AceyBongos' Xbox Life: Xbox Games News

The Force Is Strong In This One...

Fri, 09 May 2008 21:04:29 GMT

Had a great day today - went along to an event in London for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and shot some video for Inside Xbox. It's embargoed until July 7 so you'll have to wait a wee while for the full details, but the game's looking amazing and some of the stuff you can do by harnessing the Force is ridiculous!

I met some really nice people there too, as you can see from the photos. The Dark Side doesn't seem so bad actually...

EDITED: Exclusive Ninja Gaiden II Costumes For Pre-Order and Marketplace

Thu, 08 May 2008 16:01:46 GMT

Ready for Ninja Gaiden II? It launches in Europe on June 6, and you've got the chance to kick off your ninja adventure in an exclusive Ryu costume.

The Fiend Hayabusa costume will be available with extremely limited pre-orders from speicifc retailers in the UK, Netherlands, Italy, France and the Nordic countries. Watch Xbox.com for more details on the retailers over the coming weeks.

This costume and two other costumes will also be available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace from July. Each costume pack will inlcude five colour variation and will be priced at 200 MS Points each.

Here are the full details:

"Inspired by the Hayabusa family’s namesake, the falcon, this demonic costume mirrors the intensity of Ryu’s vengeance and fury as he fights to regain the honor of his clan. It’s almost as if he’s been transformed into a Fiend by the evil powers of the underworld with this costume – but retains all the honor of the Hayabusa Ninja Clan.

Starting July 2008, Xbox Live members worldwide will be able to download 3 unique Hayabusa costume packs for 200 MS points each to use in Ninja Gaiden II. Each costume pack is a completely new and never before seen look for our Ninja hero, Ryu Hayabusa.

The first of the 3 costume pack designs is being revealed today. This will be exclusively available in selected countries to 39,000 gamers on launch day as part of pre-sale or launch promotions with specific retail partners. Look for more details on other two designs and specific country promotions to be revealed in the coming weeks. Go to xbox.com/ng2 or your favorite retailer to pre-order Ninja Gaiden II today!"

Pretty nice eh? And don't forget that you can play the exclusive Unleash Your Wrath Ninja Gaiden II mini-game - and pre-order your copy - at Xbox.com!

And here's the first of the three Fiend Hayabusa costumes. NINJA!

EDIT: Clarified that each costume pack (200 MS Points each) will include five colour variations of the costume.

GTAIV Stats - The World's Gone To Liberty City...

Thu, 08 May 2008 07:58:57 GMT

The Gamerscore Blog team have just sent me through some GTAIV stats - these are US only, but it makes for some reall interesting reading!

"The Gamerscore Blog would like to congratulate Rockstar on the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV. GTA sold over 6 million units, and broke the entertainment record with over $500 million in sales.

We got some data from the US team, and we’re here to share that news with you:

Actual MS sales data from last week shows Xbox 360 console sales at retail went up 54% week-over-week as a result of GTA's success
According to retailers more than 60% of all GTA games sold in the first week were the Xbox 360 version
Retailers are telling us that the game is attaching strongly to new console sales, with roughly 40% of new consoles selling with a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV

Regarding Xbox LIVE:

In the first week, more than 2.3 million people played Grand Theft Auto IV on Xbox LIVE
GTA IV is now the number one played game on Xbox LIVE
Over the weekend, we saw the Xbox LIVE service reach 1 million concurrent users
Gamers have unlocked more than 12 million achievements worth over 100 million gamerscore points in GTA
Grand Theft Auto IV set a new record for time played, with the average gamer spending more than four hours playing the game on LIVE in the first week alone"

A Rare Occasion

Tue, 06 May 2008 21:40:21 GMT

So I was out at Rare's offices in the mythical wilds of the midlands the other week and I suddenly remembered that I never got around to posting the photos I took while I was there. Here they are then! The offices are quite a place - ther's so much history around, and the reception is stuffed with glass cabinets packed with Rare game and console memorabilia from the last twenty years. It really is amazing, and there's some truly unique stuff in those cabinets.

And why was I at Rare? Can't tell you that, but keep an eye on Inside Xbox over the next couple of weeks...

Have You Got It Yet?

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:59:26 GMT

I do, but I'm stuck at work. Ease my pain by telling me about your first experiences in Liberty City...

GTA IV UK TV Ad

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:41:47 GMT

Soundtrack is Get Innocuous by LCD Soundsystem. Roll on April 29!

The Rockstar Social Club - And Liberty City Radio!

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:23:36 GMT

In case you hadn't noticed it's only two weeks until GTA IV launches across the world and brings everything to a complete standstill. BRING IT ON! It's so close I'm getting ridiculously excited about pretty much anything related, so I almost imploded when I saw this stuff on the US Xbox.com site today.

First up, you can now check out some of the initial Liberty City radio stations now over at the GTA IV website, including K109 as hosted by DJ Karl Lagerfeld! You can also grab a widget for each of the radio stations and embed them on your website or social network page.

Then there's the Rockstar Social Club, which is the Bungie.net-style stat-tracking website that'll let you collate and compare all your GTA IV single and multiplayer statistics. Check it out:

"Extend your Liberty City experience at the Rockstar Games Social Club. Track your single and multiplayer accomplishments and finally prove that you’re better than your friends. Challenge yourself in worldwide competitions to win exclusive prizes. Purchase songs and share your favorites by creating playlists from any of Liberty City’s radio stations. Plan your next move and keep track of citywide crime levels with the Liberty City Police Blotter."

