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Xbox News is a site that brings you the very latest Original Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One news, the latest games and releases, Part of the
DCEmu Homebrew & Gaming Network.
THE LATEST NEWS BELOW
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April 15th, 2012, 22:52 Posted By: wraggster
EA will air the latest trailer for upcoming shooter Medal of Honor: Warfighter at next week’s MCV Awards.
The new Medal of Honor is due out on October 23rd and will continue the success laid down by the 2010 title of the same name.
Having made a name for itself with its stunning recreations of key scenes and dramas from WWII, Danger Close’s reinvention saw the battlefield switched to modern day Afghanistan.
“Inspired by actual events across the globe and written by real Tier 1 Operators while deployed overseas, follow the global Warfighters as they are asked to take on a real terror threat, PETN,” EA said.
“Powered by the Frostbite 2 Engine.??For more information about the Global Operators and the Most Authentic Shooter to date, visit the official site.”
This year's MCV Awards ceremony takes place on Thursday, April 19th at the Lancaster London Hotel. The 2012 gathering marks the 10th Anniversary of the event, with a special night planned to celebrate the trade's successes both in this year and during the last 10.
63 different companies from across the games industry are nominated for prizes at this year’s MCV Industry Excellence Awards.
Activision leads the pack with 11 nominations - five for its break-out kids' hit Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure.
EA closely follows with 10 nominations, including nods for EA Origin, Battlefield and FIFA 12.
Elsewhere big hitters like SCE UK and Bethesda take nine nominations each, with seven nods each for Ubisoft and Microsoft, and six for Warner Bros.
But from physical retail to digital distribution, via publishers and peripherals brands, the nominated firms come across the trade, with other nominations also going to GameStop, Insert Coin, Mind Candy, Turtle Beach and 505 Games.
Green Man Gaming, NCsoft, ShopTo and OPM are amongst the firms to lend their names to the event.
Online retailer ShopTo.net has signed up as disco and bar partner for the evening, while digital retailer Green Man Gaming is an event partner. Recruiters OPM Repsonse will be present as goody bag partner, and MMO specialist NCsoft has agreed to sponsor the Digital Distribution Team award.
Nintendo is the exclusive partner for the Retail category.
More than 60 games industry firms have already signed up to attend this year’s MCV Awards on Thursday, April 19th.
These range from publishers such as Activision Blizzard to distributors such as Gem.
More details can be found on the MCV Awards 2012 microsite.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/medal...-awards/094393
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April 15th, 2012, 22:50 Posted By: wraggster
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings arrives on Xbox 360 next week (April 17th) and Namco Bandai is brimming with confidence.
Far from being concerned about vying to for consumer spend with big-hitting rivals such as Mass Effect 3 and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the publisher has welcomed the comparisons.
And critics seem to agree – following the lifting of the review embargo earlier today, the game is currently boasting a 91 per cent average on Metacritic.
“Having heard from many that it’s a rival for Skyrim it should fare well over a period,” Namco Bandai’s marketing and PR director Lee Kirton told MCV. “We need to coach many Xbox360 players in the world of The Witcher but ultimately this is a top class mature action RPG with one of the best story’s put into a console.
“All Xbox players of Mass Effect, Skyrim, Assassins Creed and Dark Souls should play it. We have huge faith in its success and believe that word-of-mouth of The Witcher 2 will help its long term sales.”
Kirton isn’t at all surprised by the wonderful reviews the game has received, either.
“It’s a fantastic game with an amazing story,” he added. “Its quality is up there with the best in the genre and I personally think it’s one of the best games ever developed for the Xbox 360.
“I always knew that the review would be in the 90%+ range and I am thrilled to have seen some very professional mainstream reviews as well such as The Independent’s 5/5. We are very happy and have put a lot of focus into it in a short space of time.”
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/namco...arisons/094402
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April 13th, 2012, 00:14 Posted By: wraggster
So, it's not quite a fake Kinect, but to say there's a little bit of crossover in the DNA would be a bit of an understatement, wouldn't you say? Dubbed the iGame Move, it claims to be a "32-bit camera video game console," with 23 games baked right into the cycloptic device. If that weren't enough, you can enjoy those body-controlled titles in full 640 x 480 "high-resolution" graphics, which based on the screen shots look surprisingly good. Best of all it can run on four AA batteries, making it truly portable. Your move Microsoft.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/12/k...ames-no-shame/
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April 13th, 2012, 00:11 Posted By: wraggster
PiperJaffray analyst Michael Olson says big name games not maintaining lifetime sales
Analyst Michael Olson, of PiperJaffray, has pointed the finger for low retail revenues at the Call Of Duty series' falling lifetime sales.
