PS2 years ago, but still the quality standards from Microsoft had us working days and nights to get the final approval.
We’re very happy with the result. Q: Okay, I’ve got 800 MS Points burning a hole in my Xbox Live account, you’ve got 60 seconds to persuade me to spend them on Mad Tracks. What do you say?
Denis Bourdain: Get the free trial version. If you don’t like it, you get your money back! Seriously, we don’t expect people to buy our game because I am convincing :). We hope players will download the trial version and decide for themselves. We believe in trying before buying – it’s the ultimate test!! On another note, I’d like to tell future Mad Tracks players that we souldn’t forget to socialize, exercise, think, read, get crazy, share, laugh and then play video games. Cheers!" Hee hee! What a cool interview, and some excellent lessons in life too! Thanks so much for your time Denis, was great to hear from you.
Mad Tracks will be available tomorrow morning from 10am BST. It's 800 MS Points, or you can download the free trial version to try it out. Click here for full details on Mad Tracks and some screenshots to cast your mince pies over. Mad Tracks Springs Onto Xbox Live Arcade TomorrowGet ready, pull back, and GO! Tomorrow's Xbox Live Arcade game is Mad Tracks from Load Inc., a fun racing game that brings back happy, happy memories of thrashing tiny little motors around tiny little tracks in Micro Machines.
The little cars are like those wee toys that you pull back to charge up the wheels and then let go - instead of pressing the accelerator on the straights and the brakes at a bend, you'll need to balance your charge as you drive. Hold down the accelerator too long and your spring will run out, sending you into reverse! There's also loads of pick-ups and weapons to ensure the multiplayer racing is as frantic as it is fast.
It'll cost you 800 Ms Points and it's available everywhere tomorrow. Here's the details from the press release:
"Ready. . .set. . .race! The 3D racing party game, “Mad Tracks,” will be available for download on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for Xbox 360™ beginning Wednesday 30th May, at 09:00 BST / 10:00 CET DST. Players can race through 15 challenges consisting of nine mini-games and six different races behind the wheel of one of 12 sleek compact cars. “Mad Tracks,” from Load Inc., features 12 power-ups to keep engines revved up and players in the fast lane ahead of the competition.
Whether it’s in the kitchen, living room, ballroom or open road, players can opt to burn rubber just about anywhere, and share the lanes with up to three other drivers in frantic multiplayer racing action over Xbox LIVE. Be sure to buckle up for both Championship and Arcade modes, as “Mad Tracks” offers a high-definition, 3D racing experience to remember.
Enjoy the robust, full game features of “Mad Tracks” this Wednesday, and also be on the lookout for new tracks coming soon. You can double and even triple the challenges in “Mad Tracks” with the Bravo and Encore expansion packs, arriving in the near future. For about half the price of the full game, players will be able to add additional races and mini-games to "Mad Tracks" by downloading the Bravo and/or Encore expansion packs. Each expansion pack includes an additional 15 nail-biting races and action-filled mini games for 350 Microsoft Points each, extending the fun and offering a great value.
Game Features
I just had a go and it's a lot of fun, and as I type this there's a crowd of people behind me laughing and howling as they play it in multiplayer. Now that's got to be worth 800 MS Points, no?
Of course, if you want to try Mad Tracks out before you buy, you can download a free trial version. It's out tomorrow at 10am BST.
Screens below and in the Gallery, and I've also got a Q&A with Denis Bourlain from Mad Tracks' developer Load Inc. that I'll post up later on tonight. Test Driving Forza 2 and www.ForzaMotorsport.netYikes. Forza 2 is keeping me up late. On Saturday night/Sunday morning I was thrashing my Honda Civic until 4am, and here I am at silly o'clock posting something I planned to have together this afternoon. Surely a good sign, eh?
So yeah, I was exceptionally lucky to get an early copy of Forza 2 (out tomorrow in the US, June 8 here in Europe) for the holiday weekend. Honestly, I have been waiting for this game since the Xbox 360 launched. I'm in love with driving games in general, and the more hardcore they get the better. In fact, here's a shadowy admission - if it hadn't been for Gran Turismo 3 (*sharp intake of breath*) on the PlayStation 2 (*stunned splutter*) combined with the Logitech force feedback wheel, I may not have got properly back into gaming after years in the wilderness and I might not have been here today. Sorry about that!
Anyway, I could bang on for ages about how Forza 2 is the best thing since sliced BMW and how smooth the visuals are (60 frames per second, MHz fans) and how deep the customisation is and how great it feels to play with the Wireless Force Feedback Steering Wheel, but I'll let you read that in the reviews. What I want to show you here are some of the cool features that allow you to link up your Forza 2 garage with www.ForzaMotorsport.net, transfer photos of your cars, and keep track of all your tournaments and auctions.
