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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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July 17th, 2010, 22:35 Posted By: wraggster
This post is for eggheads only -- we won't be talking about how to get Xbox Live achievements, or how the system of earning Gamerscore actually works. Nope, the latest Xbox Engineering blog post gets down and dirty with the actual software and hardware behind the Xbox Live Achievements system, and not only how your Xbox actually learns from whatever game you're playing that you just earned some points, but how you friends get to know it as well.
Turns out the sound we most connect with the whole system (that "Achievement Unlocked" beep) was an afterthought -- originally, Microsoft's team wasn't planning on having any notification of point scoring at all. The idea of achievements has evolved over time as well -- they did start out with the 5-50 and 1000 Gamerscore requirements, but since launch, devs have better learned how to use Achievements and how to customize them. Apparently there's a whole bunch of code and science behind the whole thing. Go figure! We always thought it was unicorn magic of some kind.
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/17/ho...evements-work/
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July 17th, 2010, 22:24 Posted By: wraggster
Though the first wave of Kinect titles have demonstrated Microsoft’s new focus on the casual market, UK studio Rare insists there's huge 'core-gamer' potential for the device.
Nick Burton, Kinect development director at Rare, said the current catalogue of Kinect titles are demonstrably "just the first wave" – and the potential for the device is huge.
And when asked if a game like, for example, GoldenEye could work well with Kinect, Burton replied "there are so many possibilities for games like that."
He added: "The [augmented reality] web cam things you’ve seen so far are just the tip of the iceberg. [With Kinect] we could do augmented reality on steroids."
Burton continued to praise Kinect technology, saying that pinpointing a person in a room, targeting their voice, and recreating that on screen is a "trivial" task with Microsoft’s latest controllerless device.
"It’s an afternoon’s worth of code," he said, "and that’s the magic of [Kinect’s] skeletal tracking."
Microsoft’s overall intention with Kinect remains a matter for debate. The company, rooted in a core gamer market, has made big decisions to tailor to the casual. Yet hints of a core-based future, such as the one made today by Burton, continue to emerge.
Rare, now enjoying its 25 year anniversary, has sold over 100 million games since it was established.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...tial-says-Rare
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July 17th, 2010, 22:15 Posted By: wraggster
GAME has seen "amazing demand" for the new Xbox 360 250GB.
The videogame retailer opened 400 stores at midnight for the release of Microsoft's "whisper quiet" new Xbox 360.
"At midnight, over 400 GAME and Gamestation stores opened across the UK to allow our customers to get their hands on the new Xbox 360," Neil Ashurst, head of PR for GAME and Gamestation, said.
"There has been amazing demand for the new version of this ever-popular console, which includes a new slim design, 250GB hard drive and built-in WiFi connectivity. There was a fantastic atmosphere in our stores as hundreds of people queued to be one of the first to play on the new console."
Microsoft announced the new Xbox 360 250GB during its press conference at E3 2010 last month. It costs £200 in the UK.
The new Xbox 360 has already done the business in the US, where it helped sales rise by a whopping 88 per cent year-on-year.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/am...r-new-xbox-360
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July 17th, 2010, 22:14 Posted By: wraggster
Downloadable Tomb Raider game Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light will be exclusively available on the Xbox 360 for at least four weeks.
This is a requirement of all games that are a part of Microsoft’s Summer of Arcade promotion, Crystal Dynamics told Eurogamer in a new interview.
Guardian of Light will be released on Xbox Live on 18th August for 1200 Microsoft Points (£10).
Crystal Dynamics hopes the PC and PlayStation 3 versions of the game will be released on Steam and PlayStation Network respectively as soon as the window of exclusivity is up.
"As with all arcade titles, irrespective of platform, you have to go through your submissions before they agree and approve a date. Unlike a disc based title where we can pick our window, you have to go by what the first parties approve and give you a date, to make sure you're not coming out on the same day as five other titles. They like to manage the release window accordingly.
"We have requested a specific date and hopefully we'll get that and it's not too long after the 360 SKU.
"The agreement with Microsoft is, in order to participate in their hugely successful Summer of Arcade promotion, there is a window of exclusivity. That window of exclusivity is a set four weeks."
Other games in Microsoft's Summer of Arcade promotion include Limbo, due out on 21st July and Castlevania Harmony of Despair, which will be released on 4th August.
Crystal Dynamics hopes to have a release date for the PC and PS3 versions of Guardian of Light in "seven to 10 days".
