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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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August 16th, 2006, 17:33 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft has published a new set of stats for the Xbox 360, revealing healthy attachment rates for software and accessories and a high download rate for Xbox Live Marketplace.
Following the recent release of titles such as NCAA Football 2007, Prey, Chromehounds and Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-Earth II, all of which have secured a place in the 360 top ten, the software attachment rate rose to 4.6 games per console this month. The Xbox 360 also has the highest accessory attachment rate among consumers, with 2.9 units sold per console.
Microsoft also announced that more than 80 per cent of Live users have downloaded content from Xbox Live Marketplace - bringing the total number of downloads to more than 46 million.
Almost 70 per cent of Live users have downloaded music videos, movie and game trailers, and 65 per cent have downloaded at least one game from Xbox Live Arcade.
The number of Xbox Live Arcade downloads since launch now stands at more than 8 million, and the most popular titles are Geometry Wars, Uno, Bankshot Billiards 2, Marble Blast Ultra and Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting.
Microsoft did not reveal how many Xbox 360 consoles have been sold, but reaffirmed that it plans to ship 10 million units by the end of the year, with a library of more than 160 software titles. The Redmond giant went on to predict that between 13 and 15 million consoles will be shipped to retail by the end of the fiscal 2007 period next June.
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August 16th, 2006, 17:32 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft has announced new details regarding its Live Vision camera for the Xbox 360, which is expected to ship this September - complete with a free gesture-control software title.
Announcing its plans at the Seattle Gamefest event this week, Microsoft's Jeff Stone confirmed that the peripheral will be shipped together with Totemball, a new game developed by UK firms Strange Flavour and Freeverse.
The peripheral will track user's arm movements, challenging them to guide a wheeled totem pole around various environments, collecting items and attempting to avoid obstacles to reach the goal within a specific time limit.
Both Strange Flavour and Freeverse have a history in the development of gesture control, having worked on several titles for Apple's iSight peripheral for the Macintosh. Stone confirmed that additional titles are currently in development, although no specific games were announced at this point.
Rivalling Sony's EyeToy camera for the PS2 and PS3 - which also shipped with a compendium of gesture control titles called EyeToy Play when it first launched - Microsoft's Live Vision camera will also be utilised for video chat and face mapping in titles such as Uno and Activision's World Series of Poker.
Microsoft stopped short of announcing a price point for the device, although US retailer GameStop has the Live Vision camera listed at US$39.99 with a release date of September 19th.
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August 16th, 2006, 17:23 Posted By: JesusXP
Original URL http://www.xboxic.com/news/1437
Article:
So yes, we still remember Microsoft executives saying “Xbox 360 gamers will never require a hard drive to play games”, only to be shocked by the Football Manager packshot stating that the game did require the HD after all. Similarly, the Xbox guys were even more adamant about that the games would never require a larger disc than the current dual layer DVD, and that HD-DVD would only ever be used for displaying HD movies through your 360. Will that turn out to be “slightly off the truth” as well?
Click the image to the right for one page of what Warren News published in their Consumer Electronics Daily newsletter today. Some spicy quotes about HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray, sure that’s a hot topic. The nasty one is at the bottom though:
Microsoft hasn’t determined yet whether to do Xbox 360 games in blue-laser HD DVD, but has ruled it out for “this holiday” when it ships its HD DVD drive for movie playback through the Xbox 360, said Dave Luehmann, gen. mgr. - Microsoft Games Studios. “Speed of loading” is Microsoft’s big concern about HD DVD games on the Xbox 360, Luehmann said.
OUCH. Let’s all hope this is a wildly inaccurate misquotation and that the HD-DVD promises don’t go down the same drain as those stating the Core Pack will play all 360 games. Something tells me we’ll be seeing some damage control press releases soon.
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August 16th, 2006, 17:16 Posted By: wraggster
Reports that Silicon Knights has abandoned Unreal Engine 3 in favour of its own engine for its in-development Xbox 360 sci-fi title Too Human have been shot down by Microsoft.
Addressing the rumour on the tech switch - allegedly due to Unreal Engine 3 not functioning well with Xbox 360 hardware - which surfaced on Advanced Media Network recently, Microsoft has stated that Silicon Knights "continues to build Too Human using the Unreal Engine 3, tailoring it to fit the needs of the game and ensure the most efficient use of the technology".