While no-one can dispute the success of the series, he argued the games aren't selling as many or for as long as previous iterations.
"We believe big name titles are no longer able to sustain 'fat tails.'" he toldGamasutra.
"This 'thinning tail' phenomenon is driven by 1) casual gamers leaving the market, 2) a steeper pre-sale and up-front curve, and 3) cannibalisation from the pre-owned market."
He pointed out that the latest Call Of Duty title, Modern Warfare 3, will probably sell less than half of Black Ops total, and coming in as the eighth largest selling game in March 2012, as opposed to Black Ops fifth place spot last year.
He also predicted a 26 per cent drop in software sales when NPD Group results are published later today.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...shortened-tail
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April 12th, 2012, 22:21 Posted By: wraggster
New patch will use Kinect to augment interface with voice controls
Bethesda has announced that the newest patch for Skyrim will add over two hundred voice commands.
Like Mass Effect 3, these commands will not replace the traditional interface, but simply add Kinect support to streamline certain features.
This means features like dragon shouts, hotkeying items, and giving commands to allies no longer require browsing through menus, and can be accessed by simply speaking the words.
According to Ars Technicha, the commands first appeared as part of Bethesda's internalSkyrim Game Jam, in which developers were encouraged to develop new features that could be added to the game.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/4...voice-commands
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April 12th, 2012, 02:33 Posted By: wraggster
The Australian Classification Board has rated a previously unannounced game called Joy Ride Turbo for release.As reported by CVG, Microsoft is listed as publisher for the title and it's classified G - "Caution: Gaming experience may change online".There's no further information included in the listing, though some kind of follow-up to widely unloved Kinect racer Joy Ride seems like a safe bet. We're chasing Microsoft for clarification now."It's not that Joy Ride doesn't work - it works perfectly well, within its own clear limitations - it's just that it's not something you'll want to play more than once or twice, with or without a pad in your hands," read Eurogamer's 5/10 Joy Ride review back in November 2010.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-ratings-board
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April 12th, 2012, 02:30 Posted By: wraggster
The Xbox 360 is getting up there. Maybe you missed out on the Raven Software-deveolpedQuake 4 during its initial launch, way back when in 2005? Bethesda is giving everyone a second chance to take on the Strogg this summer.
The Bethesda Blog has announced that the Xbox 360 version of Quake 4 is being re-released at a new $19.99 price point on June 19. Currently, the only ways to pick up a copy of Quake 4 are through Steam (on Windows PC) and at the bottom of your local game retailer's bargain bin.
Or maybe your cousin Carl? He told us he liked Quake once. Borrow his copy!
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/qu...une-19-for-20/
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April 12th, 2012, 02:28 Posted By: wraggster
 Months after a Korean rating started us thinking up ridiculous fantasies aboutDragon Ball Z Kinect, Namco Bandai has announced the game, due in October, at a press event in Las Vegas. Players will get control of over 50 characters (including Mr. Pointyhair, karate guy, green man, and the little one) and perform real DBZ-style moves gesturally.
QR codes will (somehow) be distributed to unlock extra characters, because trying to focus a lamp on a card so the game will read it is a super important part of Dragon Ball lore.
Update: Namco provided additional details in a press release. Developed by Spike Chunsoft, DBZ Kinect offers a "Story Mode" and a "Score Attack" mode. Story mode features first-person battles and CG event scenes based on the show's storyline, while score attack is a series of one-on-one battles for points.
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/dr...-this-october/
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April 12th, 2012, 01:35 Posted By: wraggster
 If you pick up the Mass Effect 3 "Resurgence Pack" – it's free! – you'll be able to take part in a multiplayer event this weekend. Of course it's called "Operation Resurgence!"
Operation Resurgence surges from April 13 at 5PM PST through Monday, April 16 at 5AM PST, on Xbox 360 and PC. All participating players (basically everyone with the DLC) will get 10 percent extra experience when playing on the new maps, and will get a "Reserves Pack" that will unlock one of the random alien classes.
