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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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November 26th, 2008, 20:04 Posted By: Shrygue
via Games Industry
Rare has told GamesIndustry.biz that the studio intends to "own" the avatar concept in new products for the Xbox 360, despite interest from third-party developers.
Mark Betteridge, studio manager for the Viva Piñata developer, believes there are multiple opportunities to utilise avatars in future game development, and last week's launch was only the beginning for the stylised characters on the system.
"There's a lot of interest in avatars by third parties, as you can imagine," said Betteridge.
"As standalone avatar products, we want to own that space, because we think it's a huge, huge space going forward - it appeals across genres, across age ranges, demographics, and there's an enormous opportunity there.
"I'm not going to name products, because I'm sure you can imagine our time frames, but we see this as the start of avatars, not that it's now done and dusted and therefore we're finished with it. It's more the foot in the door."
Betteridge also revealed that Rare first mooted the idea of avatars before the launch of the Xbox 360, in a bid to soften the image of the brand following the hardcore perception of the original Xbox console.
"The concept of avatars is something that we came up with about four years ago now. We were thinking about how hardcore and spiky the previous Xbox was, and everybody was of a view that the new one was going to be more smooth and friendly," he said. "Everybody was in agreement that was the right thing.
"So we pitched avatars as something out of the box with an interface where you build a character that looks like yourself, or whoever you want it to look like, and can play mini-games and things like that - but it represents you on the Live system, that's all it was based around."
Now that sales of the Xbox 360 have begun to pick up in Japan, Betteridge is also hopeful avatars can help the system further, and become universally accepted in all regions. He also noted Rare's previous involvement with Nintendo as a bonus for the team in understanding the Japanese market.
"They love the creative community aspect in Japan, rather than the destructive 'I'm gonna kill everybody and take over the world'. We were with Nintendo for seven or eight years before, so we've got a lot of experience with that market.
"It's a style that can cross boundaries - it's a difficult thing to do, to have a hit in three territories at the same time. Maybe our background with Nintendo, in that we've done that before - maybe avatars will be the first thing that will be popular everywhere?
"So I'd expect the avatars to be popular there, and I think the Xbox 360 - the European sales are very strong, and certainly Japanese sales have come out of a tunnel and can see some light. And North America's always been strong," added Betteridge.
The full interview with Mark Betteridge can be read tomorrow. Part one of the interview can be read here.
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November 26th, 2008, 17:34 Posted By: wraggster
The Xbox 360's been doing great in Japan in recent months. So great, in fact, that even traditional, cranky old Square Enix are on the Microsoft bandwagon.
They're even painting a rosy picture for the console's future in Japan.
"We expect the Xbox 360 to increase its Japanese market presence even more in the coming months", Square Enix’s Shinji Hashimoto told Edge online. "There is a growing interest in Xbox 360 among Japanese users, due to the release of familiar titles, the increasing appeal of overseas titles, and the excellent reputation of the Xbox 360’s network services".
So, uh, why then isn't Final Fantasy XIII coming out on 360 in Japan? That burning question goes unanswered. Maybe it needs to be asked of Sony, and not Square Enix...
