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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 10th, 2006, 17:24 Posted By: wraggster
New from Divineo UK
The most realistic racing wheel available for the Xbox 360™. Wrap your hands around the rubber-grip wheel, extend the retractable leg supports, drop your foot onto the pedal and hang on. Vibration feedback adds to the realism. With ten analog action buttons, you can take the MC2 to Talladega, Le Mans and a no-holds-barred desert rally, all in the same afternoon. Officially licensed for Xbox 360™.
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July 10th, 2006, 17:22 Posted By: wraggster
New from Divineo UK
An Xbox Live Gold Membership is the complete online entertainment experience that's only available on Xbox 360. Those who subscribe to this premium service can jump online and compete in huge virtual arenas against the best and brightest players out there, or just play casually against family and friends.
If large scale frag-fests aren't your thing, you might enjoy the tactical stylings of the latest Tom Clancy squad-based shooter, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. Peek in on the latest race in Project Gotham Racing 3 using GothamTV or visit the Xbox Live Arcade to play the latest casual arcade games.
Simply put, Xbox Live Gold is the only way to play online. What are you waiting for?
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July 10th, 2006, 17:13 Posted By: wraggster
New From Divineo China
However you may look at things, the fact is that 20GB of storage space for your average 360 gamer is just not enough. Talismoon have long kept their prying eyes on the situation at hand and have developed two innovative solutions to the problem described. Both the Minispy and its bigger brother, the Minispy USB, allow you to free up space on a 360 hard drive via acting as a bridge between the drive and a PC.
In conjunction with powerful free file management software currently available such as Xplorer 360, the Minispy will allow you to transfer game saves, mp3’s, demos and other media as required. The possibility of all your drive information being backed up safely on an everyday home PC is now a reality. This not only gives you extra security for your files, but also allows you to squeeze out every amount of 360 hard drive storage space available as and when you need it! The Minispy is so simple to use, just pop your hard drive off your 360 and plug it into the Minispy, you will now be ready to begin your journey on the quest for mass storage capacity.
Specifications & extra information
If you’re looking for an even more advanced version which will work with SATA or Parallel drives via USB connectivity, then the Minispy USB is for you! The USB can be used with either Xbox 1 or 360 drives, with the supplied software supporting both formats. The Minispy USB of course allows data transfer from your original Microsoft Xbox in addition to the newer Xbox 360. The beauty of the USB connection is that it will not be necessary to open your computer case at any moment in time. All necessary cabling and software is included.
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July 10th, 2006, 17:10 Posted By: wraggster
Bungie continues to drip-feed Halo fans morsels on the progress of super-hotly anticipated Halo 3, and despite last week's July 4 celebrations in the US meaning "limited platytests" with the sequel, a brief bit of news still managed to make it into the dev's most recent weekly update.
What's new? Well, after quick mention of a brief but exciting encounter with the Halo 3 campaign that involved "lots of driving" in the update, the developer's gone on to focus on Halo 3's user interface, which has "come on in leaps and bounds". Formerly worked on independently of the actual game, the user interface has now been incorporated "so you can use it like a regular game interface for most things", Bungie's explained.
As it stands now, the interface is designed to make it very simple to get to a 'lobby' and make all necessary changes from there - so that you can customize your experience, appearance, and more importantly, really specific game types from anywhere," the developer's added. "Folks who've played a lot of custom games know that it is very frustrating when the 'Quick Options' selection just isn't enough to get all the options you want in a game type. You won't have to worry about that from now on. And you can also change your controller setting from anywhere, at any time. That one was a given, right?"
Apparently, this is all "the barest kernel of what to expect from the new UI", Bungie saying that lots of goodies will be added to it. It's a new user interface that won't be immediately familiar to fans of the Halo series, but the developer's ensuring that the UI's intuitive and as such its operation will quickly become second nature.
More titbits on Halo 3 in Bungie's next weekly update, no doubt.
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July 10th, 2006, 17:09 Posted By: wraggster
While the whole 360 HD-DVD internal-external debate has been gathering pace in recent weeks, new pictures currently wending their way across the internet seem to show that Microsoft may be planning a HDMI connector built into the motherboard of future 360s, with this 'alleged' connector providing a serious challenge to one of the PS3's key differentiators.