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is Crystal Dynamics' first download-only game. The San Francisco developer took the reigns of the Tomb Raider franchise from Core Design after press mauled Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/la...-360-exclusive
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July 17th, 2010, 22:12 Posted By: wraggster
British developer Just Add Water has revealed that it is collaborating with Oddworld Inhabitants on "multiple projects across multiple platforms".
In an announcement on its website, JAW said that initial discussions took place in June 2009 and that while there are no details on the games yet, "over the coming weeks and months we will be announcing these exciting projects starring all of your favourite Oddworld characters".
"We're all extremely excited to breathe life into the Oddworld universe and indeed to let it breathe life into us," said JAW managing director Stewart Gilray, who also spoke about tapping into the minds of Oddworld creator Lorne Lanning and Sherry McKenna, among others.
The Oddworld series began with Abe's Oddysee in 1997 and grew to include Abe's Exoddus, Munch's Oddysee and the rather delightful Stranger's Wrath, which you can read about in our extensive retrospective.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ju...-with-oddworld
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July 10th, 2010, 00:51 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft Game Studios general manager and chief Kinect cheerleader Kudo Tsunoda has said it's "almost laughable the way people hold on to rumble as the holy grail of haptic feedback".
"The overwhelming thing we've discovered is that rumble is such a rudimentary form of haptic feedback," Tsunoda told Edge at E3.
Tsunoda, whose lively physical performances have been a mainstay of Kinect presentations since it was first unveiled as Project Natal at E3 2009, admitted that at first he was cautious about a technology that offered no physical feedback, but said that players' responses to the visuals were different when they used their bodies as controllers.
"We've gone so far past anything that can be done with rumble, or that kind of restrictive thing you have to hold," he said. "It's been creatively liberating to work on this stuff."
Tsunoda isn't the first videogames exec to have a pop at rumble, of course - then-boss of Sony Worldwide Studios Phil Harrison famously defended the loss of rumble in the original PS3 Sixaxis controller by saying it was a bit old hat, which made the fickle old internet rather cross.
Sony later introduced it in the DualShock 3 revision of the pad - not really an option physically available to Microsoft with Kinect, unless those claims of immersive experiences go both ways. Eek.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ts...ay-past-rumble
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July 10th, 2010, 00:17 Posted By: wraggster
What you see above is the Outbreak Pack for Dead Rising 2. It's a limited edition version of the game that comes with everything pictured: a zombie action figure, accessories, voucher for a premium theme and other console-specific goods. It'll release alongside the standard edition in Europe on October 1.
But we wanted to know about the potential for a North American release, so we contacted Capcom. A rep told Joystiq "we are not bringing the Outbreak Edition to North America," yet offered that "something special will be announced for North America very soon for Dead Rising 2." As soon as we know, we'll be sure to pass the info along.
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/09/de...pe-capcom-not/
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July 9th, 2010, 23:24 Posted By: wraggster
Capcom has revealed the Collector's Edition - the Outbreak Edition - of Dead Rising 2 and launched the official website for the game.
Inside the Collector's Edition is a figurine of an overweight zombie wearing a hat and a large white shirt splattered with blood. There's a little LEGO head to swap with his, plus a cone that, er, must do something.
With the figurine comes the game and an extra disc with bonus material on.
Capcom's new Dead Rising 2 website, Tape It Or Die, plays on the game's central idea of taping weapons to objects. Even the box art features a chainsaw taped to an oar.
On the Tape It Or Die website you'll find a blog, "Cool Zombie Stuff", a forum and more.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/de...loody-figurine
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July 9th, 2010, 23:12 Posted By: wraggster
Publisher Namco Bandai has slapped an October 8th European release date for upcoming action title Enslaved.
The game, which will be released for PS3 and Xbox 360, is being developed by Ninja Theory – the studio behind PS3 launch title Heavenly Sword.
It’s is being co-directed by Lord of the Rings star Andy Serkis. Famed for his ground-breaking motion capture performance as Gollum, Serkis also takes centre stage as Enslaved’s lead protagonist – Monkey.
Co-writing duties are being handled by The Beach and 28 Days Later writer Alex Garland, with music being handled by composer Nitin Sawhney.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/39940/Enslaved-gets-Euro-date
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July 9th, 2010, 00:07 Posted By: wraggster
SEGA has announced that PlatinumGames shooter Vanquish will be released in the UK on Friday, 22nd October.
Anybody pre-ordering from particular retailers (that helpfully aren't mentioned) will have access to a Tri-Weapon pack. This can be downloaded from Xbox Live or PlayStation Network and offers a Boost Machine Gun, Laser Cannon and Anti-Armour Pistol.