It continued: "Rumors of Too Human experiencing production challenges that will cause massive delays are false. Too Human is progressing very well and we expect that gamers will be extremely excited with Too Human when we next show it".
Well, that's cleared all that up then.
Silicon Knights' Too Human is a third-person, sci-fi action yarn that shoves players into the boots of a cybernetic god called Baldur who must defend mankind from monstrous war machines. The game is the first instalment in a planned trilogy.
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August 16th, 2006, 17:14 Posted By: wraggster
It's Wednesday again which means it's time for Microsoft to "freshen-up" Xbox Live Arcade, like the club toilet attendant of the gaming world. Except there's no game this week, just a bunch of Cloning Clyde gamer pictures. Hmmm.
But before you grab you flaming torches and pitchforks, take a glance at this newly-refreshed Live Arcade Wednesdays release list, which extends the promotion all the way to September 6. The first game on the list is the long-awaited Texas Hold 'Em, which arrives on August 23 for absolutely nowt. Nope, don't adjust your set - for the first 48 hours after its release, Microsoft is generously giving the plucky card game away for absolutely free, before returning to business as usual at 800 Microsoft points thereafter. We've marked our calendars already.
:Following up the Arcade version of Essex's favourite drinking game are a pair of titles from Konami. On August 30, classic dogfighter Time Pilot will arrive on Live Arcade, apparently sporting lovely HD graphics and "enhanced gameplay". The second of the duo is CVG favourite Scramble, which storms onto the service on September 6. Both Konami offerings will be available for 400 of your Microsoft points.
Microsoft hasn't detailed any more of its special Wednesdays beyond these three - and we're still wondering where Lumines:Live! is - but we'll let you know when it opens its big, green gob.
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August 15th, 2006, 23:28 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft released today an update to retail Xbox 360 sales figures and forecast for the current fiscal year. By holiday 2006, Microsoft expects to ship in excess of 10 million Xbox 360 consoles along with a library of 160 games. And by the end of their fiscal year in June, 2007, between 13-15 million consoles worldwide are forecasted to ship.
Microsoft also provide some updated info on peripherals and game sales. Based on this month’s NPD data, the industry standard for tracking US momentum and market share, Microsoft states:
Xbox 360’s accessory attach rate held steady for the fourth consecutive month at 2.9 accessory units sold per console. At nine months into the lifecycle, Xbox 360 is still setting a record with the highest accessory attach rate of a console launch in the US.
Xbox 360’s software attach rose this month to 4.6 games per console. This surge continues to show the depth and breadth of Xbox 360’s video game library.
Xbox 360 had 4 of the 10 top selling titles across consoles:
- “NCAA Football 2007” (EA)
- “Prey” (Take 2)
- “Chromehounds” (Sega)
- “Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II” (EA)
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August 15th, 2006, 22:34 Posted By: wraggster
XNA Frequently Asked Questions
XNA Framework and XNA Game Studio Express Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is XNA Game Studio Express?
A: XNA Game Studio Express is a new offering, targeted at students and hobbyists for game development. XNA Game Studio is based on Visual C# Express 2005 and lets developers target both Windows and Xbox 360. XNA Game Studio Express contains the following:
* The XNA Framework, a set of managed code development libraries which will allow game developers to be more productive when creating games for Windows and the Xbox 360.
* The XNA Framework Content Pipeline which is a set of tools that allow developers to more easily incorporate 3D content into their games.
* XNA Game Studio Express also contains a full set of documentation, how-to’s and starter-kits that demonstrate how best to utilize the content pipeline and XNA Framework.
A beta of XNA Game Studio Express will be released on August 30. To receive a notification on when the Beta is available, please go to http://connect.microsoft.com and select "Available Connections." Then choose the XNA connection and follow the link to sign up for the XNA Game Studio Express Beta. (Note: A valid Windows Live ID is required, if you do not have one, you will be given the option of creating one.)