The pics themselves are hardly conclusive, being of the blurry what-the-hell-is-that? variety, but further whispers have also circulated with some claimants saying they'd actually seen three versions of a 360 motherboard with the connector in place. Never has a piece of news been so deserving of the Microsoft standard response "we do not comment on rumour and speculation". So we didn't ask them.
HDMI actually stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface and, as you probably know, it's a key output for Sony's higher end PS3 giving you a hi-def uncompressed digital audio-video stream between your console and HDTVs.
However, our 360 experts are more than a little sceptical over the existence of this bit of kit for future 360 iterations. Fishier than a trawler captain's waders is probably a fair summary of their feelings.
Still, the rumour refuses to die, so what do you think? Would the 360 benefit from an in-built HDMI output, would a simple connecting lead suffice or are you really that bothered about HDMI at all? Tell us what you think in the comments field below.
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July 10th, 2006, 17:08 Posted By: wraggster
Pandemic's hotly anticipated sequel Mercenaries 2: World In Flames may not remain a title exclusive to PS3 in the next-gen. Hell, hell no. It's emerged, you see, that the follow-up to the hit open-play-style shooter Mercenaries could well blast onto Microsoft's Xbox 360 too.
It's news that's come straight from the horse's mouth. During conversation with IGN on Mercs 2, a representative for Pandemic commented that the developer is "definitely considering Xbox 360" for the game, although stated that the PS3 version is the only outing that remains confirmed to date. However, they went on to say that "There is still a lot of time" and "we haven't ruled the Xbox 360 out", concluding: "We'll have some news to announce in the next couple of months."
Precisely what "some news" will turn out to be is open to speculation - it's suggested it could simply be an announcement on a publisher for Mercenaries 2 on PS3, as the game is currently, er, publisher-less.
But, an Xbox 360 version is looking likely, and in fact our colleagues on the official Xbox 360 magazine (UK) say they have it "on very good authority" that Mercenaries 2 is 360-bound, although the PS3 may witness a short exclusivity period with the sequel. They add that whoever the publisher turns out to be, it won't be LucasArts or Activision, who published Mercenaries.
Well, let's just wait and see what happens. And keep an eye out for a Mercs 2 360 preview gracing these pages soon.
Pandemic describes Mercenaries 2 as "an explosive open-world action game set in a massive, highly reactive, war-torn world". Events centre around a power-hungry tyrant who screws around with Venezuela's oil supply, which is the catalyst for an invasion that turns the country into a battle zone. Whoops. You play a merc for hire, doing dirty work for world powers coughing up cash and if it lives up to the original game, we should be in for a belting next-gen dog of war on all fronts.
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July 10th, 2006, 17:07 Posted By: wraggster
Our eyeballs are firmly fixed on Microsoft's forthcoming X06 event for decent, chewable information on Fable 2, but in the meantime - and going a little way to satiate our 'Albion sequel' appetite - a minor titbit on the RPG follow-up has slipped out the corner of Lionhead's gob.
An update on Fable 2, appearing on Lionhead's website, that's announced a new milestone in the sequel's development has been reached -which involves showing the latest build to Microsoft and everyone being happy with the game's progress - reveals... that the Fable 2 story has been nailed down. Wahey.
Unfortunately, there're no stunning plot-related divulgements. However it is mentioned that the storyline in Fable 2, which is set around 500 years after the events in Fable, will be longer than Fable's plotline and "a little bit more mature". Apparently, some players may be shocked by what Lionhead has cooked up for the sequel's story, which the developer describes as "a slightly different approach... it has some rather cool twists to it".
Well, in that case here's hoping that Fable 2's storyline won't reek of fantasy cheese. And any fear of a stinker has already been partially assuaged with Lionhead assuring that one plot dynamic we certainly won't be seeing in Fable 2 is "someone who rescues you at first and then betrays you". Phewee.
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July 8th, 2006, 00:54 Posted By: wraggster
Media Create Co. on Thursday reported that the Xbox successor sold 1,897 units from June 26 to July 2.
By comparison the console sold 1,169 units the week prior.
In addition, the Xbox 360 charted two software releases in the top 50 software sales in Japan during the same period. In recent weeks, the top 50 had been without an Xbox 360 title.
The console still has plenty of room for improvement as it struggles to gain market share in the territory. While the 360 neared 2,000 units in sales for the week, the Nintendo DS sold 153,566 units, the PSP 25,935 units, and the PS2 23,133 units in the same period.