Vanquish is made by Bayonetta and MadWorld developer PlatinumGames, and directed by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami.
You'd be forgiven for thinking Vanquish looks a lot like Halo. Fortunately, there's plenty going on to differentiate the two.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/se...ish-for-europe
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July 8th, 2010, 23:22 Posted By: wraggster
Capcom has offered "many apologies" to the MotoGP 09/10 owners whose games have been broken by an automatic title update.
"Many apologies for this bug in the 2010 season DLC," the publisher told Eurogamer. "We are aware of the problem and are working to deliver a solution to solve the issue as soon as possible."
The problem meant anyone completing a 2009 season and then wanting to pick a 2010 motorbike and competition couldn't. The game would produce a "Content Not Available" box with the text: "Downloaded content is no longer available. Returning to the main menu."
Worse, owners of the game found that when they returned to the 2009 career their bike had disappeared.
Those who have fallen foul of the bug suggest saving your game settings to a memory card and not completing the 2009 season first.
Others are convinced that the DLC can be downloaded safely, and that time trials and online races can be played without incident using normal bikes. Just don't go customising them.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ma...ogp-bug-capcom
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July 8th, 2010, 23:21 Posted By: wraggster
DJ Hero 2 developer FreeStyle Games has told Eurogamer TV that it is much happier with the pricing for its second turntable music game.
The original DJ Hero was sold for £100 in the UK, and FreeStyle studio manager Kevin McSherry indicated he wasn't impressed by the premium price tag.
"Well, FreeStyle Games have been quite vocal in our feedback on that," he told EGTV in an interview you can watch below.
"And there's some fantastic news on pricing actually - the whole game this time around is about two turntables and a microphone, and Activision have worked with us to produce a fantastic party pack.
"It basically has the two turntables, the microphone and the game for $149. That's miles away from where we were last year."
Last time around the game was critically acclaimed, scoring 8/10 on Eurogamer but that didn't translate into sales immediately. The game has since been discounted and Activision recently claimed sales were at 1.2 million "and counting".
This year Activision and FreeStyle hope for both critical and commercial success, and you can read about their progress in our DJ Hero 2 preview.
McSherry also said that there would be only "minor" changes to the turntable peripheral for the sequel.
"We always make minor iterative improvements as you go along with a piece of hardware like this, and that work is going on in the background," he told EGTV.
"But as far as gameplay is concerned it's exactly the same, so if you own DJ Hero 1 turntable it will work brilliantly on DJ Hero 2 and vice versa."
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/fr...j-hero-2-price
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July 8th, 2010, 23:15 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft has made a definitive statement on Kinect's ability to detect users when seated, implying that the system does work when not standing but that few applications are currently designed for more sedentary use.
"Kinect can be used while sitting when an experience is developed with sitting in mind," said an unnamed Microsoft representative to website Joystiq.
Various reports from E3 2010 had suggested that Kinect could not detect users when seated, including when using the simpler dashboard commands and using video applications.
However, Microsoft now insists that these are "experiences where we expect people to be sitting".
For the majority of applications though Microsoft expects it to be "natural for Kinect games to be designed to get you off the couch: dancing, running, dodging, bending and kicking."
A number of other technical limitations have been reported during Kinect's early previews, including an inability to detect users with certain skin colours and confusion over the total number of possible users supported at one time (now confirmed as two).
In terms of the lag issues reported at E3 2010, developer Rare recently stated that "lag is not an issue" - as they implied that the hardware shown last month was still only a prototype.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...rk-when-seated
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July 8th, 2010, 22:01 Posted By: wraggster
Rockstar has announced it will release a series of downloadable content packs for Red Dead Redemption.
The four packs will be released on both PSN and Xbox Live over the next few months, starting with the Legends and Killers Pack next month. Also named was the Liars and Cheats Pack, Free Roam Pack and Undead Nightmare Pack.
“We want to continue to provide Red Dead Redemption’s fans with a steady supply of innovative new content,” said Rockstar founder Sam Houser.
“Our goal is to continue to pack as much entertaining gameplay and as many surprises as we can into the massive world of Red Dead Redemption over the coming months.”
Each Pack will add new content, characters, environments, weapons and more to the multiplayer mode – although the Undead Nightmare Pack will also add single-player missions as Marston faces off against ghosts and zombies.