Q: What is the difference between XNA Game Studio Express and the XNA Framework
A: XNA Game Studio Express is a set of tools based on Visual C# Express 2005. The XNA Framework is included with XNA Game Studio Express and it is the set of managed (.NET) libraries based on the .NET Framework 2.0 that developers use.
Q: Can I use the XNA Game Studio Express or XNA Framework to build a commercial Xbox 360 game?
A: XNA Game Studio Express will enable you to create Windows and now Xbox 360 console games much more easily. These games are limited to non-commercial scenarios for 360 titles created with XNA Game Studio Express. However, XNA Game Studio Express may be used to create commercial games which target Windows. We will be releasing XNA Game Studio Professional next spring which will allow developers to create commercial games for Xbox addition to Windows.
Q: What if I have an 360 Developer Kit – can I use the XNA Framework with a title that I intend to send through certification?
A: We will be releasing XNA Game Studio Professional next spring which will support the creation of commercial games on the Xbox 360 using an Xbox 360 developer kit. Titles created with XNA Game Studio Professional by developers with approved titles will be able to be submitted for certification unlike games made using XNA Game Studio Express.
Q: How much will XNA Game Studio Express/XNA Framework cost?
A: The XNA Game Studio Express tools and runtime environment for Windows is completely free. To develop, debug and/or play games on the Xbox 360 you will be required to purchase a XNA “Creator’s Club” subscription on the Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Marketplace. The subscription is available in 2 options, $99 a year or $49 for 4 months.
Q: Is the XNA Framework running in emulation mode on the Xbox 360?
A: The XNA Framework makes use of a custom, native implementation of the .NET Compact Framework 2.0 CLR on the Xbox 360.
Q: Is the XNA Framework available on non-Microsoft platforms?
A: At this time, the XNA Framework will only be available on the Windows and Xbox 360 platforms.
Q: Isn’t managed code in the XNA Framework interpreted and therefore slow?
A: No, it is not interpreted. The IL is just-in-time (JIT) compiled into native code when it is initially loaded by a process, prior to execution. This allows hardware-specific optimizations unique to the PC and Xbox 360 architectures.
Q: Why isn’t there any Xbox 360 support in the beta?
A: Microsoft does not release beta software on the Xbox 360 for security reasons. Thanks to the design and implementation of the XNA Framework on both Windows and Xbox 360 however, games developed using the XNA Game Studio Express beta starting August 30th will be easily adapted to run against the Xbox 360 retail console upon availability of the finished tools later this holiday.
Q: What exactly is the XNA Framework?
A: The XNA Framework allows game developers to create modern games using the C# programming language and a rich set of development libraries. The XNA Framework provides its own content pipeline to make it easy to get rich content (3D, 2D, sound, etc.) from content creation sources into a game. The XNA Framework also provides a very high level of API unification across the Windows and 360 implementations, thus virtually eliminating the cost and effort required to port games between these two platforms.
Q: How is this different than the .NET Framework?
A: The Framework is the leading development stack for building general purpose Windows-based applications. The XNA Framework was designed to leverage many familiar elements of the Framework, such as core class libraries and a Common Language Runtime, but is optimized for game development and execution. The XNA Framework includes a custom set of cross-platform libraries built from the ground up specifically for game development.
Q: How exactly can I share my 360 game to other 360 users? Will my game only be available to people with the XNA “Creators Club” subscription? Will it be available to all 360 users that have an Xbox Live account?
A: There is currently no supported way to share binaries on the Xbox 360. Currently, there are four requirements that must be met in order to share a game targeting Xbox 360 which is developed with XNA Game Studio Express.
1. The individual you are planning to share the game with must be logged in to Xbox Live and have an active subscription to the XNA Creators Club
2. The receiving user must have downloaded the XNA Framework runtime environment for the Xbox 360
3. The receiving user must have XNA Game Studio Express installed on their own development PC
4. The game project, including all source and content assets, must be shared with the receiving user. The receiving user then compiles and deploys the game to their Xbox 360.
Q: Can I store my XNA Game Studio Express game on my memory card and share it with a friend?
A: No. Games developed using XNA Game Studio Express cannot be shared through a memory card at this time.
Q: Do I need a hard drive to run XNA-based games on my Xbox 360 console?