http://kotaku.com/5099011/square-eni...prove-in-japan
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November 26th, 2008, 17:14 Posted By: wraggster
One of those rumors that won't ever die—the Zune phone—is now being touted by a reputable, legitimate news organization, CNBC. Jim Goldman (the guy that interviews Steve Jobs on CNBC after every Apple event) says that according a "good source," Microsoft is "ready to give a major facelift to the company's Zune music player that could mean its evolution into a new smart phone from the company." The project is codenamed Pink and "will combine the company's Zune and technology from Microsoft's purchase of Danger Inc." Update: If this rings a bell, it's because others have, in the past, referred to Microsoft's mysterious consumer smartphone initiative as "Pink" or "Purple and Pink"
http://gizmodo.com/5099004/cnbc-zune...codenamed-pink
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November 26th, 2008, 17:11 Posted By: wraggster
We never got a satisfactory answer for why they disappeared in the first place, but it seems the majority of the Columbia Pictures' movies on Netflix Instant Watch lists suddenly switched to "not available on Xbox 360" are once again open for streaming to all devices. The Karate Kid series, Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day and others now stream to Microsoft's box, however Columbia Pictures movies tagged with the "available through Starz Play" logo -- including Bad Boys and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story -- are still out. Hopefully the remaining relevant parties are contacted soon, as Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett have work to do, but this is a great start.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/25/c...box-360-netfl/
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November 26th, 2008, 17:08 Posted By: wraggster
The popular rumor floating around at the moment is that Microsoft intends to announce self-branded handsets powered by NVIDIA's beefy Tegra architecture for next-gen phones and MIDs at the GSMA's Mobile World Congress in February of next year. Let's put aside for a moment the fact that Redmond continues to vehemently deny having any interest in getting into the hardware end of its Windows Mobile racket -- concealing the truth is a part of doing competitive business, after all -- and turn our attention to the practical matter of whether this makes any sense whatsoever. First off, Windows Mobile's strength lies in its incredibly deep and wide partner base, a base that includes visionary teams at HTC, Samsung, LG, Motorola, and countless others. With Android and Symbian finally becoming viable opportunities for third-party manufacturers, Microsoft doesn't want to do anything that's going to hasten the revolt before it's able to wrap up version 7 (or at the very least, 6.5) -- and competing with your own licensees would be a bang-up way to do that. Granted, Microsoft did exactly that by introducing Zune following the PlaysForSure initiative, but let's be honest: Windows Mobile and Zune don't play in the same league. Zune's a hobby, a side gig; WinMo's a monster, a long-term cash cow that's got to be treated with the same franchise tag as Windows itself.
Second off, Microsoft now has Danger to keep it busy -- and Danger's core competencies have a long way to go to stretch Tegra to its limits, so we don't think we'll be seeing any superphones out of those guys any time soon. The more likely scenario is that Microsoft will use its Danger acquisition to step up its consumer-friendly mobile media game, which jibes with talk of a Zune-like smartphone codenamed "Pink" that could be announced early next year sans Tegra. With Windows Mobile looking still looking every bit as stuffy as it did five years ago, the company's flagship mobile platform is still at least one or two major generations out from morphing into a catch-all that can look equally at ease in the schoolbag or the enterprise -- a coup RIM has managed to pull off, coincidentally -- and in the meantime, Hiptop is arguably a better starting point with more street cred under its belt, especially considering that Hiptop and Zune are both closed platforms.
So let's run with the assumptions that: a) Pink does exist, and b) it's basically Danger's baby. That game plan prevents Microsoft from rocking the WinMo licensee boat (or yacht, as the case may be) -- and every indication is that traditional players are still going full-steam ahead with Windows Mobile 6.5, a platform that actually stands a fighting chance of putting Tegra through its paces (one need look no further than TouchFLO 3D for evidence of that). How does this play out, then? The same as always, we'd wager -- Microsoft graciously takes the stage with hardware partners at MWC next year, co-announcing a handful of Tegra-powered phones underpinned by the next generation of Windows Mobile. Now get back to Windows 7, Xbox 720, and making decent mice, Microsoft. And let Danger do its thing, alright?
http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/26/m...hone-doubtful/
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November 25th, 2008, 21:25 Posted By: wraggster
Now that Microsoft has got the New Xbox Experience launch out of the way and we have had a few days to dig into the Community Games channel, Redmond has decided to open up the service to more developers.
Until now this XNA developing lark was confined to coders from the United States, Canada, England, France, Italy and Spain and the Nordic regions (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden & associated territories). All great, but all very northern hemisphere.
From December 15th, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand will be added to the roster, allowing independent developers from warmer climes to contribute their games to the network.
http://kotaku.com/5098157/microsoft-...in-to-xna-gang
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November 25th, 2008, 21:15 Posted By: wraggster
Just as we were starting to get excited for next year's Halo 3: Recon, we have to delete that name in our mind space and replace it with the far less sexy Halo 3: ODST. Word of the name change came from Bungie this morning, saying the "new title is a more straightforward account of the experience that awaits and the role you will assume as you explore the streets of New Mombasa."