If you go to www.ForzaMotorsport.net you'll see that you can sign-in with your Windows Live account. You'll then get your own personalised space on the site that tracks all your stats and accomplishments, a lot like the Halo flavour on www.Bungie.net. Here's mine as an example:
Then, if you take a photo in the game (using a really similar and equally powerful camera tool to PGR3) you can instantly choose to upload your photo to the website. Give it a few minutes and - BOSH - there it is, loud and proud like 20" rims on a Nissan Micra. You can then save the photos off, send them to your mates, print them out and frame them, or, like me, save your pride and joy as your PC wallpaper:
Yes, that is a totally mint Honda Civic with fat BBS alloys, a carbon fibre hood, a daft spoiler, and about 30,000 Forza credits under the bonnet. It's the first car I bought in the game and I did all the work myself, including choosing the rather nifty metallic red paintjob and applying the decals - something which seems quite daunting at first but with a little practice is actually pretty easy. It even says 'ACEY' on the front bumper (just so you know who's breathing down your neck as that hairpin bend looms) but you can't quite make it out. My next project is a Nissan 350Z straight bought straight from the showroom - I'll post some pics of it once I get it, in Westwood parlance, pimped.
Here's a shot of my Civic in action - a photo which also demonstrates the ruthlessness of the opponent AI. Try to cut them up coming out of a corner and this is likely to happen:
And just for a bit of variation, here's my attempt at an arty car magazine shot of a Skyline taking on a Porsche through New York's Time Square:
Major Nelson has also been posting some of his photos - check them out here.
On www.ForzaMotorsport.net you can also keep track of the box Live tournaments you're competing in. I haven't tried one in practice yet, but they work like this: There is a set qualifying period in which you must beat a certain lap time. If you do you make the next stage, and so on and so on until there's a winner. These tournaments will give you credits to spend in Career mode and there seems to be quite a few happening already, so they should be a regular thing. Nice.
You'll also be able to keep track of your bids on any cars you fancy buying at auction, or any bids you've received on a car you're flogging. All this, combined with the already burgeoning community features at the website, means www.ForzaMotorsport.net is going to be the premier place for Xbox 360 petrolheads to hang out when Forza 2 releases.
I'll have more on Forza Motorsport 2 very soon, and the Xbox Community Network sites will be receiving a Q&A with the game's Director at developer Turn 10 Studios, Dan Greenawalt, tomorrow. Sorry, that's today now. Tuesday. Keep an eye on your local XCN sites for that. There's also a great interview with Dan on the latest Major Nelson Blogcast.
One last thing in the meantime - if you can get a hold of the Xbox 360 Wireless Steering Wheel to play Forza 2, you should. I've played it with both the joypad and the wheel and although it might even be a little harder with the wheel (especially with assists turned off) it's a much more exhilirating and rewarding experience. Love that force feedback. Having said that, is anyone having trouble finding a wheel? I'd been looking for one for ages without any luck and had to drive to the outer reaches of Wild West London to pick one up today.
Forza Motorsport 2 is out on Xbox 360 on June 8. Keep your engine revving on the redline until then. So You Want More European Xbox Competitions?Who sent you? :)
If you've listened to the latest Major Nelson Blogcast (and you really should have) you may have heard GamerChick Supreme Trixie discussing her latest US/Canada competition and referring you to me if you want to see more competitions open to European Xboxers. I'm all for it - I'd love to hear your views - but before we get into it, a wee note on European competitions.
As you'll probably be aware, we've launched the Xbox 360 in 20 countries in Europe. That means there are people who speak lots of different languages and 20 different legal systems. Which makes launching competitions across Europe pretty awkward. Even so, just recently we held a Europe-wide Forza 2 competition to win a Wireless Steering Wheel (one prize for each country), plus the amazing Xbox Soundtracks competition (with a stunning prize of studio time with Universal Music for the winner amongst other goodies) is open for entries until May 31.
On top of that, the Xbox teams in all the European countries do a great job of hosting local competitions where you can win great prizes and cool stuff.
There. Now, if you've got any ideas about the kinds of competitions you'd like to see, or if you heard about something happening in the US or Canada that you'd like to see here, let me know about it in the comments below. As always I can't promise anything, but as always I can take your comments and talk to the European Xbox team about them!
And thanks for the plug Trixie!
May 28 Colin McRae is Flipping Brilliant - ProofSo given that it's a bank holiday weekend here in England (but not in my hometown of Aberdeen, so apologies) I've been spending my time playing a lot of games. It has been amazing. Aside from a certain other racing game (more on that later) I've been mucking about with the Colin McRae Dirt demo a lot.