A: Yes. The XNA Framework runtime environment for Xbox 360 requires that a physical hard drive be present on your Xbox 360 retail console.
Q: Can I create non-gaming applications (such as a Media Center/Player) with XNA Game Studio Express?
A: On Windows this is possible, but the initial release on Xbox 360 is tuned to writing games. This is an area we are actively looking to the community for feedback on the types of applications they want to write for their Xbox 360.
Q: Will the XNA Framework require D3D9 hardware?
A: A Direct3D 9.0 card, capable of supporting Shader Model 1.1, is the minimum. The recommended level is a card that supports Shader Model 2.0, since most samples and starter kits will require a Shader Model 2.0-compliant card.
Q: Will the XNA Framework ship with the DirectX SDK?
A: Currently, the XNA Framework for Windows ships with XNA Game Studio Express and not the DirectX SDK. The XNA Framework for Xbox 360 is only available through Xbox Live Marketplace once a subscription to the XNA “Creators Club” has been purchased.
Q: What will be the support policy around the XNA Framework?
A: XNA Game Studio Express customers will be able to seek support in our XNA Framework and XNA Game Studio Express forums accessible through the Game Development forum links on our XNA Developer at http://msdn.com/xna/forums.
Q: D3DX has feature X. Will feature X be available on the XNA Framework?
A: We have implemented or refactored a large number of features from D3DX in the XNA Framework. We are actively investigating any additional functionality from D3DX that may be required by game developers that may have been missed. We will be taking feedback through the newsgroup forums as well as through xna@microsoft.com.
Q: What does this all mean regarding Managed DirectX (MDX) 1.1?
A: MDX 1.1 is in sustained engineering mode, and will not have any new functionality added to it. If you have a gaming scenario that needs a specific feature found only in MDX 1.1, please let us know and we will consider it for the XNA Framework.
Q: How does the XNA Framework support audio?
A: The XNA Framework will provide support for audio playback through managed XACT.
Q: Does the XNA Framework support XINPUT or DirectInput?
A: The XNA Framework will provide support for input devices in games through managed XINPUT.
Q: Does the XNA Framework include the ability to use Xbox Live?
A: The initial release of the XNA Framework on the Xbox 360 will not have any support for networking. We realize this is a big area of interest for game developers and are actively working on a solution for the next release.
Q: How can you debug XNA-based games running on the Xbox 360?
A: Debugging on the console is supported through a remote debugging connection from a Windows desktop running XNA Game Studio Express.
Q: Which versions of Windows does XNA Game Studio Express support?
A: XNA Game Studio Express is currently limited to Windows XP SP2 only. Once Windows Vista is released, XNA Game Studio Express will be fully supported on that version of Windows.
Q: Does the XNA Framework replace my version of the Framework on my Windows desktop?
A: No. The XNA Framework will not replace or interfere with your existing Framework installation. The XNA Framework on Windows is a set of class libraries built against the .NET Framework 2.0.
Q: Does the XNA Framework support Windows and Pocket PC devices?
A: The XNA Framework currently does not support Windows Mobile or Pocket PC devices, but based on customer feedback this may be a direction we expand the XNA Framework in the future. We know that developing games for is a hot area of growth and one we would like to support in the future.
Q: When will there be a full-featured beta of the XNA Framework?
A: The XNA Framework beta will be available as part of the XNA Game Studio Express beta offering on August 30. If you are interested in being notified when the XNA Game Studio Express beta is available for download, go to http://connect.microsoft.com and select "Available Connections." Then choose the XNA connection and follow the link to sign up for the XNA Game Studio Express Beta. (Note: A valid Windows Live ID is required, if you do not have one, you will be given the option of creating one.)
Q: How will the XNA Framework be available to developers?
A: The XNA Framework will be made available to Windows game developers via a free download. In order to develop for the 360, developers will need to join the XNA “Creators Club” which includes everything a developer needs to build non-commercial games for an Xbox 360 retail console.
Q: How can I learn more about the XNA Framework?
A: We will continue to provide updates to the game development community via future events and our XNA website (http://msdn.com/xna). You can participate in community discussions at http://msdn.com/xna/forums. In addition, you can also email xna@microsoft.com if you have any questions, but we cannot guarantee a response to every email we receive.
