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An image showing up on several forums allegedly shows the Sept.7 Kmart flyer featuring the rumored Xbox 360 price cut. This latest ad comes a week after a Radio Shack flyer featured similar information.
If this Xbox 360 price cut plays out anything like the one from last month, we'll continue receiving a steady stream of retail ad and system confirmations without a word from Microsoft until the 11th hour. Expect another gallery post with all the retail information if that's what happens.
Earlier this week, the long anticipated action-adventure game, Too Human, was finally released for the Xbox 360. After being in various stages of development for about a decade, the game made its US debut to overall lackluster marks. Gamespot weighed in with a 5.5/10, while IGN gave it a slightly more favorable 7.8. Developer Denis Dyack from Silicon Knights defended the game, saying players didn't yet "get it," and that it was "so innovative that we have put some people off." The game's reception in Japan has been similar.
Pretty much anyone who reviewed Alone in the Dark on the Xbox 360 heaped hatred on the game's controls and camera system, and developer Eden Studios have learned their lesson. Not only is the forthcoming PS3 version going to have better movement and non-claustrophobic views, the 360 will get a patch that Eurogamer says "will implement most of the changes that have been made to the upcoming PS3 version."
We've already heard plenty of talk about the Xbox 360 Arcade dropping to a mere $199, but a tipster to Xbox 360 Fanboy is now claiming that there's more than just a price cut in store for the entry-level bundle, with it also supposedly in line to get a motion controller as a pack-in. According to the source, who's supposedly "close to Microsoft's marketing department," the new bundle will include the usual Arcade games and 512MB memory card, as well as the forthcoming Fall update pre-installed, said motion controller, and some motion-controlled mini-games developed by Rare. Supposedly, it'll be released in time for the 2008 Holiday season, which may or may not mean that it's the same $199 Arcade bundle that's rumored to be on track for a September release. That same source also says that the motion controller will be sold separately and bundled with an even more expansive list of games, but word on a price or release date for it seems to be a bit harder to come by.
The latest Bungie Weekly Update is an informative "doosy", chock full of matchmaking playlist updates, a title update release date, PAX 2008 plans and some rumor squashing. So, let's dive in.
First on the list of Bungie news, some rumor squashing. According to team Bungie, the Halo 3 acceptance videos that fans across the internets have picked apart and analyzed have been picked apart and analyzed way too much. Bluntly put, Bungie informs us that "there will be no insertion of Campaign objects, enemies or friendlies via the Forge as folks have speculated" and that there will be no "new feature that implements Campaign objects into multiplayer." Bungie then gives everyone some life advice, telling us all to "calm yourselves down, pump the brakes, and take a breath." Consider us calmed, breathed and our brakes pumped.
Other than some rumor busting, there's a list of September Halo 3 matchmaking updates (the removal and addition of various playlists) and confirmation that, come September 16th, the second Halo 3 title update will be released. Finally, for PAX attendees, Bungie plans on doing a few autograph signings, a few Recon competitions and selling a limited number of PAX-exclusive Bungie t-shirts. Phew! We're out of breath, make the jump to get your weekly (double) dose of Bungie news ...
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Gamepolitics notes that starting next Monday, Xbox Live users will be able to register to vote using their game console. They'll also be able to participate in polls and "voice their opinions to the presidential candidates." Quoting the press release:
"This is the first time that Rock the Vote has joined forces with an entertainment partner such as Xbox to reach voters under 30. Xbox LIVE is the largest online social network connected to the television, with membership totaling 12 million -- if Xbox LIVE were a state, it would rank as the country's seventh largest, giving it approximately 20 electoral votes. Xbox also will have a presence at both the Democratic and Republican conventions, promoting the Rock the Vote partnership and educating delegates about creating a safer entertainment environment on Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE using the built-in parental controls known as Family Settings."
Update: It seems GameSpot has pulled this story, though as of this update the story headline is still displayed on GameSpot's 360 page. For what it's worth, Kotaku is reporting the same thing, so we're not sure exactly why GameSpot's article has been pulled. See our original post below.
Gamers with the Xbox 360 version of Team Fortress 2 have had kind of a rough time. First we see the PC version get Medic updates and achievements, then the Pyro gets the same treatment, and now our good friend the Heavy is getting his own update (not to mention the Sandvich). We 360 gamers have sat idly by as PC gamers get to romp about with new weapons and there's a even a new map on the way. It's time to cheer up fanboys, because Valve has confirmed to GameSpot that all of the TF2 content released thus far should be hitting the Xbox 360 before the end of the year.
And now be sad again, because it looks like it's going to cost you. In an interview with VideoGaming247, Valve boss Gabe Newell spoke about the updates saying, "On the consoles, they want us to charge money for them, because that's in their model, and our model is very much more to grow the community by giving out free updates." Boy, we like the sound of Valve's model much better. From the sound of things, it's soundling like Microsoft wants Valve to charge for their content even if Valve doesn't want to (now that sounds familiar).