Aside from the frankly stunning graphics and the sweet-as-a-nut handling, I'm most impressed with the vehicle physics. When I was racing a crossover rally I misjudged a powerslide, clipped a barrier and sent my motor into a head-mashing barrel roll. Brilliantly though, the thing landed on its wheels and just kept going - how cool is that?
Reminded me of something Colin McRae did in real life - seriously. Check this out:
Ridiculous. Of course, Codemasters have plenty of access to the man who puts his name to their game and he's always keen to have plenty of input to the development process. Here's what Alex Grimbley, producer of Dirt at Codies, told me about the moment Colin walked into the office after he had pulled this off:
"Colin has branched out into other type of racing himself. Has that influenced the variety of modes in Dirt?
Alex Grimbley: Yeah. His input into the handling of the Dakar-style vehicles was really invaluable since he had some experience of that recently. He’s also been doing the X Games in the States recently and you might have seen the footage of him rolling his car, landing on the wheels, and then continuing on without flinching! Ironically enough he lost that race to Travis Pastrana, who is also in Dirt. But yeah, Colin definitely understood that we needed to move on, to evolve and progress, and once we explained to him where we wanted to take it and the attitude we wanted to capture he was totally on board. I think it’s a good fit – he’s diversified his career from Rally champion to X Games to Dakar to jumping into Le Mans, so it’s only natural that his game should branch out in similar ways.
Out of interest, what did he say about the roll? What’s his story?
Alex Grimbley: He said it came naturally to him. We asked him how he got it going so quickly again and he swears he was just on autopilot, it just happened without him thinking about it. But I think he was really annoyed that he lost, because if he hadn’t rolled he would have won. Still, I doubt anyone will remember who won as much as the roll. He was here in the studio about a week after it happened and we all had YouTube up, showing him all the footage!
Speaking of flips and rolls, how important are the physics to Dirt?
Alex Grimbley: They’re vital, and they’re one of the things about Dirt that we’re most proud of. We’ve taken them right back to scratch and started afresh for the next-gen consoles. The physics we have now are probably about as realistic as you can get, and we’re updating some of them 1000 times a second. We’ve got separate models for every piece of the car, from suspension to the way the wheels grip the surface – I think we have something like 6 different types of tarmac alone - but that doesn’t come across to the player in a simulation-style way. We’re not bombarding players with statistics, it just feels really natural. Sure, you can tune your car however you want, but you shouldn’t have to understand all that stuff to enjoy driving them. The majority of gamers won’t know about everything that’s happening under the hood, but they will know that it feels good. But don’t just take my word for it – we’ve had Colin in to try out the physics as well as a host of other rally drivers and co-drivers, and those guys really know what they’re talking about."
You can read the full interview on your local Xbox Community Network websites.
The full game of Colin McRae Dirt is out on June 15 (or later on this year if you happen to own a PS3  ). May 25 Halo 3 Tonight Anyone?Fancy a bit of an AceyBongos Halo 3 night tonight? Come on, it'll be nice - we can actually talk to each other with our voices and everything. I'll be online from 10pm. If you fancy playing post in the comments and we can get it together.
Oh, and remember to give me your GamerTag if I don't have it already.
And if no-one is interested don't worry. I'll be fine on my own. More Marketplace Updates - Call of Duty 4 and Medal of Honor Airborne TrailersLucky Major Nelson picked these up, because they were news to me! Bit of a military double-whammy too:
Major Nelso alos points out that 1Up.com has a batch of new GTA IV screens. Most are from the recent magazine exclusives, but ther are a few new ones in there. Looks GOOD. I hate it when the Major beats me to stuff... Marketplace Update - Rumble Roses XX SpecialIf you have fond memories of Rumble Roses XX's lithe ladies in lycra then you're in luck...
Keep an eye on www.DashboardThemes.com if you want to see which character is in each Theme. They're not up there yet but will be soon. Sorry I can't tell you! Harmonix Saves ScoreHero.comHere's a story to warm you community cockles - when Guitar Hero fansite and high score repository www.ScoreHero.com (I posted about the bloke who tops most of their score charts a while back) announced that it might need to shut down unless it raised $10,000 to pay for new servers, its loyal fanbase did a great job of stumping up. And then original Guitar Hero developers Harmonix got in on the act, jamming a whopping $2000 dollars into the ScoreHero bank account and hitting the $10k target.
Alex Rigopolous, Harmonix's president, posted:
"I just kicked in a big donation on behalf of the whole crew here at Harmonix. You guys are awesome!"