Q:Is the XNA Game Studio Express subscription available for programmers worldwide? Are you planning on localizing the software?
A:XNA Game Studio Express development tools and environment for Windows will be available for download worldwide from http://msdn.com/xna. The XNA Game Studio Express subscription for Xbox 360 is available in nearly all countries currently shipping Xbox 360 retail consoles and with Xbox Live connectivity. The current version of the tool is available in English only.
Q: What’s the difference between XNA Game Studio Express, XNA Game Studio Pro and XNA Studio?
A: XNA Game Studio Express and XNA Game Studio Pro are related products targeting non-professional game developers and established professionals respectively. Both products integrate with Microsoft Visual Studio. XNA Game Studio Express is intended for the hobbyist/small development group and therefore designed to help create non-commercial games. XNA Game Studio Pro will include additional functionality such as libraries supporting Xbox Live (Achievements, Leaderboards, Multi-player) needed by professional game developers wishing to create commercial, signed titles. XNA Studio will implement enterprise wide solutions aimed at the production pipeline and process by which games are developed in large AAA studios.
Q: How exactly will I be able to run a game built with XNA Game Studio Express on my Xbox 360?
A: On Windows, you’ll be able to develop, test and distribute software created with XNA Game Studio Express for free. When you sign up for the nominally priced annual subscription to XNA Game Studio Express for Xbox 360, you’ll be able to write a game on Windows, then send it to your Xbox 360 to test and enjoy. Eventually, you’ll be able to distribute that code to other Xbox 360s, opening up a unique publishing avenue which will democratize game development on consoles.
Q: Will I be able to develop a game and run it on both Xbox 360 and Windows?
A: You will have to compile the game once for each platform. In this release, you will have to create a separate project for each platform, and compile them both. Our goal is to allow as much code as possible to be shared between those two projects, allowing you to use the same source files in both projects, but platform-specific code will need to be conditionally-compiled.
Q: Why doesn’t the XNA Framework Content Pipeline support my favorite content creation tool?
A: We feel we have chosen a robust set of file formats for the release of the content pipeline that allow you to work with a wide rage of available content creation tools. More importers supporting more content creation tools will become available in the future.
Q: What is the C# language?
A: C# is a modern, object-oriented programming language designed with developer productivity in mind. C# is used by millions of software developers worldwide and provides full access to building applications based on the .NET Framework, the Compact Framework, and ultimately the XNA Framework as well.
Q: What are the benefits of managed code?
A: The managed execution environment provided by the common language runtime provides developers with a wealth of productivity benefits. Such managed code benefits include garbage collection, hardware abstraction, thread management, and a sandboxed security model. For more information about the Common Language Runtime and the Framework please visit http://msdn.microsoft.com/netframework.
Q: How widely used is C# in the gaming industry?
A: The vast majority of game studios recognize the productivity benefits of C# and are already using it for creating internal tools within their studios. There are even a few great games for Windows written using C#. But before the advent of the XNA Framework, doing true cross-platform development with C# targeting both the Windows desktop and the Xbox 360 was not a reality. That’s why we believe the XNA Framework represents an exciting opportunity for game studios. Managed DirectX Q&A
Q: Is the XNA Framework different from Managed DirectX (MDX) 1.1 or MDX 2.0?
A: Yes. The XNA Framework is a completely different set of technologies targeted at game developers. It does share similarities based on the fact that the underlying technologies are still based on DirectX. The XNA Framework also leverages other technologies such as XACT and X/Input.
Q: Does the XNA Framework include Managed DirectX 2.0?
A: The XNA Framework will contain much of the functionality found in Managed DirectX 2.0 and will also provide much more functionality designed to help game developers write great games. It is important to note, however, that there will be some differences between what is available in the MDX2.0 beta and what is available in the XNA Framework. We will provide guidance to help customers migrate from MDX2.0 beta to the XNA Framework as early releases of the XNA Framework become available.
Q: Will there be any more improvements to Managed DirectX 2.0?
A: The current Managed DirectX 2.0 beta libraries have been unchanged since the April 2006 SDK release. There will be no further changes to MDX 2.0 beta, nor will MDX 2.0 ever release officially. The MDX 2.0 assemblies will be removed from the DirectX SDK once the XNA Framework beta is released.