How cool does that sound? Pre-registration starts for the Rockstar Social Club on Thursday - I know I'll be in there like swimwear.

Roll on April 29! The only problem is that it's a Tuesday and I won't be able to stay up all night playing it...

Rock Band Hits UK, France and Germany on May 23

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:14:11 GMT

May 23. UK, France and Germany. £129.99/169.99 Euro for the full instrument pack, with the game sold seperately at £49.99 / 69.99 Euro, or you can buy the guitars seperately at £59.99 / 79.99 Euro and the drum kit at £69.99 / 89.99 Euro. You might want to start getting your band together now so you can all buy your own instruments...

There'll be exclusive songs included in each country's version, and you'll also be able to buy every previously released PDLC song from Xbox LIVE Marketplace from launch day. It's also worth noting that Rock Band will be exclusive to Xbox 360 in these countries until later in the summer, so if you want to rock out Xbox 360 is the only place to do it.

Check out Eurogamer's coverage for more info.

I'll be getting more info on the Rock Band release soon and hopefully I'll be able to answer some questions about the launch territories. Rock on!

Get Yourself in Guitar Hero!

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:41:38 GMT

I hadn't heard about this but it just dropped into my email inbox - Activision are running a competition with the prize being the chance to have yourself digitised and included as a character in a future Guitar Hero game! Obviously you'll need to rock out to a RIDICULOUS degree to get picked, but all you really need to do is send in a video of yourself. Check out the details at www.ReleaseYourRockstar.com and check out this fine video featuring new Guitar Hero band from Northern Ireland, The Answer:

Quality!

Halo Tournament Playlist Delayed, Live @ Midnight Tonight

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:30:11 GMT

If you've been struggling to find the Official Halo 3 Tournament Sponsored by Samsung TV playlist in Halo 3, I'm afraid it's because the playlist has been delayed. Fear not, brave Spartans (and Elites), because it will properly go live at midnight tonight (GMT). Then you can pick the Int'l Tournament playlist from the Tournament Playlist section and get on with your asskickery.

You can still register for the tournament until March 23 by downloading the Samsung TV Picture Pack - more details on registration and prizes at the Official Halo 3 Tournament Sponsored by Samsung TV page on Xbox.com.

Rock Band European Release Date - No News I'm Afraid

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:02:12 GMT

Trust me, I know just how lucky I was to be playing Rock Band at WCG last week, and I'm just as desperate as anyone to get myself a European version. Loads of people have been asking me about the European release date and I'm afraid there's no news on it yet - MTV and EA haven't announced anything, and I don't know anything. Sorry!

Hope it's not too long though - I can't bear the wait much longer...

GoldenEye on XBLA? Still Just a Rumour...

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 11:44:09 GMT

If you’ve seen rumours that GoldenEye is coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade (and who hasn’t, because they’ve been going around for AGES) I’m afraid that they still remain rumours. I’ve asked around and here’s what the official word is:

“There is no truth to the rumor of plans to release Golden Eye on Xbox LIVE Arcade. While we share the gaming community’s enthusiasm over the possibility, we do not have the necessary rights to release the game on Xbox LIVE Arcade.”

While you, me and everyone else in Xbox would love to see GoldenEye on XBLA, anything you see confirming that it will be coming is only speculation. The fact is that there are currently no plans to release the game on XBLA. Sorry!

Xbox LIVE Arcade Award Winners Announced

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 13:02:47 GMT

Here's a nice way to finish GDC week - the winners of the first Xbox LIVE Arcade Awards have been announced, and it's really good to see some amazing games being recognised. Over 26,000 votes were cast by the Xbox community and personally I'm delighted to see Pac-Man Championship Edition come out as one of the big winners. That's got to be one of the most under-rated games of all time and I was as guilty as anyone of not being all that excited about it... And then I played it!

Here's the rundown:

Xbox LIVE Arcade Awards – 2007 Winners

Best Overall Arcade Game: “Bomberman Live” (Hudson Entertainment)
Best Classic Game: “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” (Konami Digital Entertainment)
Best Original Game: “Pac-Man: Championship Edition” (NAMCO BANDAI Games)
Best Family-Friendly Game: “Pac-Man: Championship Edition” (NAMCO BANDAI Games)
Best Competitive Multiplayer Game: “Bomberman Live” (Hudson Entertainment)
Best Cooperative Multiplayer Game: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (Ubisoft Entertainment)
Best-Selling Game: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (Ubisoft Entertainment)
Most-Played Game: “Worms” (Team17 Software Limited)
Highest-Rated Game: “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” (Konami Digital Entertainment)
Xbox LIVE Arcade Staff Choice: “Pac-Man: Championship Edition” (NAMCO BANDAI Games)

Congratulations to all the winners, and if you haven't tried any of these games then get your finger out!

Hot From GDC: Gears of War 2, Fable 2, Ninja Gaiden 2 and More!

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:06:27 GMT

John Schappert, the head of Xbox LIVE, is just wrapping up his keynote speech at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. The full press release about all the big news is below, but here's my picks:

Gears of War 2 announced for November 2008. Trailer available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace now.
Peter Molyneux confirms co-op for Fable 2 (didn't he do that at The Gathering last year?) and shows off Fable 2 XBLA games which will let you earn money for your in game character
Tomonobu Itagaki shows off Ninja Gaiden 2, dates it for June, and announces Ninja Cinema, which will let you record movies of your carnage and share them on Xbox LIVE.
Several new XBLA games are announced, including Castle Crashers, Defense Grid: The Awakening and Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness

Get on Xbox LIVE Marketplace now for the trailers, and if you're in the UK keep an eye on Inside Xbox tomorrow for vids from the show!