What a bloody nice bloke, and its great to see a developer rewarding the community that loves their game. Even better, after taking a look at ScoreHero.com I have proven to myself that if I get a perfect on Freebird on Medium I can get both the 1000 Note Streak Achievement and the 400K Achievement. If only I could master hammer ons and pull offs.
Oh, and I love ScoreHero's strapline: "Graciously documenting our future arthritis..."
UPDATED: Marketplace Update - 25/5UPDATE: Corrcted that the trailer is actually for the game, not the movie. Sorry about that, my fault.
YAR! Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is out in them thar cinemas today, and the HD trailer for the Xbox 360 game is now available for you to download from Marketplace. I give it pieces of eight out of ten. Oh sorry, I've used that one before...
Don't forget that there's also a demo of the Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End game available for free download. May 24 Fable Video Diary Episode 1 On MarketplaceExcited about Fable 2? Ha! Well, Episode 1 of the Fable 2 Lionhead Video Diary is available on Xbox Live Marketplace everywhere now, and it's free! The game might still be a while off, but at least you can get a look behind the scenes now. Here's the deets:
"The episodes provide a look behind the scenes of the long-awaited sequel to the 2004 Xbox® exclusive best-seller “Fable®.” Get a sneak peek inside the game, as well as get to know the people behind the action. Being a hero or heroine, fighting, questing and adventuring are central to “Fable.” With the upcoming release of “Fable 2,” gamers will be one step closer to fulfilling their dreams of being good or evil; getting married or remaining single; and finding out what it means to experience unconditional love in the world of “Fable.”
Each installment of the video diaries will walk gamers through the development process and will answer questions fans have been dying to know such as, “What is the deal with the dog?” “How do you show unconditional love in a video game?” “How does the new combat system work?” and “What is it really like to work at Lionhead?”"
Woop woop! You can also watch the videos and join the Fable 2 community over at www.Lionhead.com. Xbox Soundtracks: One Week Left to Win!Have you taken a look at Xbox Soundtracks yet? It's your chance to create the ultimate Xbox game trailer soundtrack and win studio time with Universal Music to make your orignal tune a hit. Entries are flying in quicker than Britney Spears leaves rehab, but the competition closes on May 31 so you've still got time to add your beats to your favourite game trailer.
Need some inspiration? Well, some of the world's hottest musicians have been creating their own music to go with Xbox trailers. You can see the full list on the Xbox Soundtracks page on Xbox.com, but I've picked out some of my favourites - and one you won't see on Xbox.com unless you live in Norway, Sweden, Finland or Denmark.
And, in my humble opinion (remember, I think Dire Straits and Bruce Springsteen are the zenith of music), I think it's the best of the lot. So ready yourself rock and roll fans for Sweden's finest, The Backyard Babies, and their Halo 3-inspired track 'This Is How The World Ends':
Pretty good eh? "THIS IS HOW THE WORLD ENNNNNDS!" So, from rock to dance - this next one is superstar DJ Tall Paul's Forza Motorsport 2 remix. Glowsticks at the ready...
I believe that is what they call BANGIN'. But there's more - just like the varied genres of games on Xbox 360, Xbox Soundtracks has the musical breadth of that Beth Ditto off The Gossip. Here's hip-hop scientists The Nextmen laying down some laidback boom for Tony Hawk's Project 8:
Word up, etc. There's more to see at Xbox.com's Xbox Soundtracks page, and if you do a search for Xbox Soundtracks over at YouTube you'll find plenty of entries too. Or you can go to my YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/AceyBongos to see all the talent Soundtracks. Multimedia!
Which one's your favourite? I'm a bit disappointed that my request to get Meat Loaf to do an Xbox Soundtrack for Viva Pinata never came through. "Like a Sour Bat Out of Hell" would have been MEGA. Marketplace Update 24/5Download the Dirt demo. Honestly. Even if you don't like rally games. It looks ace and it's a joy to play.
The EndWar trailer is awesome, one of my favourite trailers of the year. EuroGamer also has a really good impressions piece up - check it out here. May 23 First Guitar Hero 3 Details Revealed!Sorry, but couldn't help but post about this - Activision has announced the first details from the next game in the Guitar Hero series. EuroGamer has a good write-up of it all, but here's the highlights:
Read more about Guitar Hero 3 at EuroGamer. The whole thing has given me fresh rock and roll energy to squeeze a few more achievements out of GH2... Marketplace Update - 23/5Feeling a bit tender today since I stayed up too late playing the Halo 3 Beta last night. Bleh. Ah well, we've got to make the most of it while it's here...
So who's up for an AceyBongos Halo 3 night on Friday? |
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