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Microsoft has announced that it has partnered with Rock the Vote to bring several new political features to Xbox Live just in time for the last leg of the U.S. presidential race. Some of the new features include letting gamers register to vote, participate in special online forums and take part in presidential polls. The new features are set to go live starting August 25, the first day of the Democratic National Convention. Xbox will also be promoting the Rock the Vote message at both the Democratic and Republican conventions while also "educating delegates about creating a safer entertainment environment on Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE." Specifically, the press release is referring to the Xbox 360's "industry-leading" parental controls.
The press release also makes mention of Xbox Live's 12 million members, noting that if Xbox Live were a state, "it would rank as the country's seventh largest, giving it approximately 20 electoral votes." An impressive statement, even though Xbox Live's 12 million members aren't all located in the United States.
All of it sounds pretty neat but, frankly, we're holding out for some presidential candidate "Game with Fame" sessions, or at least some video chat town hall meetings.
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Embedded after the break is freshly squeezed, off screen gameplay footage of Call of Duty: World at War straight from the Games Convention. What's our first impressions of the video? Well, it doesn't look too bad. Really, it doesn't look all that bad. The initial jungle crash landing sequence is intense, the visuals (from what we can tell) look satisfying enough and even the "bunker clearing" seems enjoyable. Give the gameplay a looksy and judge for yourself.
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What we'd seen of Left 4 Dead at Games Convention, we'd mostly seen before. Just prior to E3, we played through the entirety of the game's first scenario, a sprint to the roof of a hospital through a cluster of zombies, where the four survivors await evacuation by helicopter. And, should you be too lazy to check out our impressions from that gameplay session, we'll just tell you it was tight, adrenaline pumping stuff.
There were only a few noticeable changes in the Games Convention build. It was our first look at the updated models and skins for the four playable characters, each given a new coat of paint to help further distinguish them from the hordes of undead.
But it was the new touches of detail -- and the promise of more Left 4 Dead -- that sparked our interest once again.
Taking a page from the book of Portal (and Half-Life 2, really), Doug Lombardi from Valve told us that Left 4 Dead would feature subtle hints fleshing out the game's back story. Graffiti and scratches peppered the walls of the zombie filled city, with messages to and from survivors scrawled upon the walls of the game's safe rooms.
Since we don't know much about the who, what, when, where and how of the zombie apocalypse the game is set against, we look forward to rooting out the details.
And like Team Fortress 2, Valve plans to feed Left 4 Dead players with regular updates. New scenarios are definitely in the works as future downloadable content through Steam, but new monster types and new weapons sound like a distinct possibility.
But we'll save our fervor for Left 4 Dead's bonus content for later. For now, we just want the game.
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The XBLA port of Duke Nukem 3D is to include some new features intended to spice up the classic run 'n' gun 'n' make-sexist-pun gameplay.
First up is the ability to record and share video clips of multiplayer games and share them with other players via Live. This is, frankly, genius - multiplayer was always Duke 3D's ace in the hole and the ability to record your friend's humiliation for posterity is an excellent idea.
Secondly -- and slightly bafflingly -- the single player elements of the game will incorporate a 'time rewinding' mechanic that we assume will be like that found in Prince Of Persia - Sands Of Time or perhaps Braid. Whether this is intended to make the game a bit easier or just to allow you to replay a particularly explody battle is unclear. It sounds a bit unnecessary, but perhaps it will all make sense when we actually see it.
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Sega and Platinum Games have dropped the first screenshots of Bayonetta, the 360 and PS3 action game from Devil May Cry creator Hideki Kamiya.
Bayonetta stars a girl lead character with guns strapped to her feet - and that's about as deep as public information on the title goes at this point.
A short trailer screened at Sega's unveiling event in London earlier this year showed the female lead flip out and fire bullets into the faces of her foes. It was all very DMC-like, which we weren't expecting at all.
Building on reports of an impending Xbox 360 price cut, which allegedly will drop the Arcade SKU below Wii to $199, comes the reemergence of Microsoft's elusive motion controller, now rumored to be included with the Xbox 360 Arcade this holiday. A source "close to Microsoft's marketing department" detailed the bundle to X3F, claiming the new Arcade system will feature a 512MB memory card (in place of a hard drive), the New Xbox Experience pre-loaded and a motion controller, along with a few compatible minigames developed by Rare.
The motion controller supposedly will be sold separately as well, in a package that includes even more minigames. The controller is said to be compatible with all versions of Xbox 360. So how 'bout it, Nintendo -- you gonna trump this by tacking on HD?
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Duke Nukem 3D will sport a saved-film feature when the game launches on Xbox Live Arcade next month.
Or so say Microsoft representatives speaking at X08 in Canada, according to Joystiq.
Saved films do what you expect, and will be shareable with friends and maybe family if they play games or maybe just want to see how you are getting on in life.