Microsoft Provides Thrilling First Look at Xbox 360 Blockbuster Portfolio for 2008, Announces “Gears of War 2” Ships This November

The world’s hottest developers pave the way for a banner year with a blockbuster lineup that includes “Gears of War 2,” “Fable 2,” “Ninja Gaiden II” and a rich mix of indie Xbox LIVE Arcade titles.

SAN FRANCISCO — Feb. 20, 2008 — Today at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2008, Microsoft Corp. provided an exciting glimpse at what promises to be another landmark year for games and online entertainment on the Xbox 360 platform and officially announced the launch of “Gears of War 2,” exclusively for Xbox 360 this November.

Providing a dramatic close to Microsoft’s GDC keynote address, Epic Games Inc.’s lead designer Cliff Bleszinski announced that the epic saga of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad continues exclusively on the Xbox 360 this fall with “Gears of War 2.” This highly anticipated sequel to the 4.5 million-selling blockbuster “Gears of War” delves deeper into humanity’s struggle for survival against the nightmarish Locust Horde, and promises to take high-definition visuals to a whole new level.

In addition, acclaimed developer Peter Molyneux of Lionhead Studios took the stage to showcase exciting new multiplayer features for “Fable 2,” introducing dynamic cooperative play, a first to the franchise. Molyneux also announced that later this year, and before the launch of “Fable 2,” gamers can get a sneak peek at the game’s world when the “Fable 2” pub games debut as a stand-alone download on Xbox LIVE Arcade. When “Fable 2” launches, gamers will have the ability to transfer currency earned in the pub games directly to their character in “Fable 2.” This unique and first-of-its-kind experience, which can be found only on Xbox LIVE Arcade, will give the millions of “Fable” fans and gamers all around the globe the opportunity to jump into the “Fable 2” world with money already in the bank.

Tomonobu Itagaki also revealed new “Ninja Gaiden II” game-sharing features, including Ninja Cinema, which is enabled solely through Xbox LIVE, providing exciting and innovative entertainment experiences for the more than 10 million Xbox LIVE members worldwide by allowing players to record and upload their best ninja moves to Xbox LIVE.

“To our team the original game was just a tease, the appetizer to the ‘Gears of War’ characters and new style of gameplay. We were so amped to get to the next chapter, and dig deeper into the universe of this franchise,” said Cliff Bleszinski, lead designer for Epic Games. “‘Gears of War 2’ is an even bigger, better, and more badass experience than the first game, and we can’t wait to get it in the hands of eager gamers this November.”

This year, the most anticipated games will be found exclusively on Xbox 360, including the next chapters of top franchises such as “Gears of War,” “Fable” and “Ninja Gaiden,” as well as new titles such as “Too Human.”

“Gears of War 2” (Epic Games). “Gears of War 2” is the sequel to the 4.5 million-selling blockbuster that redefined the third-person tactical action game genre. “Gears of War 2” continues the story of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad in an epic saga of survival, loss and retribution. Developed by Epic Games exclusively for Xbox 360, “Gears of War 2” launches this November.
“Fable 2” (Lionhead Studios). In addition to the dynamic co-op mode unveiled onstage, Peter Molyneux also announced that Carbonated Games is bringing the “Fable 2” experience to Xbox LIVE Arcade. Before the game’s launch, gamers will be able to get an early taste of the “Fable 2” experience and gain a head start on earning currency for use in “Fable 2” by playing “Fable 2”-themed pub games that will be downloadable via Xbox LIVE Arcade. The currency earned in these Xbox LIVE Arcade titles will enable players to purchase items in “Fable 2” when the game launches later this year.
“Ninja Gaiden II” (TECMO/Team NINJA). Tomonobu Itagaki debuted several tantalizing new Xbox LIVE features of “Ninja Gaiden II,” including the ability to capture and share videos of a player’s glorious battles via the Ninja Cinema feature and upload them to Xbox LIVE. “Ninja Gaiden II” launches worldwide this June.
“Too Human” (Silicon Knights). Microsoft also showcased the epic action game from renowned Canadian developer Silicon Knights, “Too Human,” at a media event before today’s keynote address. In “Too Human,” players are treated to a nonstop barrage of action powered by the seamless integration of melee and firearms combat, plus deep role-playing elements fueled by breathtaking visuals enabled by the power of Xbox 360.

With online multiplayer gameplay, downloadable content and ways to stay in contact with a global community, these forthcoming blockbusters harness the power of Xbox LIVE to create truly innovative and exciting entertainment experiences. Each game also comes packed with Achievements, so Xbox LIVE members can help add to the more than 1 billion Achievements already unlocked on the service to date. And, as with the “Fable 2” pub games, downloadable content in Xbox LIVE Marketplace allows gamers the opportunity to customize and enhance their gameplay experiences. Since the service launched, Microsoft has seen more than $250 million in digital revenue from Xbox LIVE Marketplace through the purchase of more than 20 billion Microsoft Points.

Xbox LIVE members have been using a large portion of those Microsoft Points in Xbox LIVE Arcade, which is the premier destination for digitally distributed, high-definition original and classic games. With over 116 games to choose from on Xbox LIVE Arcade, everyone’s invited to get instantly immersed in the fun. Xbox LIVE Arcade is also home to the world’s most innovative independent developers, with more than 25 independent studios serving as the creative fuel behind the original games that represent more than a quarter of the Xbox LIVE Arcade library.