We're gonna go out on a limb here and guess that you're probably still going to want to play it.
http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/25/ha...w-halo-3-odst/
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November 25th, 2008, 21:12 Posted By: wraggster
[weirdo] sent in this sweet Xbox 360 arcade controller project(translated). He really wanted an arcade controller for the new Mortal Kombat game. After noticing that the expensive retail arcade controllers were missing the trigger buttons, he decided to hack his own together. After dissecting the controller, he soldered in some break out boxes. This will allow him pretty easy reconfiguration. Wanting some additional customization, he added LEDs to the buttons. Most people add LEDs to the buttons, so that’s not a huge deal, but he also added one to the ball on the end of the joystick. That added touch almost makes us forget that this thing is housed in a pizza box. To be fair, he wants to refine the button layout for a while before he makes a final enclosure.
http://hackaday.com/2008/11/25/xbox-...de-controller/
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November 25th, 2008, 21:02 Posted By: wraggster
In the manner of a modern day fable on par with The Little Engine That Could or Rocky, Microsoft has just announced that sales of the Xbox 360 have outraced total sales of the original Xbox, a mere two days after the 360's third birthday on November 22. Do you feel yourself getting teary-eyed? Sure, the gang in Redmond could have stopped believing, or reaching for that rainbow (or whichever tired cliché you prefer), but it looks like all the hard work has paid off -- Microsoft has won a race with itself, and in doing so has given us all hope. To put this in perspective, a total of 25 million original Xboxes were sold during its lifecycle of November 2001 - May, 2005 (roughly three and a half years). The company has yet to release precise sales figures for the 360, but between price cuts in Europe, Black Friday, and the New Xbox Experience, they expect to ride out the tail end of this year with a huge sales boost. Great job, guys! We knew that some day your company would be a success.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/25/x...s-down-to-the/
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November 25th, 2008, 20:03 Posted By: Shrygue
via Computer and Video Games
Independent UK developer Tuna Technologies is developing a new platform brawler for PC and Xbox Live Arcade created and animated entirely in clay.
The side-scrolling title, which will be available in 2009, is described as "a fast paced old-school run'n'gun with eye catching visuals and a seriously irreverent attitude".
"Playing as the eponymous Cletus, a bad-tempered, wise-cracking, gun-totin' hick, you take on a bunch of uninvited alien visitors who have had the temerity to trespass through your farmland on their way to conquering the Earth."
Plenty of flying saucers, ray guns, giant robots and motherships are promised, and most interestingly they'll all have been created entirely from clay.
"Cletus Clay is a fusion of traditional model making, stop-motion animation and modern digital technology. Virtually every object in the game has been modelled, photographed and animated using similar techniques to those used on productions such as Wallace and Gromit," says the dev.
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November 25th, 2008, 19:30 Posted By: Shrygue
via Eurogamer
Harmonix and MTV have bolstered the Rock Band library of music on Xbox Live.
Added today are three tracks by The Killers: "Mr. Brightside", "Smile Like You Mean It" and "Spaceman". These cost 440 Microsoft Points (GBP 3.74 / EUR 5.28) as a pack, or 160 Microsoft Points (GBP 1.36 / EUR 1.92) individually.
There's also music from Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, which we've never heard of. "Caprici di Diablo", "Damnation Game", and "Red Devil" are the tracks on offer, which, again, can be bought as a three-strong pack or individually.
Finally, there's "Laid to Rest" by Lamb of God, which is a brilliant name for a band. No we've never heard this song before, but you can for 160 Points.
Incidentally, there were also supposed to be Soundgarden tracks "Jesus Christ Pose" and "Pretty Nose" up today, but Major Nelson's blog claims these haven't shown up.
All Rock Band DLC will work in Rock Band 2 and vice versa, remember.
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November 25th, 2008, 19:26 Posted By: Shrygue
via Joystiq
After waiting a few months for the dust to settle on the post-apocalyptic world of Fallout 3, Bethesda announced today that it would be returning in January with the first of three new DLC packs for the game. As you likely know, they'll be coming to the 360 and PC, with no PS3 plans in sight. Straight from the company's release:- Operation: Anchorage: Enter a military simulation and fight in one of the greatest battles of the Fallout universe – the liberation of Anchorage, Alaska from its Chinese Communist invaders. An action-packed battle scheduled for release in January.
- The Pitt: Journey to the industrial raider town called The Pitt, located in the remains of Pittsburgh. Choose your side. Scheduled for release in February.
- Broken Steel: Join the ranks of the Brotherhood of Steel and rid the Capital Wasteland of the Enclave remnants once and for all. Continues the adventure past the main quest. Scheduled for release in March.