With the exception of the Free Roam Pack, each DLC has been priced at £9.99 or 800 Microsoft Points. The last one, Undead Nighmare, will be released this autumn.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/39915/New-...-DLC-announced
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July 8th, 2010, 00:46 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft's Xbox Live online gaming service appears to be earning the company in excess of $1.2 billion.
While Forbes published similar statements last month, financial network Bloomberg has coaxed Dennis Durkin, Xbox’s chief operating officer, into reiterating that revenue from downloadable add-ons, movies and other content now exceed that of Xbox Live's paid subscriptions.
Based on earlier revelations that 56 per cent of the 25 million Live users paid $50 for Gold level access in 2009, Microsoft is likely to be earning in the region of $625 million from subscriptions alone.
If other Live revenue - also including avatar customisation and classic game re-releases - does indeed exceed that, total earnings from the service will be greater than $1.25 billion.
Microsoft will not report its 2010 fiscal results until later this month, but Goldman Sachs analyst Sarah Friar suggested to Bloomberg that the technology firm's operating income for the year ending June 30 will be $1.04 billion, six times greater than the previous year.
She also estimated that total Xbox Live sales for 2008 would have been around $800 million, and that the amount of Live revenue recouped after production costs is around 65 per cent.
With Xbox hardware notoriously taking several years to turn a profit, Live's burgeoning success may well be key to Microsoft's continued investment in gaming.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...USD1-2-billion
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July 8th, 2010, 00:42 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft has announced it will update its corporate name in Japan as of next February, as it seeks to increase its profile in a territory that has been less welcoming for it than the West.
From February 1, 2011, Microsoft Co. Ltd., Japan will be officially referred to as the somewhat neater Microsoft Japan Co. Ltd.
Already colloquially referred to as Microsoft Japan, the division has been running since 1986, and is currently headed up by Yasuyuki Higuchi - formerly of Compaq, HP and Apple.
"The Japanese company establishes its 25 year anniversary in 2011," said Higuchi to explain the change, adding that the new name would better suggest local roots for the division.
Microsoft Japan's offices will also be relocated to Tokyo's Shinagawa ward as part of the rebrand.
Microsoft has traditionally struggled in Japan, though the release of the Xbox 360 S last week brought about a significant jump in the company's hardware sales.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-name-in-japan
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July 8th, 2010, 00:41 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft has announced that Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light will be release on Xbox Live next month.
It'll arrive on Wednesday 18th August, to be precise. The game will cost 1200 Microsoft Points, which is £10.20 in the old money.
The Guardian of Light sees Lara teaming up with new chum Totec and an isometric viewpoint to raid a load of tombs. The emphasis is on co-op play, arcade combat, puzzle-solving and raiding a load of tombs. Visit the gamepage for the full gaga.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ne...ing-next-month
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July 8th, 2010, 00:40 Posted By: wraggster
BioWare has released a new downloadable content pack for role-playing shooter Mass Effect 2.
The Aegis Pack includes the M-29 Incisor sniper rifle, described as a burst-fire weapon that excels in destroying enemy shields, and the Kestrel armour set, which comes in five pieces.
Once downloaded, the pack will land in Shepard's armour locker, and will cost you 160 Microsoft Points on Xbox 360 and 160 BioWare Points on PC.
The Aegis Pack follows the release of the story-driven Overlord DLC, which Dan Whitehead reviewed for Eurogamer last month.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ma...2-dlc-released
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July 8th, 2010, 00:09 Posted By: wraggster
Given the number of users and $50-a-year subscription fee, it's hardly a surprise that Microsoft is pulling in a ton of cash from Xbox Live, but it looks like the service has recently crossed a significant milestone: the $1 billion mark. That's what Bloomberg estimates, at least, based on the number of paid users (about 12.5 million), and a recent statement from Microsoft's Dennis Durkin, who said that sales of downloadable content had topped subscription revenue for the first time. That translates to about $600 million from subscription revenue, and at least $600 million from other sales, for a grand total somewhere north of $1.2 billion. Can't really blame Sony for following its lead, can you?
http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/b...rth-1-billion/
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July 7th, 2010, 23:24 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft has revealed Xbox Live Arcade user interface overhaul Destination Arcade.
This will roll out across the US on 14th July - we're checking European timing.
Destination Arcade provides Microsoft with more organisation for the 250-plus XBLA games. You'll now be able to sort content by price and community rating; quickly see discounted titles; keep track of the newest releases via a news feed; and find out which games your friends liked and recommended.
What's more, all of this will be presented in a new visual style.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ms...rface-overhaul
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