The following titles represent a sample of games launching on Xbox LIVE Arcade in the near future from the world’s leading independent developers:

“Braid” (Number None Inc.). Developed by Independent Games Festival Winner and experimental game designer Jonathan Blow, “Braid” is a platform experience that bends all the rules with the manipulation of time. “Braid” will launch this spring.
“Castle Crashers” (The Behemoth). “Castle Crashers” is the second title currently in development by award-winning independent developer The Behemoth, creator of “Alien Hominid HD.” The role-playing game (RPG) adventure will let up to four players hack, slash and smash their way together through a visually stunning hand-drawn landscape. “Castle Crashes” launches this summer.
“Defense Grid: The Awakening” (Hidden Path Entertainment LLC). “Defense Grid: The Awakening” is the definitive tower defense game experience designed specifically for Xbox LIVE Arcade and launches this summer.
“Go! Go! Break Steady” (Little Boy Games). An Xbox LIVE Arcade exclusive, “Go! Go! Break Steady” is the debut title from independent developer Little Boy Games. The combination music and puzzle game combines break dancing with novel gameplay and launches this summer.
“Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness” (Hothead Games). The first video game collaboration between Penny Arcade creators Mike “Gabe” Krahulik and Jerry “Tycho” Holkins and legendary game designer Ron Gilbert, “Penny Arcade Adventures” is an RPG-adventure game set in a highly stylized 1920s universe filled with bizarre characters, outrageous combat and adult humor. The first episode of the game launches this summer.

More From GDC: Community-Created XNA Games Come to XBLA!

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:05:35 GMT

Also hot from GDC! XNA-created games coming to Xbox LIVE to be played and rated by the community, and seven are available right now! Get onto the Game Store on Marketplace to download them for free.

Xbox 360 Becomes First Video Game Console Ever to Invite the World to Create Original Games and Share Online With Millions

Flood of community-created games to double leading games library.

SAN FRANCISCO — Feb. 20, 2008 — In a landmark announcement during the keynote address at the annual Game Developers Conference (GDC), Microsoft Corp. promised to soon allow Xbox LIVE members to play, rate and share community-created games. As the first in the industry to pioneer high-speed online gaming and high-definition games, Xbox 360 once again broke new ground by introducing a new, open distribution service for games created by the community and soon playable by its 10 million Xbox LIVE members. Community-created games on Xbox LIVE will quickly double the size of the Xbox 360 game library. By the end of 2008, Xbox 360 owners will have access to more than 1,000 games, making it the largest, most creatively diverse library across all next-generation platforms.

“The time has come for the games industry to open its doors to all game creators, enabling anyone to share their creations with the world,” said John Schappert, corporate vice president of LIVE, Software and Services for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Our goal is to drive a creative and social revolution in games with the same transformative power that we’ve seen in digital music and video sharing.”

Inviting Everyone to Share Their Own Games With Millions

Demonstrating a look into the future potential of community-created games on Xbox 360, Chris Satchell, general manager and chief XNA architect at Microsoft, announced that seven games created using XNA Game Studio 2.0 would be available immediately for Xbox 360 owners to download from Xbox LIVE Marketplace:

“JellyCar.” Created by Walaber from the United States, this game is about driving a squishy car through squishy worlds, trying to reach the exit.
“Little Gamers.” This is a 2-D high definition action side-scroller based on the famous Web comic “Little Gamers” created by Loïc Dansart, a 24-year-old software developer from Belgium.
“The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai.” An intense 2-D action platform game created by James Silva from the United States, “Dishwasher” has a unique, highly stylized look and fast and fluid action.
“TriLinea.” This puzzle game created by Edison S. Prata Jr., Renato Pelizzari da Silva and Davi da Silva Prata from Brazil mixes fast-paced action with strategy.
“RocketBall.” Created by Tyler Wanlass, Patrick Murty and Todd Barrons of the United States, this neighborhood game of dodgeball explodes onto the street with fast-paced multiplayer action.
“ProximityHD.” This game, created by Brian Cable from the United States, takes the essence of strategy games — battles for control of territory and armies — and distills it down to a simple, easy-to-understand set of rules for casual players.
“Culture.” Created by independent game development company Hidden Path Entertainment from the United States, “Culture” contains challenging games and puzzles based on beautiful flowers.

An Xbox 360 community game created using Microsoft’s XNA Game Studio software and XNA Creators Club membership will be able to be submitted for distribution on Xbox LIVE. Each community-created game must then undergo a thorough peer-review process and be evaluated for accuracy in representation and appropriateness. Community game developers will be able to beta test the process this spring and will be able to distribute their games on Xbox LIVE by the end of this year.

GDC Announcements Rolling In

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:40:02 GMT

The announcements have started - XNA-created games are coming to XBLA tonight, and the Zune will have games in the future. Check out Major Nelson for the latest as it happens.

And more from me soon...

EDITED: Pre-Order Lost Odyssey And Get 1000 MS Points at HMV

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 15:38:07 GMT

One for those of you who live in the UK and facy Lost Odyssey, this - if you pre-order Sakaguchi's modern classic from HMV or HMV.com you'll also get 1000 MS Points! That's one for every year that Kain has been alive.

You can check out the HMV.com offer here, or just pop into your local high street branch to do it.