Resurgence.
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/ma...-incentivizes/
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April 12th, 2012, 01:10 Posted By: wraggster
Lionhead founder and former Microsoft studio boss Peter Molynex has admitted that it took him some time to recover from the cancellation of his ambitious Kinect title Milo.
The revelation comes as Molyneux speaks for the first time following his shock departure from Lionhead last month.
“It took me a long time to get over it,” he told Develop of the decision to abandon the title. “ Of course, I understood the decision. I really did. I’m not complaining about it. You have to be realistic about these things.
“You can’t just grieve for months over the death of something, whether it’s a game or family member. But it was really hard. What hurt the most is that the game actually worked. It was this amazing, emotionally engaging game that was all about forging a relationship with the player.
“What was so hard for some people to imagine is what Milo would look like on the shelves, sitting alongside these murderous shooter games. ‘I can’t imagine what it would look like in GAME or Gamestop’ is what people told me.
“Of course, now that we live in this digital world, maybe things will be different. I know it was only axed a couple of years ago, but that’s a long time in the industry.”
For a detailed interview with Molyneux, including detailed admission about his decision to quit Microsoft, head over to sister site Develop.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/molyn...llation/094219
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April 12th, 2012, 01:06 Posted By: wraggster
If there was one thing that stood out about yesterday’s announcement of Lost Planet 3, it was the fact that Spark Unlimited was developing the title.
That’s notable for two reasons.
One – it’s yet another IP farmed out by Capcom to the West. Which is great in principle but, as games such as Bionic Commando, Dark Void and Operation Raccoon City have showed, sometimes less good in practise.
The second reason is that Spark Unlimited has two current gen games to its name – Turning Point: Fall of Liberty and Legendary: The Box. Both of which were also a critical disaster.
But Capcom has insisted that simply looking at the negative reaction to both games doesn’t tell the complete story.
"For people who wonder why we made that choice, it's certainly important to look at a track record and what people have done in the past, but that can't tell you the whole story," Capcom's producer Andrew Szymanski told Eurogamer.
"Particularly when it comes to a collaborative effort - what we found is they've got the technical ability and the passion and the drive. I don't think Spark alone or Capcom alone could have created this - it had to be a collaborative effort."
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/capco...d-drive/094227
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April 12th, 2012, 00:57 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft has taken a step closer to confirming the release date for Halo 4, today saying it will launch 'this Christmas'.
It's known that the game is arriving towards the end of 2012, but typically the Halo games (and other key Microsoft end-of-year shooters) have arrived in September.
'Christmas' would suggest a later release in the Q4 period.
That would also put the release much closer to the release of big budget Triple-A games heading to console at the end of year including FIFA 12, Bioshock: Infinite, Resident Evil 6, Assassin's Creed III and the expected Call of Duty game.
This new detail on the launch was made in announcement detailing Massive Attack producer Neil Davidge's new role as composer and producer of Halo 4's soundtrack.
He takes over from Bungie's award-winning Martin O'Donnell, who made all the previous Halo games' iconic music.
Halo 4 is, famously, the first game in the series not developed by its creator Bungie, which has since moved on to new projects after divesting from Microsoft in 2007.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/chris...-halo-4/094231
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April 11th, 2012, 00:03 Posted By: wraggster
Yet another next-gen Xbox rumour has reared its head this morning, claiming Microsoft's next console's set to boast a monster 16-core CPU.
 The latest issue of Xbox World reports that codename 'Durango' devkits were sent to developers last month, shortly after secret meetings were held in London.The Durango kits don't resemble the final hardware in appearance, says XBW (the original Xbox 360 devkits were PowerPCs in standard PC cases), but the hardware inside is representative of the machine you can expect to see released in late 2013.
XBW's sources suggest Durango's devkit is powered by a state of the art 16-core IBM Power PC CPU with a graphics processor on par with AMD's Radeon HD 7000-series graphics cards, aspreviously rumoured.
The 16-core processor in particular would be a surprising addition, as it's future tech even for high-end PCs. AMD launched the world's first 16-core processor for the business market in November last year.
XBW explains: "It's a ridiculous amount of power for a games machine - too much power, even. But remember, Kinect 2 could chew up four whole cores tracking multiple players right down to their fingertips, so it'll need a lot of power."