Q: Does the XNA Framework replace Managed DirectX?
A: The XNA Framework will have a managed API for working with hardware on the Xbox 360 and Windows. This API will subsume functionality in MDX 2.0 beta today.
Q: Does MDX 1.1 support development with the .NET Framework 2.0?
A: MDX1.1 is fully compatible with the .NET Framework 2.0.
Q: Will my MDX 1.1 code run inside the XNA Framework?
A: We will provide a migration guide that describes how to migrate MDX 1.1 code to the XNA Framework.
Q: I’m a game studio and I have made a significant tools investment on MDX 1.1, does this mean Microsoft will not support MDX 1.1 anymore?
A: Microsoft will continue to support MDX 1.1 as per our standard support policy. Once the XNA Framework ships we will provide guidance on how to move from MDX 1.1 to the XNA Framework
Q: What does XNA stand for?
A: XNA’s Not Acronymed
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August 15th, 2006, 22:08 Posted By: wraggster
New from Divineo UK
- Adjustable Microphone for optimum sound quality.
- Volume Control and Mute Switch allows for unprecedented communication flexibility.
- Noise-Cancelling Microphone for improved game response to voice commands.
- Crisp and clear voice communication between players.
- Lightweight, over-the-head design enabling comfortable during sustained play.
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August 15th, 2006, 21:58 Posted By: wraggster
Yet more glorious-looking screens and character/vehicle renders for you to put in your pipe and smoke
Scottish industry legend Dave Jones' free-roaming shooter-and-driver Crackdown is one of the hottest upcoming properties on the Xbox 360, and we've unearthed a veritable heap of new screens and character/vehicle models for your delectation.
The game's stylised, primary-coloured style comes through loud and clear, we think you'll agree -- and we reckon that some of those characters will have personalities as outlandish as their looks.
Screens Here
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August 15th, 2006, 18:36 Posted By: wraggster
Well, it's got everything else—from shoppin' and pie eatin' to picture takin' and shootin'. Reader Ieatrocks sent word that there's also nudity:
Anyways, head into the Entrance Plaza, top floor, north end; and the shop called "In the Closet". Put on the grey tank top outfit and have a good look at the print on the front; it's plainly a topless woman. The image is pretty low res, B&W, and people rarely look at the front of Frank, but it's there.
I unsuccessfully tried to confirm this on the Dead Rising demo . Any truth to this? Pics would be appreciated, because gawd knows how we love the jubblies.
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August 15th, 2006, 18:20 Posted By: wraggster
Ridge Racer 6 has become the first Xbox 360 game to hit a suggested retail price of $19.99. Pretty much every major online retailer is now offering the game brand new for a third of its original $59.99 tag.
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August 15th, 2006, 17:50 Posted By: wraggster
Bethesda Softworks has announced that all the actors who have played Star Trek captains throughout the show's multiple series will be collaborating on the forthcoming Star Trek: Legacy.
Marking the first time all five actors have worked together on a single project, Bethesda is aiming to provide fans of the series with a true representation of the show and its principle stars, drawing on the famous voices for a storyline which spans every Star Trek series.
Todd Vaughn, Bethesda's VP of development, commented: "We are absolutely thrilled to have the five actors who portrayed the Star Trek captains take part in this project. Their participation, especially since it takes place during the series’ 40th anniversary, will add to the fun and excitement of the game and emphasizes our commitment to provide fans with the most authentic Star Trek experience possible."
William Shatner will resume his role as the original Captain James T. Kirk (1966-1969), Patrick Stewart voices The Next Generation's Captain Jean-Luc Picard (1987-1994) and Avery Brookes returns as Deep Space Nine's Captain Benjamin Lafayette Sisko (1993-1999).
Star Trek Voyager's Captain Kathryn Janeway (1995-2001) will be voiced once again by Kate Mulgrew, with Scott Bakula resuming his role of Captain Jonathan Archer for Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005).
Commenting on the move, veteran actor and original captain William Shatner stated: "I am delighted to have the chance to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Star Trek with my fellow captains by providing our voices to Star Trek: Legacy.