I was in my local HMV yesterday and I noticed that they had a pretty good BOGOF deal on Xbox 360 games at the mo - if I remember right I reckon Gears of War, Blue Dragon, Forza 2 and possibly Mass Effect were in it? Pretty sweet if you need to pick any of those games up...

EDIT: The mighty Owning Xylophone has pointed out that if you preorder Lost Odyssey at GAME you get a free level and in-game weapon. Top pre-order goodies! Check out this offer at GAME.co.uk.

GTAIV Website Gets Massive Update

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:52:17 GMT

Head on over to www.rockstargames.com/iv for loads of brilliant new info on the people, places and products you'll experience when GTAIV arrives on April 29.

Project Gotham Racing 4 PDLC Coming Next Week!

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:52:32 GMT

Hello! I'm back home, still feeling rough as a badger's backside, but thought you'd want to know about this PGR4 PDLC that's hitting on February 14. How romantic! And amn't I a brave soldier?

There will be two DLC packs - The Free Challenge Pack is, er, free, and the Premium Challenge Pack will cost 400 MS Points. You'll need to purchase the Premium pack to be able to access all 10 new Achievements - you can only access 7 with the free Challenge Pack.

Here's all the details:

Premium Challenge Pack (400 points)

“The Premium PGR 4 Challenge Pack from Bizarre, available for 400 Microsoft® Points, gives you seven new cars—the 2008 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Concept, 2007 Volkswagen Golf GTI W12-650, 2007 Peugeot Flux, 1987 BMW M3 E30 DTM, 2007 Ferrari 430 Scuderia, 2008 Honda S2000 CR, and 2008 Callaway C16 Speedster. You get three new bikes—the 2007 Yamaha YZF-R1, 1995 Aprilia RS 250, and 1998 Aprilia RSV 1000 Tuono R.”

“Plus, new World Challenge Arcade Mode gives you 20 arcade events in 3 themed chapters, including 5 events that can only be done on platinum. In Tourist Mode, get a free ride with friends around any game city. In Free Roam Cat and Mouse, a slow mouse vehicle runs from enemy cats. Ten new achievements fill out the pack.”

Free Challenge Pack (Free)

“Download the new Free PGR 4 Challenge Pack from Bizarre, and you'll drive the hydrogen-powered 2007 Peugeot Flux, winner of the 2007 Peugeot International Design Competition. Plus, you'll get two new game modes—one of them the player-requested Tourist Mode, which lets you tool around any city in the game checking out sights with your friends. Or play Free Roam Cat and Mouse, where a slow mouse vehicle must avoid enemy cats. And you add another 10 achievements. Get more racing fun for the best price—free!”

More Detail on Achievements, Race Modes, and Cheat

10 New Achievements:

1. Tourist Kudos King – Earn more kudos than anyone else in a Tourist event – 15 points
2. Open Cat Champion – Be a cat on the winning team in a Cat and Mouse Open Event – 15 points
3. Open Mouse Master – Be a mouse on the winning team in a Cat and Mouse Open Event – 15 points
4. Platinum Plus – Get all the platinum medals in the Platinum Plus Challenge – 60 points (earnable with Premium Challenge Pack)
5. Download King – Complete the DLC Challenge chapter – 60 points (earnable with Premium Challenge Pack)
6. Arcade Challenge- Complete Arcade Challenge chapter – 50 points (earnable with Premium Challenge Pack)
7. Cheater- Activate one of the cheats in the cheat menu – 5 points
8. Make the Grade – Attempt to qualify for a Tournament –10 points
9. 01 Yee Haw: Puzzle 4 –10 Points
10. Are You the One? Puzzle 5 –10 Points

World Challenge Mode

World Challenge Mode is a new option that appears in the single player menu. It contains 20 arcade events split into 3 themed chapters:

1. Platinum Plus – Arcade chapter that is harder than Platinum difficulty
2. DLC Challenge – Arcade chapter that limits vehicles to the Premium Challenge Pack cars
3. Arcade Challenge – Similar to the shipped Arcade mode

Online Race Modes

Free Roam Cat & Mouse Mode
Played in an open city, Free Roam Cat & Mouse is a team based game where each team has a slow ‘mouse’ vehicle, with the rest of the players in high powered ‘cat’ vehicles. The mouse earns kudos for every 2 seconds it avoids being hit by enemy cats. On being hit by a cat the mouse is ‘wasted’ and can’t earn kudos for set period of time. Cat players get a kudos reward for hitting an enemy mouse and also for defending their own mouse. The team with the most kudos after a time period set by the host wins the event.

Tourist Mode
This is a simple mode our forum users have requested. Players drive round an open city for a period of time determined by the host. The player with the most kudos is determined the ‘winner’, but this is really a sandbox mode where players can drive around looking at the environment and making their own games up.

New Cheat (can be accessed by the options menu)

TV Cameras – Race whilst using the TV cameras

Grand Theft Auto IV Relase Date Announced

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:25:42 GMT

April 29, 2008. Nuff said really - head to the official Grand Theft Auto IV website for more details. Well, not many more, but you can see the date up in lights...

Right, I'm off to see if I can take that day off...

Make Your Voice Heard in the Xbox LIVE Arcade Awards 2007!

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:57:23 GMT

Ready to make your voice heard in the great Xbox LIVE Arcade debate? The first ever Xbox LIVE Arcade Awards are about to kick off, and it's the votes of the Xbox community that count!