Despite Microsoft and Sony both denying they'll show next-gen tech at E3 in June, XBW's sources claim many developers are working towards an LA debut for their next-generation software, "whether Microsoft and Sony are ready or not".
It's going to be an interesting few months...
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...l-16-core-cpu/
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April 10th, 2012, 23:58 Posted By: wraggster
Content drops 7 and 8 have deployed for Call of Duty Elite premium members on Xbox Live today. Multiplayer maps Sanctuary and Foundation are now available for download in Modern Warfare 3 on Xbox 360.
Sanctuary (pictured above) takes place in Greece, throughout several different monasteries; Foundation is a map based in South Korea, inside a derelict factory. The two maps will be available to PS3 and PC players on some undisclosed future date.
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/10/ps...n-on-xbox-360/
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April 10th, 2012, 23:49 Posted By: wraggster
Cowen and Company's Doug Creutz expects 1.5 million as first-month sales for BioWare's latest
Mass Effect 3 shipped more than 3.5 million copies during its first week, but sold about 1.5 million units in March, according to Cowen and Company analyst Doug Creutz. In a message to investors Creutz noted that the March release window posed a difficult comparison, with March 2011 seeing the release of Pokemon Black/White, Homefront, and Dragon Age II.
Creutz, like Pachter, expects that software sales for March 2012 have dropped year-over-year, down 24 percent. He also believes April and May will see similar double-digit drops.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...old-by-analyst
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April 10th, 2012, 23:46 Posted By: wraggster
Veteran journalist Chris Morris tackles six reasons why the next-gen systems won't kill used gaming
[h=3]GameStop[/h]www.gamestop.com
[h=3]Microsoft[/h]E&D Emerging Markets
www.microsoft.com/uk/games
[h=3]Sony Computer Entertainment[/h]Sony Computer Entertainment is a Japanese videogame company specialising in a variety of areas in the...
www.playstation.com
There's a lot of talk making the rounds these days about used games and the next generation.
The popular theory is the next Xbox or PlayStation 4/"Orbis" might altogether block people from playing previously owned games - something that has the core gamer base feeling a bit backstabbed. But the shock of seeing these reports seems to be causing those same people to lose perspective.
Used games are almost certainly not going anywhere with the upcoming generation of consoles. While an evolution is likely, don't let media alarmists convince you that your days of cashing in titles you've lost interest in are over. Here's why:
No one wants to anger the fan base - While things aren't quite as dire as some would have you believe, the glory days of the console industry seem to be coming to an end. While there's room for continued growth among developers and publishers, with a slew of unexplored options, the next generation of consoles is more a service battle than anything else.
There are plenty of other options for gamers to explore these days - and Microsoft and Sony both know it. Given that competition, it's ludicrous to imagine either would risk angering their loyalist customer base to the extent that they would risk losing them.
"Neither wants to open the door for a trouncing like they got from the Wii in the first part of this generation"
Put simply: Gamers see a value in being able to trade in their games and buying used copies for a bit less. Taking that away devalues the console. And whatever advantage there is for the console makers in terms of making third-party publishers happy, it's not worth the risk of losing market share.
After all, while it might be nice to be able to use your Xbox and PlayStation as a movie and television streaming device, there are plenty of other set top boxes that offer that same functionality.
Why alienate GameStop? - GameStop might be an easy punching bag among gamers, but it's one of the most powerful retailers in the industry, regularly grabbing market share away from big box stores like Best Buy and Wal-Mart. While game sales make up the majority of its revenues, it moves a fair number of consoles as well.
Last year, GameStop made $2.6 billion selling used games - representing more than 27 percent of its total sales. That's a figure the company is going to guard ferociously. Console sales, meanwhile, made up $1.6 billion in sales, just 16.9 percent of revenue.
GameStop's not dumb enough to threaten not to sell the next generation consoles. That'd be a breach of its fiduciary duties to its shareholders. But the company (and its store employees) certainly has some influence over the buzz surrounding a system. It's simply bad business on Microsoft and Sony's part to cut GameStop off at the knees.
There's still money to be made - In the past two years, game publishers have finally learned how to make used games work to their advantage. EA's "Project $10" showed that by forcing players to pay a small fee to access content on a previously owned game, they could still make money from used game sales. Most publishers quickly followed suit.