"Bethesda Softworks has done an excellent job in creating an exciting game that stays true to Star Trek’s roots and accurately incorporates elements from each series."
The game is being developed by Mad Doc Studios, under guidance and direction from Bethesda. Star Trek: Legacy's scripts have been collaboratively created by veteran Star Trek writer DC Fontana, and the game is scheduled for an autumn release on PC and Xbox 360.
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August 15th, 2006, 17:43 Posted By: wraggster
1up was there to cover Microsoft's annual Gamefest event, and came away with some interesting information. Across all of its gaming platforms (Xbox Live, Games for Windows, MSN Games, etc.), the company claims 100 Million gamers per month. Xbox Live, in particular, received attention at the event. The company talking about more demos, downloads, and microtransactions being the hallmarks for the future of the service. From that article: "While Microsoft wants demos and add-ons to be a critical part of the plans for games, they also iterated the importance of other parts of the Marketplace. The personalization options offered by the Gamer Pictures and Themes is something Microsoft will continue to encourage developers to create. However, the notion that these 360-pieces of flair would regularly appear free on the Marketplace should be squashed, for now. Microsoft indicated that they have very strict limitations on free content and that they intend on keeping the gamer pictures and themes pretty consistently priced."
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August 15th, 2006, 17:21 Posted By: wraggster
Legendary games designer Peter Molyneux - lined up to deliver a keynote at the Leipzig Games Convention, has spoken to GameSpot about the skills required to design games, likely winners of the next-gen console wars, escalating development costs and how he'd like to bring some of his old games up to date.
Here's the Lionhead head honcho's blueprint for those taking academic courses which they hope will lead to a career in game design: "I have spoken to a few educational establishments about the games-design courses, and they are teaching very sound technical skills, but they don't focus as well on the more esoteric design skills that are needed for the job. Designers need to be able to communicate, inspire, and listen, and I see these skills as being just as necessary as an appreciation of the technical side. A good feel for design is also fundamental, and I think this is a talent rather than a skill that can be taught."
Despite his obvious alignment with Microsoft - to which he sold Lionhead earlier this year - Molyneux is taking a surprisingly even-handed approach to the console wars, although he does reckon Sony has become "lazy": "Nintendo has done a great job of convincing us that next-gen is about gameplay rather than high-tech specs. Microsoft has done an incredible job of expanding games online and making them more mass-market. Sony, in my view, seems to have been rather more lazy with its message. How all this pans out really depends on the brilliance of the titles that appear on each platform over the next two to three years. I expect the system with the greatest games on it to end up on top." Not great news for Sony, then, given the perceived weakness of its launch line-up.
And what can be done about spiralling development costs (not really something Molyneux need worry about now Lionhead has access to Microsoft's voluminous funds)? "It should be remembered that there is a law of diminishing return here, so if you spend $5 million and double that to $10 million, you don't get double the quality. This trend really can't continue, and the industry must face the fact we need to stabilize our costs. This will mean that reuse of technology and assets needs to be much better managed." Outsourcing companies take note.
And finally, Molyneux, unsurprisingly, asserts that he would like to revisit some of his old efforts, but admits that it is very unlikely, with one possible exception: "Aside from the licensing complications, some sort of next-gen online version of Syndicate would certainly be popular with gamers. I 'd love to reprise games like Syndicate, Populous, and Dungeon Keeper, but as you point out, we'd need some business development people to sort this out."
And, of course, business development is the last thing on Molyneux's mind as he gets stuck into Fable 2 and another, as-yet unspecified project for his Microsoft paymasters.
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August 15th, 2006, 17:19 Posted By: wraggster
Just Cause, Avalanche Studios' tropical GTA-a-like (with parachutes) is set to get some demo love later this month with both Xbox 360 and PC versions ready to rock on August 24, according to a brief word on the game's official site.
Not much more than that to tell you we're afraid, with little or no details forthcoming on what the demo might contain. Still, we're sure one of Sweden's finest will produce some decent ops to check the game out. We've had a bit of an extended blast on the 360 version of the game and it's actually pretty promising, with you taking on the role of a secret agent sent to overthrow a corrupt island government in a sun kissed mix of Far Cry and GTA with bullets, babes and covert CIA action all thrown into the mix.