You've probably seen this release already, but there's something important to note - if you want to get to the site to vote you'll need to use this link, NOT the link in the copy:

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/community/events/xblaawards2007/default.htm

The voting site isn't going to be localised for Europe I'm afraid, but we'd love to have votes from all over the world so please get on there and pick out your favourite XBLA games!

"As a way to recognize the teams of talented developers who have together created over 112 games for Xbox LIVE Arcade, Microsoft will announce awards for the top XBLA games of 2007 later this year, with several award categories decided by the community. Fans of Xbox LIVE Arcade are invited to cast their votes for the first-ever Xbox LIVE Arcade Awards – 2007 by voting at http://www.xbox.com/xblaawards. Voting begins Tuesday, January 22 at 2:00 a.m. PST (10:00 GMT) and runs through Wednesday, January 30 at 11:59 p.m. PST (07:59 GMT).

The finalists in each award category were selected by a panel of consumer and video game industry journalists, and the winners will be determined by popular vote. Microsoft will announce the winners of the inaugural Xbox LIVE Arcade Awards – 2007 at the Game Developer Conference in February.

Below is the list of award categories that will be open for public voting:

Best Overall Arcade Game
Best Classic Game
Best Original Game
Best Family Friendly Game
Best Competitive Multiplayer Game
Best Cooperative Multiplayer Game

Other award categories include the following:

Best selling game
Most played game
Highest rated game
Staff choice"

I'm going to list my votes when voting opens tomorrow morning - let's all do the same and see what comes up as early favourites!

Help Create the Achievements in Ninja Gaiden 2!

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:12:23 GMT

This is well cool - the dev team working on Ninja Gaiden 2 at Tecmo are asking for your help in creating the Achievements for the game! GamerScore Blog has the details, but be quick because the closing date for suggestions is January 24.

If you're anything like me you'll have a whole book's worth of views on what makes a good or bad Achievement, so it's time to put your money where your mouth is.

Just don't make 'em too hard, eh?

Submit your Achievement ideas for Ninja Gaiden 2 here!

Frontlines: Fuel of War Special Edition

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:36:29 GMT

If you haven’t already done so, you really should consider downloading the Frontlines: Fuel of War demo and discover what inhabiting a world on the brink of running out of oil feels like. Probably a lot like queuing up for petrol every Monday morning.

It’ll also make this next bit of news all the more exciting as THQ has given me a wee sneak peek at the special edition version of the game that will be available at launch in February. The Games for Windows special edition will be available in the UK, Germany, France and Spain, while the Xbox 360 special edition will be available in the UK, Germany and Italy. Here’s the scoop straight from THQ:

"Frontlines Fuel of War: Special Edition features an exclusive hardback art book. You will also receive a limited edition t-shirt as well as the official Frontlines: Fuel of War soundtrack which lends its individual sound from a mash up of New Metal, Electro beat and orchestral tones. Just when you thought that was enough, you get a poster thrown in for good measure.

Additional Content

– Exclusive Art book
– Limited edition T-shirt
– Official Soundtrack
– Poster

The Xbox 360 Special Edition will be exclusively available for pre-orders from amazon.co.uk; PC Special Edition will be exclusively available for pre-orders from Play.com"

Quick! Get it before the oil runs out!

Fallout 3: Best Christmas Card Ever...

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 11:18:34 GMT

But are they snowflakes or particles of radioactive dust?

Fallout 3 - currently in development at Oblivion geniuses Bethesda - will be out in 2008 on Xbox 360. Merry Christmas!

Out Today -23/11

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 12:03:32 GMT

Some days it just feels great to be part of the Xbox 360 family - and today is one of those days. Not only is Xtival '07 opening up Xbox Live for a whole weekend of immense free fun, but take a look at this little line-up of games available today:

Ace Combat 6: (awesome - looks amazing and plays brilliantly
Avatar: The Burning Earth: (you can get 1000 Gamerpoints in 90 seconds!
Beowulf: Tie-in with the film, and sure to feature Anjelina Jolie
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock: Rocks harder (and more wirelessly) than ever, plus you can download the Halo theme music for free!
Blacksite: Cracking shooty-shooty
Hot Wheels: Beat That!: Fast and fun
Kane and Lynch: Dead Men: Brutal action from the creators of Hitman
Mass Effect: Nuff said
Bee Movie Game: There's a great buzz about this one
Need for Speed ProStreet: The latest in EA's tyre-smoking series
World Series of Poker 2008 - Battle for the Bracelets: Give it a big hand, etc.

MASS EFFECT MASS EFFECT MASS EFFECT MASS EFFECT MASS EFFECT. Just wish I could get some time to play it!

Mass Effect: The Dangers of The Dialogue Wheel

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:24:06 GMT

Those lucky North Americans get Mass Effect today, and to celebrate the GamerScore Blog guys have taken an in-depth look into the use of the game's dialogue wheel at Xbox HQ:

Mass Effect is out in Europe on Thursday/Friday.

While we're here, the GS Blog guys also did this video for Portal a few weeks back - properly funny:

Rock Band Track Listing - KERRANG!

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 09:59:59 GMT

Spotted the Rock Band track listing over at PlayStation blog ThreeSpeech - looks great! Would have liked to have seen a few more 80s hair metal tunes, but at least Bon Jovi's 'Wanted: Dead or Alive' is on there

I'm a cowboy. On a horse of steel I ride. Bagsy me on microphone for that one!

My other picks:

Sweet “Ballroom Blitz”
The Ramones “Blitzkrieg Bop”
Foo Fighters “Learn to Fly”
Radiohead “Creep”
Queens of the Stone Age “Go With the Flow”
The Killers “When You Were Young”

Take a look and let me know what you're looking forward to.