3D Realms popped Duke Nukem 3D into Microsoft certification earlier this week. We still know fairly little about what to expect, but hope split-screen and Live multiplayer make an appearance, if not two appearances.
3D Realms boss George Broussard told us to expect a price of "about what you'd expect", which we expect means we'll have to remortgage the house. Or possibly pay 800 Points (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.60).
What are you waiting for, Christmas?
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Owners of the Xbox 360 version of Team Fortress 2 will be scarfing down sandviches and delivering payloads later this year, as Valve is finally bringing all the updates delivered via Steam to the Xbox Live Marketplace. That means new, class-specific Achievements, new unlockable weapons for the Pyro, Medic and Heavy, new gameplay modes and new maps, all on your Xbox 360.
Valve marketing director Doug Lombardi got that piece of business out of the way just before our latest Left 4 Dead demo, saying that the developer wanted to build up a massive update for Xbox 360 users before delivering. Given that Valve is being forced to charge for the update, they wanted to ensure that 360 owners were getting their money's worth.
So, how much? The price isn't final, but Valve is hoping to go as low as possible, aiming for a ten dollar price tag. Not too shabby. Sorry, PS3 owners, no word on when or if Valve will be giving you the same Team Fortress 2 updates.
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Here's Atari's latest shots of Xbox 360-exclusive race Race Pro, from the motor-obsessed blokes at veteran studio SimBin.
It sounds (and looks) decent; powered by its own physics engine Lizard, the developer promises "unrivalled realism" and "deep immersion", plus Xbox Live games for 12-players.
It's also sporting all the WTCC tourneys, which someone, somewhere, must give a monkeys about.
In the midst of a booth filled with old demos and mislabeled kiosks sat a lone Xbox Live Arcade title that has not yet been released. Lode Runner, a visually updated release of the classic arcade game, is at the Microsoft booth at this year's German Games Convention. The gameplay feels much the same as it did in the past, but no amount of staring at the German text on screen could tell me which features this release sports. Thankfully, the intrepid Charles Onyett previously previewed Lode Runner and lays out the details here.
The sole new detail comes courtesy of the placard on the kiosk in which Lode Runner was housed. That card had a snazzy "coming soon" descriptor just below the game's name. The build on the show floor looked largely done (and translated for the German audience no less) so we might be seeing this one tossed up on the Live Arcade quite soon.
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A patch to rectify the money-making exploit in the Fable 2 Pub Games "is on the way".
Developer Lionhead prepared us for the fix alongside some general hints and tips for the card games that are based entirely upon luck.
"If you are wondering about a 'much talked about' exploit, just ignore it (and know that a patch is on the way)," reads a Lionhead post on the Fable 2 blog.
The Fable 2 Pub Games exploit allows you to craftily bet much more money than specified by pressing a shoulder button on the Xbox 360 pad at a specific itme. Money won will be transferable into Fable 2 this October. Oops.
The Fable 2 Pub Games cost 800 Microsoft Points (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.60) from Xbox Live. Check out our Fable 2 Pub Games review.
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How I've avoided to avoid touching Street Fighter IV for this long is a mystery to me, but today marks the very first time I've gotten to play the next chapter in Capcom's venerable fighting franchise. The company had an early Xbox 360 build available in their press room, which they were using to highlight focus attacks, a new feature in SFIV that gives players a rather powerful new way to beat their foes into submission. It has been a long time since I had actually gotten to play Street Fighter in any incarnation, but it's like riding a bike - you never completely forget. Once Ryu was in my control I immediately jump kicked, foot swept and fireballed. Ah yes, it's all coming back to me.
So what are Focus Attacks? Every character has access to these powerful moves, which are as simple as holding down the mid punch and kick buttons. A quick tap equals a simple attack. Charging the attack leads to a powerful attack that knocks down and stuns your opponent, opening him up to all sorts of juggle combos. Fully charging the attack makes the knock down and stun move completely unblockable, so once you hear the telltale charging sound you'd best either try to interrupt or get the hell out of the way.
Each character has their own Focus Attack with varying power and range - Ryu's is a powerful punch, Ken unleashes a spinning kick, Blanka swipes animalistically and masked wrestler El Fuerte is sure to annoy opponents with the longest range focus attack of them all.
Despite the early build, gameplay was fast and fluid on the Xbox 360, with each Focus Attack accompanied by a nifty ink-swath effect, as if the move were being drawn on screen. Very impressive.
I mainly played as Ryu, but towards the end of the session I decided to see what sort of moves the bulbous Rufus had up his sleeves. I don't remember exactly what his move was, however, transfixed by his undulating flab and the shock of golden hair spiking up from the crotch of his outfit.
"It's just his treasure trail," explained the Capcom rep, after the horrified look on my face was noticed. Gathering up my things I shook my head. "There's no treasure to be found there. Not for us."
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