So far, that fee has been largely tied to the multiplayer aspects of a game. As the next generation of consoles ties titles to user accounts, players will likely have to pay to unlock the single player portion as well. As with "Project $10," there will be a brief squawk, then an adjustment period (likely among retailers, which will have to adjust pricing on their end), then it will be an accepted part of the video game landscape.
"For all the tempest in a teacup over used games of late, there's a larger truth being overlooked: Natural selection has already put an expiration date on them"
Calling all pirates - Most people who play used games do so as a way to save money on their favorite hobby. Were used games to go away, most would grumble and simply buy new games, but would purchase several less per year. To a smaller subset, though, a ban on used games would be like shining the bat-signal for piracy.
Undoubtedly, the piracy protection systems on the next gen consoles are state of the art, but if that subculture has taught the entertainment industry one thing, it's that it is persistent and capable - and it will quickly find a way around the roadblocks.
Why give Nintendo an advantage? - Have you noticed that all the talk about banning used games has surrounded Sony and Microsoft? Nintendo doesn't seem to worry about them.
While some people seem to have written the Wii U off, there's still a lot of mystery surrounding that system - and if Nintendo has a stellar E3 this year, it could set itself up to once again be king of the gaming hill for another noteworthy run. Gamers might be ignoring the system for now, but Microsoft and Sony certainly aren't. And while both will focus their marketing efforts on each other, neither wants to open the door for a trouncing like they got from the Wii in the first part of this generation.
Let nature take its course - For all the tempest in a teacup over used games of late, there's a larger truth being overlooked: Natural selection has already put an expiration date on them.
Digital distribution isn't mainstream yet, but it's growing fast. And by the end of the upcoming console generation, it's going to be unavoidable. While that's a huge convenience for players, it's a dream come true for publishers, since it will sound a death knell to used games (or, at the very least, damage them enough so they don't substantially impact earnings).
The choice for console makers (as well as game publishers), therefore, is simple: Fight an ugly PR battle that could anger your customers and retail partners - or wait a few years and let it die a natural death.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ent-going-away
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April 10th, 2012, 23:42 Posted By: wraggster
Xbox 360 owners will net themselves new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 DLC later today, so long as they're premium members of the franchise's Elite program.
This month’s content offers up two new maps: Sanctuary & Foundation. The official CoD Twitter account has posted ascreenshot of the former.
The DLC should be available for Playstation 3 Elite members sometime next month.
Those without premium subscriptions will presumably get a crack at the content when the latest ‘Content Collection’ arrives later in the year (first on 360, and followed soon after on PS3).
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/call-...box-360/094145
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April 10th, 2012, 23:30 Posted By: wraggster
A Limited Edition version of Activision’s Prototype 2 will only be available through rental giant Blockbuster.
The SKU includes two bit of exclusive DLC – the “Bio-Bomb Butt Kicker” special move and the Vehicle Specialist upgrade.
It can be pre-ordered now for just £34.99.
“Having been lucky enough to see Prototype 2 in action, I can promise that the buzz is worth it,” head of games James Morton stated.
“That’s why we’re so delighted to offer our customers this limited edition version at such a great price. We know gamers and we can’t wait for them to get their hands on this exclusive edition.
“We are a destination for gamers, offering everything they need at the best possible prices, both in-store and online. This is just the latest in a series of offerings that we hope will get gamers excited about all that Blockbuster has to offer.”
Prototype 2 will be released in the UK on April 24th.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/block...e-2-sku/094153
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April 10th, 2012, 22:43 Posted By: wraggster
Xbox team wants player mood to be integrated within game narrative
Kinect research teams at Microsoft are examining whether the device can detect the player’s posture signals and tonal nuances, an executive at the company has said.
Studios executive Kudo Tsunoda told MCV that Microsoft is “looking at how we can make people more like actors within a game’s narrative”.
The theory is that, if the device can detect posture and tone of voice, the software will be a step closer to reading the player’s mood and reflect this within a game.
“We want to get to the stage where not only can Kinect detect what you’re saying but also tone of voice and body stance, and work that into the narrative,” Tsunoda said.
“There are some really compelling experiences to be gained from that,” he added.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/4...ne-and-posture
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