Battlestar Galactica and Exit On XBLA This Week

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:13:26 GMT

Quick heads-up to let you know that this Wednesday's XBLA games are Battlestar Galactica and Exit. Both are 800 MS Points and will be available from 10am UK time tomorrow.

Full details and screens for both over at GamerScore Blog.

Out Now - 19/10

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:41:01 GMT

The release schedule's really starting to fill up so I thought I'd do a round-up of what you can buy in the shops from today, each one with a spectacular pun which you can write down and use to impress friends, family and potential lovers.

Thrillville: I've heard great things about this roller-coaster builder game, and especially about the mini-games. I would imagine there are quite a few 'on-rails' sections (BOSH!), but that Disney matter (not so good...).
NHL 2K8: Ice hockey, with all the latest teams and that. An ice way to spend an afternoon (one-nil), so you should check it out (two-nil) - you might find it's pucka (HAT TRICK!)
Eternal Sonata: A classical Japanese RPG (does that count?) in which you have to explore Chopin's dreams. Er, maybe you should pick it up if you go Chopin this weekend?
The Orange Box: Portal, Half-Life 2, Half-Life Episode 1, Half-Life Episode 2 and Team Fortress 2, all in one box with 99 Achievements. Possibly the best value bundle ever witnessed in the history of videogaming, and it's also racking up some killer review scores. Sometimes I wonder how Valve crowbarred it all in (sorry, getting tired now).

Since I'm in the mood, I bought a calculator the other day (true story). It's so powerful it can even divide opinions. Bye!

Ever Met a Black Scottish Cyclops? Check Out This Team Fortress 2 Video...

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:47:33 GMT

Valve's The Orange Box is out a week on Friday, and in case you don't know it's a collection of five games on one (presumably stuffed to the gunnells, whatever they are) disc:

Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 Episode 1
Half-Life 2 Episode 2
Portal
Team Fortress 2

Given that all these games are going to be amazing The Orange Box presents possibly the best value purchase in the history of the universe and it could destabilise entire economies. But that doesn't matter, because this little lot will give us all something to do when the markets crash. Thanks to its TimeSplitters-style comedy Xbox Live shooting, class-based characters and squad-based combat, Team Fortress 2 in particular threatens to be a bit of a Live classic. Valve has done a few cracking videos for the game, but I was sent this one today by Making Sparks, the Xbox.com Editor, and it's a classic:

Team Fortress 2 Demo-Man Video - Featuring the Black Scottish Cyclops.

Best quote? "Prancing aboot with your heid full of eyeballs!"

Bagsy me Demo-Man!

UPDATED: Making Sparks has also pushed me in the direction of Ignus Solus, the latest Team Fortress 2 machinima from Lit Fuse Films. Awesome, awesome stuff...

My PGR4 Pics

Sat, 06 Oct 2007 13:15:04 GMT

I feel like I'm being cheeky going on about it because it's SO GOOD, but I've been playing PGR4 over the past few days. I was expecting it to be quality, but it really has blown me away - it's as if Bizarre finally got every little element of the game spot on (and those elements were pretty close before!).

The presentation is definitely a step up from PGR3, the visuals are stunning, the sense of speed is enough to take the skin off your nipples (especially in the bumper cam view as used by all true racing fans...) and the licensed music sounds like it comes from the compilation tape that God put together before he went on a long drive across heaven.

I'm enjoying it so much I thought I'd share some of the pics I've taken in the game's Photo Mode. It's similar to the Photo Mode in Forza 2, but there are a few extra options and the possibility for crazy snapshots that PGR4's kudos system gives you seems to make for better images. Also like Forza 2, once you've taken a photo you can upload it to www.PGRNations.com (where you'll also be able to browse leaderboards and check up on your stats) and then download it to your PC. You can even view user-generated photos (and replays) in the game itself through the PGR On Demand feature, voting for your favourites. Genius.

So, to my pics:

Here's my TVR in the middle of a five-star powerslide in Las Vegas. You'll notice my paintjob is a big old St Andrews cross which I designed using one of the customn patterns you can apply to your car. It's not anywhere near as in-depth as Forza's paint editor, but you can get really cool results with only a few minutes work. See the Union Jack on the side of my car? If I had one tiny criticism of PGR4 it's that when you choose your nationality at the start of the game you can only choose UK - not Scottish, Northern Irish, Welsh or English. It's just a wee thing, but since www.PGRNations.com is going to track how the countries compete against each other I think it would have been ace to have those local rivalries going.

But anyway - let's have a look at a bike!

This is a bike. More specifically, this is me on a bike doing a wheelie and a ridiculous stunt. I wasn't all that excited about the inclusion of bikes but they're actually really good fun, and it's almost like having two different games in one. The taunts and stunts are cool and it's really annoying when a bike sneaks past your car on a bend and the rider turns around and takes the mick as he speeds off.

They're obviously also a lot smaller, so although you're a little more vulnerable than a car you can slip through little gaps and potentially avoid the famous PGR first-corner pile-up.

Finally, here's a 3D image of an American muscle car (can't mind which one - they've all got such similar names) getting some ridiculous air above the streets of St Petersburg. You probably don't have any 3D glasses handy and therefore won't get the benefit, but the 3D Photo Mode is something you unlock with your kudos and when you take your first 3D photo it gives you an Achievement. That's 5 GamerPoints right there. In the bank.