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July 7th, 2006, 23:32 Posted By: wraggster
Backward Compatibility on the Xbox 360 has been a hot topic among gamers ever since the 360 was announced. Microsoft eventually promised that the new console would be able to play some Xbox games, and launched with a backward compatible list that included more than 200 titles.
The Xbox 360's ATI GPU and IBM CPU were vastly different from its predecessor's, which housed a Nvidia GPU and Intel CPU, forcing Microsoft's engineers to rely on emulators. This technological hurdle yields a list of backward compatible games that includes Barbie Horse Adventures, but doesn't include critical darlings Psychonauts and Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. In addition, some games that were once on the list have now jumped off, such as Freedom Fighters, Sid Meier's Pirates!, and Mortal Kombat: Deception.
GameSpot News talked with Albert Penello, Microsoft's director of global platform marketing for Xbox, to find out the ins and outs of backward compatibility, and why some games make the list and others don't.
GameSpot: First of all, can you give us a quick overview of what goes into making an Xbox game playable on the Xbox 360? Is each game a case-by-case basis, or do new emulators work for multiple games?
Albert Penello: In the early days of the project, we spent a great deal of engineering time trying to make a general-purpose Xbox emulator capable of playing as many different games as possible. That basic platform has become more capable in the past months, and we're now able to address individual games one at a time. Our typical process involves several weeks of active development on a set of desired titles, followed by at least an equal amount of test time validating the work and checking on the status of other games that might use similar technology.
GS: How important do you think backward compatibility (BC) is to the gaming community? It seems the resources spent adding a dozen games at a time, some of which aren't too popular, might not be worth it from a business point of view.
AP: Backward compatibility is a big issue for some in the gaming community, and it's a big issue for the Back Compat team, most of whom are Xbox gamers themselves. We get considerable feedback from consumers and we try to give their opinions weight. That includes supporting specific games requested by the community, but it also includes getting a breadth of games up and running.
The reason you're seeing certain games become available that aren't necessarily the most popular titles is because they share common features with other games we're working on. When we solve emulation issues for a game, it can unlock similar issues for other games. To give one popular example, Barbie Horse Adventures runs on the Xbox 360 because it uses technology similar to that of the [Grand Theft Auto] series. When we see a game start to work "for free," we release it. It's not our place to withhold titles that work simply because they weren't best-sellers.
GS: What decisions and factors go into deciding which games make the list and which don't?
AP: As we've said before, we prioritized the top-selling titles and games with a large Xbox Live following, along with gamers' feedback, and we're going deeper into the portfolio every day.
GS: How long does it take, on average, to make a game backward compatible?
AP: Anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks. Sometimes one of our developers will noodle over a completely broken game and miraculously make it work in an afternoon. Other times, games appear to work perfectly at the outset, but actually have a number of insidious problems discovered in test. Unfortunately, we've seen no relationship between the desirability of a game and its technical challenge.
GS: Is there a conscious decision to pass over series that have already made the leap to the Xbox 360? Xbox games from franchises such as Tiger Woods PGA Tour and Madden NFL (both of which are available in Xbox 360 form) aren't on the list. Being as big as they are, and with millions of copies already out there, it would seem they would be high priority for the BC team.
AP: There are no plans not to focus on certain franchises. As an example of franchises that are supported, consider [Dead or Alive] and Ghost Recon. Both exist on Xbox 360, yet previous Xbox versions are supported. Backward compatibility is all about preserving and respecting the investment made by original Xbox owners.
GS: What sort of pressure from developers and publishers do you face?
AP: We are working hand-in-hand with our third-party developers and publishers to expand the library of backward compatibility titles.
GS: Can you tell us about the prospects of the following games becoming BC? Psychonauts, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, Chronicles of Riddick, Links 2004?
AP: While we can't confirm which titles we're currently working on, we can tell you that customer feedback is both read and considered. Bear in mind that there are plenty of other people out there with their own unique "Top 5" lists.
GS: What have you learned about backward compatibility since launch? Anything you would do over?
AP: Our first run of supported titles in November of 2005 was larger than we expected, and launch day loomed up ahead of us. As a result, we let some bugs slip through that we've since had to correct or are still correcting. We have learned a lot in the process of delivering the first updates and we have used this information to improve the quality of subsequent updates.