- PC gamers that just can't wait for new content will be happy to hear that they don't have to: Bethesda also revealed that content creation tools for the game, dubbed the Garden of Eden Creation Kit, will arrive on PC next month.
You've come a long way since horse armor, baby.
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November 25th, 2008, 17:04 Posted By: wraggster
Play Asia are doing a great deal this week for Xbox 360 fans, the game is also region free so buy with confidence, heres the details:
features
Re-live his epic adventures in a humorous LEGO world based on the original trilogy of movies
Journey from the jungles of South America to the snowy mountaintops of India
Use Indy’s signature weapon to capture and disarm enemies, swing across gaps, activate levers, and interact with a world of LEGO objects and puzzles
Choose from over 60 playable characters, each with a variety of unique abilities
description
LEGO® Indiana Jones™: The Original Adventures takes the fun and creative construction of LEGO and combines it with the wits, daring, and non-stop action from the Indiana Jones cinematic adventures that enthralled audiences everywhere.
With a tongue-in-cheek take on these original adventures, LEGO Indiana Jones follows Dr. Jones' escapades through the jungles of South America to the mountaintops of India. Build, battle, and brawl your way through your favorite moments, from Indy's entanglements with snakes to his dashing boulder run.
Buy now whilst they are still in stock here --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-2qac.html
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November 25th, 2008, 01:09 Posted By: wraggster
WHAT DO YOU get if you take an Iphone, remove the clean UI, user friendliness, nice industrial design, battery life, cachet, functional OS, and in general everything else that makes it worthwhile? The new Microsoft phone, powered by Nvidia.
Yeah, you heard it right, MS is going to make its own branded phone, after all, everyone kicking the company around the block has one, so it should too! If you were wondering why Nvidia never mentions the phrase Linux when talking Tegra, even though it is the most appropriate OS for the chip, now you know. NV appears to have sold Linux out to get the MS flagship deal, how nice of them.
The phone is slated to be announced at 3GSM this coming February, so if you plan on attending, please look surprised when MS unveils it. No word on when it will hit the streets but it probably won't be long after that.
We think this 'me too' phone will have all the success of the Zune. With that device, MS showed they know how to make an MP3 player that people want, great design, a UI that is vastly superior to the competition, and enough added bells and whistles so it is sure to disappoint the eight kids who find them under a Christmas tree.
Then there is the whole problem of partners. MS loves partners, using the Zune as an example, it is hard to see why anyone would not stick with the firm. Has MS ever up and decided to cut it's entire partner ecosystem off with a hearty 'too bad'? I mean this year. Forget about 2006. Really. Please. While we haven't heard any specifics yet, it is the MS MO to surprise their loyal partners and take the market they created. We would be quite surprised if they didn't do it this time.
In any case, well-placed sources tell the Inq that the phone is powered by the long-promised Nvidia Tegra chip. This means battery life measured in minutes and a long list of promised features that mostly work as long as you don't mind the odd bout of data corruption. Ironically, this is quite the natural fit for an MS OS.
In the end, we only have three months or so to wait. It has all the pieces to be a stunningly mediocre product, with none of the things that made the Iphone or Gphone great. About the only thing you can say is that they have a mostly functional store in place now. µ
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquir...t-phone-nvidia
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November 24th, 2008, 23:54 Posted By: wraggster
Newly released today:
features
40 all new hit songs from the 70s to today
Perfect for parties and social gatherings with multiple game modes for up to 8 players
Proprietary technology accurately recognizes and scores vocal pitch and rhythm
Downloadable content from Karaoke Revolution American Ido Encore
Improved animation system brings judges right into your living room
description
Become a singing sensation with Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore 2 featuring all-new customizable characters and downloadable songs.