PGR4 is out this Friday in the UK (Thursday on the continent) and it's immense. Prepare to take that Halo 3 disc out of your Xbox 360 for the first time in a while...

Master Chief Makes $300 Million

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 13:49:38 GMT

If you were in any doubt about just how huge Halo 3 is, check this out: In the first week of sales alone it clocked up over $300 million worldwide, doubled Xbox 360 hardware sales and encouraged 2.7 million people to play it on Xbox Live.

Read the full press release over on Major Nelson, and check out the following statty-stats pulled out by the great man himself (Major Nelson, not John 117):

More than 2.7 million gamers have played "Halo 3" on Xbox LIVE in the first week, representing nearly one-third of the 7 million Xbox LIVE members worldwide.
Within the first day of its launch, "Halo 3" players worldwide racked up more than 3.6 million hours of online gameplay, which increased more than elevenfold to 40 million hours by the end of the first week, representing more than 4,500 years of continuous gameplay.
In the first week, Since "Halo 3 launched," gamers have unlocked nearly 30 million Achievements.

30 million Achievements = how many GamerPoints?

Activision Buys Bizarre - What's the Score With PGR?

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 16:35:06 GMT

I'm sure you saw the news that Activision bought Bizarre Creations, the developers behind the PGR series. Understandably this has caused a lot of fretting and sweating over the future of the series, but fear not - GamerScore Blog has just posted that the PGR franchise will powerslide on:

"Microsoft Game Studios is completely committed to PGR 4 now, and in the future. We consider Project Gotham Racing a signature franchise for the Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE, and we have definite plans to continue the series (though we have nothing further to announce now)."

Read the full statement on GamerScore Blog here.

UPDATED: Problems With Your Halo 3 LE Disc?

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 08:54:44 GMT

There are reports doing the rounds that a small number of discs are coming out of the Limited Edition version of Halo 3 slightly damaged. Here's the official word on this:

“We've have identified that there are some instances of blemishes on discs as a result of the packaging of the Halo 3 Limited Edition. It is related only to the Halo 3 Limited Edition version of the game. This is a small fraction of the total number of Halo 3 games shipped and sold, and is a limited production version of the game. We are currently investigating the scope of this situation and notwithstanding the outcome of the investigation, we have implemented a plan to address it. We encourage anyone experiencing these issues to go to xbox.com/support and click on the Halo 3 Limited Edition disc replacement link. We will be replacing these discs and apologize for the inconvenience.”

The link on the support section of Xbox.com is currently only live on the US version of the site, but it will be added to the European sites very, very soon. I'll let you know when.

UPDATE: The links should be live in all your local Xbox.com sites now: www.Xbox.com/support . Thanks for your patience!

Happy Halo 3 Day!

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 08:46:09 GMT

It's Wednesday, September 26, 2007, and the biggest game of all time has just launched in Europe. Hopefully you've already picked one up - or at work or school counting the hours until you can get home and play it - and I just wanted to say that I hope you have an amazing time playing Halo 3!

The UK Xbox team held a huge premiere for the game last night at London's iMax cinema. You couldn't miss it...

AMAZING New Halo 3 Vids and ViDoc

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 08:19:25 GMT

Overnight, www.Bungie.net has stuck up a bunch of amazing new videos which properly show off the video editing features and level editing features in Halo 3 for the first time. Seriously, they look amazing.

http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=h3savedfilms
http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=h3forgeadvanced
http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=h3forgeobjects
http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=h3forgebasics

There's also a new Halo 3 ViDoc available now on Xbox Live Marketplace which pools these videos together in lovely HD. Only a few days to go now!

Sonic 2 Q&A

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:55:44 GMT

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 spun onto XBLA today (it's 400 Golden Rings, or 400 MS Points if you have 'em) and I was lucky enough to be able to fire a few quick questions over to Masanobu Yamamoto, the lead programmer on the original version of the game.

"What was your involvement with the development of Sonic 2?

I contributed to the project as the main programmer, but since the enemy team got too busy I supported the development of the enemy section at the later part of the project.

What was it like to work with Yuji Naka?

I learned many things from him. His policy of never giving up and the way he always thought of things from the user’s point of view. No matter how challenging the task may be, if it were for the users Naka-san would always do anything.

The Sonic series, especially the titles that were released on the Megadrive/Genesis are some of the most fondly remembered titles around. What do you think makes them so enduring?

I think there are no other action games than Sonic games that gives the users the sense of speed and the thrill. Also, I feel that the cool attitude and the heroic character is what makes him so enduring.

What was the thinking behind the character Tails? What came first – the design of the character or the desire for a two player mode?

I believe the 2P mode was first. The purpose of the supporting characters was Naka-san’s idea. While the brother is playing Naka-san wanted something for the sisters or brothers to do. This is how we ended up creating a sub character for support use.

What is your favourite level in Sonic 2? Why is this?

I totally forgot the name of the stage, but it was a stage where you go through pipes of a mechanical city and there is water underneath. I think the sense of speed and the thrill is very well balanced."

Bonus points if you know the name of the level Yamamoto-san is talking about...

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is available from Xbox Live Arcade now for 400 MS Points, or you can download the trail version for free!

Halo 3 - Ammo Video, PLUS TV Ad Coming to Xbox.com This Friday!

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:13:23 GMT

Watch the world premiere of the Halo 3 TV Ad on Xbox.com at 5pm Uk Time, 6pm CET on Friday, September 14. This is a teaser video for the full ad (if you can't see it in this post, watch it here on Soapbox)

Believe!