GS: At some point, making Xbox games BC is going to stop. Is that when the Xbox is fully phased out? Is it before?
AP: We're not going to forget about the console that got us where we are today. Xbox still has a very bright future with many top-tier titles coming out from the world's best developers. The bottom line is that we will care as long as our customers continue to. For that matter, we ourselves have personal favorite games that we're eager to see supported on the platform.
GS: Is it too early to start thinking about backward compatibility for the next Xbox?
AP: It's never too early to think about the future, but it is too early to talk about it.
GS: Thank you very much for your time.
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July 7th, 2006, 23:22 Posted By: wraggster
Next Generation has an article looking at games that could save the Xbox 360 in Japan. Despite Microsoft's best efforts, the console is still puttering along with lackluster sales. Even with the country's diminished interest in the PS3, the 360 needs some big-name titles to get it back into the minds of Japanese consumers. From the article:
"Blue Dragon is set up to be another stick of dynamite with Toriyama's name written on it, though how willing casual fans will be to pick it up depends entirely on its advertising campaign. In America, it's becoming a simple enough strategy to put a demo of something on Xbox Live and let it spread through word of mouth. This is not so possible in Japan, mostly because most people here don't have an Xbox 360. Polls for months have indicated that the majority of casual gamers would reserve their judgment of the 360 for when they could play Sakaguchi's games."
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July 7th, 2006, 23:07 Posted By: wraggster
New from Divineo China
Reincarnation. An unusual philosophy if you are developing new products. But Talismoon knows what OEM fans want when they get reincarnated - to be better performing and better looking. The new Talismoon Whisper Xbox 360 Replacement Fan moves 58% more air than the original, yet is 7% quieter. And the stellar blue lights are enough to seduce any Xbox 360 into doing something it definitely won't regret in the morning. Let your Xbox 360 hear the secrets of a new Whisper.
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July 7th, 2006, 23:04 Posted By: wraggster
Divineo China posted that the new HyperX Xbox Modchip is now for sale:
Heres more info about the chip:
The Hyper X is a High quality, low cost solution for XBOX 1.0-1.6's. The installation is completely solderless and everything needed to install it is included.
The producer uses the highest quality branded parts and each and every unit is tested on a real console before shipping!
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July 7th, 2006, 22:33 Posted By: wraggster
An Xbox 360 version of physics-laden race 'n' smash title FlatOut is in the pipeline, apparently.
According to reports, the existence of Flatout: Total Carnage, as the 360 game is called, has been revealed in financial statements issued by the series' publisher Empire.
There's no other information at present, but with the recently released FlatOut 2 being reasonably well received further details on a next-gen outing for the series are worth keeping 'em peeled for.
Essentially a destruction derby-style racer where you score big points for ramming other vehicles, FlatOut 2 also features mini-games that include the likes of propelling your rag-doll driver through the windscreen. Funny. Nasty, but funny.
We imagine FlatOut on Xbox 360 will stick to the same model but, as the subtitle suggests, ramp up the carnage factor.
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July 6th, 2006, 19:55 Posted By: wraggster
Sales of the Xbox 360 are not much better than the Xbox, which was itself shunned by most Japanese gamers. Despite a more concerted effort from Microsoft this time, the Xbox 360 has only sold around 150,000 units since it launched in December and it's regularly the worst seller on the charts. But Microsoft told Kikizo that it's not giving up yet.
"We're committed to Japan for the long run, and we're off to a solid but not spectacular start, and I think that's what we expected to happen," Microsoft's Shane Kim told Kikizo recently.
Kim pointed out that success in Japan is dependent on game makers making games specifically for the Japanese audience.
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July 6th, 2006, 19:01 Posted By: wraggster
New commercial Xbox360 release:
features
The Middle-earth you have never seen brought to life on the Xbox 360! The unification of the book and film rights have unlocked a world of Middle-earth ? new races, places, heroes, and battles from the books and films are yours to command.
Command the most epic battles of Middle-earth from your living room couch. Directly control and manage hundreds of units and engage in intense, action-packed real-time battles.
Challenge friends online and battle it out via Xbox LIVE. The game features exclusive new multiplayer games including King of the Hill, Capture and Hold, and Hero versus Hero.
First The Lord of the Rings strategy game for any console system and first game in The Lord of the Rings series for the Xbox 360.