http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-2zt3.html
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November 24th, 2008, 23:53 Posted By: wraggster
Newly released today:
features
Enjoy being a hero and benefit from the newly acquired status gained from saving the village
An all-new feature to the series, use the abilities of your ninja teammates to overcome bigger obstacles and join forces in tag battles. Players can now team-up with multiple characters from the Naruto universe when in combat and throughout their heroic adventure
Following the attack of the Sound and Sand ninja, participate in the reconstruction of the Hidden Leaf Village: enjoy its depth from a new perspective, adding a new level of detail never reached before in a NARUTO game. Outside of the village, discover remote locations and enjoy making your journey through vibrant and imaginatively detailed settings
Engage in battle with some of the fiercest characters from the NARUTO Universe, and use new techniques and jutsu to defeat your enemies
With the only NARUTO game to feature online multiplayer, you can now choose among 25 characters and play alongside friends and defeat other teams online via Xbox LIVE. Take your skills a step further and compete in online tournament mode
Relive the best moments of the anime, adventure through the open village of Konoha, and enjoy voice-acting and music from the original series
description
Building on the success of Naruto: Rise of a Ninja, this new action adventure takes the story to a deeper level within the Naruto Universe. Now a respected ninja, Naruto evolves into a mature and strong hero. However, with his new status comes responsibility, and Naruto will soon find himself surrounded by conflict. Forced to relive bitter memories, Naruto's best friend Sasuke strikes out on a self-destructive quest for power. Now with the help of his friends, Naruto must confront Sasuke and save him before it's too late. Team up with multiple characters, explore open 3D environments and challenge some of the fiercest enemies from the Naruto Universe.
http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-2wwe.html
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November 24th, 2008, 23:52 Posted By: wraggster
Newly released today:
features
Groundbreaking graphics: The breathtaking visuals are only possible on next-generation platforms, bringing the intensity of gameplay to an entirely new level.
Mysterious storyline: Uncover the mystery of the Remnants, powerful artifacts from an ancient civilization that are scattered around the world and stand as they were a millennia ago.
Massive battlefields: Navigate a massive battlefield while surrounded by countless foes and friends. Experienced exhilarating, large-scale battles through a never-before-seen battle command system.
description
The first role-playing game (RPG) in a new series brought to you by Square Enix, THE LAST REMNANT signifies a new era for a next-generation world.
In ancient times, mysterious artifacts referred to as Remnants were discovered all over the world. People used these objects for their awesome powers—a choice that eventually began to cause a rift in the world’s balance. Equality was replaced by those who ruled and those who were ruled over. War was inevitable. A thousand years later is when this story begins …
http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-2wbo.html
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November 24th, 2008, 23:50 Posted By: wraggster
Newly released today:
features
Reach new heights with the broadest range of acrobatic abilities and utilize objects within the environment to uncover new paths to explore
Discover ancient mysteries of the underworld hidden within the coast of Thailand, frozen islands of the Arctic Sea, the jungles of Mexico, and more
Each level is an elaborate multi-stage puzzle masked within an interactive environmental playground offering more flexibility over how the area is solved
Choose to pacify or kill, target multiple enemies at once with the new dual-target system, and shoot with one hand while suspended with the other
Utilize the latest technology in Laras upgraded inventory to navigate the world
description
A new advancement in exploration-based gameplay. As fearless adventurer Lara Croft explore exotic locations around the world, each designed with an incredible attention to detail resulting in breathtaking high-definition visual fidelity that creates truly believable world and delivers a new level of challenge and choice.
http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-2mfw.html
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November 24th, 2008, 23:02 Posted By: wraggster
Newly released today:
features
A variety of special maneuvers help you move quickly through tricky situations. "Quick Step" allows you to dodge obstacles by instantly moving left or right without losing speed; "Speed Drift" will maintain top speeds through turns, while "Sonic Boost" will accelerate you to super speeds!
Sonic Unleashed delivers a revolutionary gameplay experience, combining picturesque graphics with seamless transitions between 3D and classic 2D perspectives
Many unique and fascinating continents let you explore a variety of environments - sprint across cobbled streets, race through lush jungles and much more
Choose from multiple pathways in Sonic's massive new playground. Each unique route offers different encounters with varying rewards and obstacles
description
Sonic is in a Race against Time to Save the World... and Himself!
Sonic the Hedgehog is on an adventure unlike any other! When Dr. Eggman unleashed a slumbering beast from the center of the Earth, there is a devastating tremor that splinters the world into many continents. Sonic must race to restore the planet in chaos, but an unusual situation challenges him in never-before-seen ways. Both day and night play different, yet important, roles in Sonic's newest quest... as the sun sets, an intriguing adventure awakens!
http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-2z8q.html
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