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August 15th, 2006, 17:18 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft is currently investigating ways to modify the Xbox 360 controller, with a possible view to releasing a 'finer-tuned' version of the device in the future.
According to a report on Shacknews, Microsoft's Robert S. Walker - product unit manager, hardware - has recently revealed how the company is peering at the controller's right analogue stick and mulling over how it could be designed to better function in genres that require very precise movement - e.g. first-person shooters.
When or if we'll see such a revised controller is topped by a pretty hefty question mark however - apparently, such a device is a maybe rather than a definite at this stage. But if it does see the light of day in months to come, it's a peripheral that would be released alongside the standard 360 controller as an optional purchase rather than a replacement.
Would seem like a fairly decent move to us and with Gears of War and then Halo 3 on the horizon, a revised FPS controller would be just the ticket for hitting them right between the eyes.
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August 15th, 2006, 00:27 Posted By: wraggster
Digitimes of Taiwan seems pretty darn sure that the Xbox 360 HD DVD is going to be released for $200. They also seem pretty sure it's going to be available by Christmas, but that's something everyone pretty much figured already.
External drives have more flexibility than built-in models, the companies pointed out, while adding that despite BD having a much larger storage capacity than HD-DVD, pre-installation of BD drives may decrease the market competitiveness of PS3 units.
We're not sure where their sources are from, but they could be from Taiwanese manufacturing companies that are contracted to actually build the HD DVD unit. Either that, or Digitimes is just making stuff up
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August 14th, 2006, 19:13 Posted By: wraggster
New release of the port of the best Snes emulator for the Xbox, heres whats new:
Version 2.6:
Added support for enabling/disabling all 4 background layers
Added support for enabling/disabling the sprite layer
Added support for enabling/disabling all 8 sound channels.
Version 2.5:
Added a higher quality Zelda animation (higher resolution and more frames) to the Zelda skin
Fixed a bug that was causing garbage to be written to the ZsnexBox.ini. Hopefully this will fix the problem some people were getting with changing the skin.
Fixed a savestate loading bug that would cause a crash in Super Mario Kart and Pilotwings.
Added skin previews for the skin selection menu.
Tweaked the GUi a little.
Updated the FAQ
Added the ability to specify exactly how many frames the rombrowser animation is. This can only be set in the ini and not in the GUI. Each skin will only load the exact amount of frames specified. This cuts down on the memory usage for the Metroid and Zelda skins. Animations up to 18 frames are supported.
Note:
There may be an issue (Xbox lockup) loading DSP1 (Super Mario kart, Pilotwings, etc...) savestates generated in previous versions of ZsnexBox
More Info
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August 14th, 2006, 18:57 Posted By: wraggster
Even on a console where every game looks stunning, Xbox 360 shooter Lost Planet really stands out as a beauty and we've got the latest pictures to prove that.
The Capcom-developed game follows the fate of a band of humans fighting for survival on an icy planet where the hostile conditions alone would cause concern, but then there's the attentions of the indigenous creatures to see off, too.
Real-time loading will offer up a seamless adventure and Capcom promises explosive Xbox Live action with both cooperative and competitive gameplay.
Lost Planet is due out in Japan this Christmas but it looks like we'll have to wait till next year for the UK release.
Screens Here
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August 14th, 2006, 18:45 Posted By: wraggster
User-created games are nothing new, but now that they've got a nice Web 2.0 buzzword to glom onto, maybe they can amount to something. Microsoft is developing a new app to allow hobbyists to build their very own playable titles for Xbox Live. The program, called XNA Game Studio Express, will cost $99 a year, and will be available for Windows XP and Vista. Apparently the toolset is a heavily trimmed down version of the one available to actual developers, and will still require at least basic programming skills, but users will own their work. Peter Moore calls it "our first step of creating a YouTube for videogames." He also added "I'd love to send a royalty cheque to a kid," but we'll believe that when we see it. It doesn't sound like anything incredibly complicated will be possible with the system, but if YouTube video bloggers are any indication, you don't need snazzy effects -- or necessarily talent -- to make it big on the Internet.
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