New and intuitive console-specific control scheme that makes it possible to experience and enjoy the strategy genre on the Xbox 360.
Customize fortresses or choose to build anywhere! Craft your own landmark castle and create signature units including naval ships or Elven and Dwarven heroes.
Hugo Weaving reprises his role as Lord Elrond lending his voice and likeness to the game. Weaving offers the game?s overarching tone by guiding players in and out of each good and evil mission within the single player campaigns.
description
Command the epic battles of Middle-earth? from your living room couch in The Lord of the Rings™, The Battle for Middle-earth™ II for the Xbox 360™. The highly anticipated PC game will make its exclusive console debut when it ships in Summer 2006! To add to the intensity of the experience, The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II for the Xbox 360 is the first game in The Lord of the Rings™ series that will be playable over Xbox LIVE™*. Challenge friends online and engage in intense, action-packed real-time battles.
Based on the PC version of the same name, The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II for the Xbox 360 will bring players into the heart of Middle-earth to live the battles seen in the blockbuster New Line Cinema films and classic J.R.R. Tolkien literary fiction. The game boasts a new and intuitive console-specific control scheme that will allow novice players to enjoy the game?s signature strategy gameplay while giving expert players the flexibility needed to engage in a deeply complex strategy experience. Directly control hundreds of units in an attempt to defeat enemy armies, conquer new lands, and seal the fate of Middle-earth.
More info / buy here --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-1d65.html
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July 6th, 2006, 18:58 Posted By: wraggster
The PC game already debuted in March to decent reviews so, instead of recapping what's right and wrong with the game as a whole, let's get right down to the issue we're all wondering about: the controls.
EA's Los Angeles studio contains the venerable Westwood Studios, well known as RTS pioneers for titles like Dune II and Command & Conquer. So it is, under their watchful eye, that they sought to deliver the heretofore mouse-centric experience of real-time strategy games to the console world. So, how did they do?
IGN (82/100) is equivocal in their praise saying: "The controls aren't perfect and they're by no means the equivalent to the quick, precision controls of the PC's mouse and keyboard duo, but they do in fact work. I'll even go so far as to say they work better than any other console RTS -- period."
GameDaily (80/100) wonders where the tutorial is: "While the control scheme is listed in the manual and through the in-game pause menu, there's no tutorial mode. The control scheme works extremely well once you've adjusted to it, but the moment you pick up the game, you won't know what you're doing. A training mode of some sort (at least as an option) would've been nice for a game of this nature, but Xbox 360 owners should be adjusted to the control scheme by the second or third mission."
Yahoo! Games (90/100) seconds the manual recommendation and steep learning curve: " So yes, you need to read the manual. You're probably going to want to have it on your knees for the first few hours of play, and within arm's reach for a day or two more. The controls are well thought out and comprehensive, but the advanced functions are not intuitive. Many commands rely on double or triple combinations of face buttons and triggers or bumpers. You'll need to learn them."
So, it sounds like EA Los Angeles has done the impossible; they've delivered a console RTS with controls that are almost comparable to its PC counterpart. For console gamers (many of whom were former PC gamers) this is a praiseworthy innovation. Now that the path has been revealed, will other developers target the RTS-less console gaming world?
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July 6th, 2006, 18:57 Posted By: wraggster
The New York Times is reporting today with some new, juicy information about Microsoft's iPod rival that has been in the works and speculation for quite some time now.
According to the Times, entertainment industry executives briefed on the plans for the device last night and said it should be ready for a holiday season release. This device will also have wireless capabilities for song downloading on the fly. Also mentioned during the briefing is the fact that this player will include a more advanced screen than the iPod. No further information was divulged about how this screen is more advanced than Apple's iPod screen. Sounds like some good stuff, we'll keep you posted on more information as we hear it.
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July 6th, 2006, 18:52 Posted By: wraggster
Development on perhaps the most-anticipated game of 2007 seems to be running smoothly.
After announcing two months ago that multiplayer testing of Halo 3 was under way in the Bungie Studios' offices, the developer has revealed that the game's single-player campaign is getting its fair share of action. The announcement came late last Friday, just before the stretched-out Independence Day weekend began in the United States.
"Multiplayer, single player, you name it, folks are playing it," said Bungie's Frankie O'Connor. "The lab formerly known as the multiplayer lab is now also the single player lab."
O'Connor used the company's weekly update posted on Bungie.net to say that it is running through the single-player game as "a gameplay test, not a graphics one."
Since the graphics are unfinished, he shifted the focus to gameplay and praised the increased power of the Xbox 360 to churn out more advanced artificial intelligence among Halo 3's enemies. "That counts for your human allies," he wrote, "but it's more noticeable at this early stage in the behavior of your opponents."
O'Connor described a heated encounter he experienced in the game, which he said showed off Halo 3's improved AI.
"At this point, they're testing out the new AI and encounters as much as anything else. ... Today, I swear I saw some Grunts do a classic pincer-movement to trap me in a narrow canyon," he wrote. "I was battling um, something bigger than a Grunt, and suddenly, I'm being peppered by a second group of jerks, mostly Grunts, who'd been sent in around my flanks to take me out. Grunts are still grunts though, and once I showed some serious opposition, a couple of them panicked and fled, but they nearly had me and it was quite a shock."
O'Connor's "um, something bigger than a Grunt" may be a likely indicator that some new enemies will be thrown into the intergalactic mix.
He also officially revealed several more tidbits relating to the Halo franchise, from a new Halo 3 multiplayer mode and revamped weapons to Halo 2 matchmaking playlists and the release of the Halo comic book.
--Since multiplayer testing began two months ago, a new "utterly terrifying" Halo 3 game mode has been developed. "I have never, ever heard so much frightened screaming during a play test of anything. And plenty of laughing too," O'Connor said, without offering any further details.
--The seven-minute mini-documentary that profiled the development of the Halo 3 E3 2006 trailer was released a month ago on Bungie's Web site, but it will just now be coming to Xbox Live Marketplace. The documentary will be available for download sometime this week or next week, O'Connor said.
--Many of the classic Halo weapons, such as the Covenant sniper rifle, are getting a graphical makeover for Halo 3. "I wanted to go back and make everything better," said Bungie weapons designer Tom Doyle. "The Covenant sniper is one of my favorite weapons--it just feels so powerful. I wanted to emphasize that in the new version, so we're adding some detail that will really show off the building energy in the weapon."
--The upcoming Halo graphic novel is hot off the presses. "[Bungie artist] Lorraine [McLees] literally just arrived back from Marvel's printer with the very first copy," O'Connor said. Halo: The Graphic Novel will be unveiled at the July 20-23 San Diego Comic Con and it will go on sale this month, O'Connor said.
--A revamped form of matchmaking playlists will be hitting Halo 2, and Bungie is looking for community contributions--because the playlists will be designed by Halo 2 players. "[T]hese fan created playlists will be temporary and their lifespan will be determined by popularity ... If people like your list, we'll keep it up for longer and if they hate it, we'll yank it," O'Connor said. Still, don't expect the new playlists anytime soon. "This thing is a long way out and playlists take a long time to test," he said, "so don't hold your breath."
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July 6th, 2006, 18:27 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft could be planning to releasing a portable multimedia device designed to rival Apple's iPod as early as Christmas 2006, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
Rumours that the Redmond giant is working on a handheld machine have been circulating for some months now, with 'Xbox 360 Uncloaked' author Dean Takahashi adding fuel to the fire in spite of Microsoft's refusal to comment on speculation.
The report from Bloomberg suggests that Microsoft is planning to release a portable music and video player - making no mention of videogame functionality - with the intention of challenging Apple's massive 77 per cent market share of US digital music player market.
According to the report, Apple commands 72 per cent of music downloads with its iTunes music store; Microsoft's MSN music store accounts for just 3 per cent.
It's this huge hold on the digital music and video sector that MS wants to challenge, the report suggests - apparently the company has been negotiating content for a new digital download service from companies including EMI, Universal Music Group, Fox, CBS and NBC.
Sources claim the new device - allegedly created under the guidance and supervision of Xbox evangelist J Allard with entertainment and devices president Robbie Bach - will allow consumers to download music using Wi-Fi technology. It's said to offer better picture quality than Apple's iPod.
It's still unclear whether or not there will be any game-related functionality for the device, or if it is simply designed to compete with Microsoft's biggest rival in the digital music and video sector.
Given the alleged involvement of J. Allard and Robbie Bach, a handheld that also plays games would certainly seem possible. But, once again, speculation is likely to continue until Microsoft decides to disclose its plans.
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