| First take: XBox 360 Media Center extender | This person got a early XBox 360 and wrote up a look at it.
"Thanks to my cool day job, I got an early Xbox 360 and spent some time today running it through its paces. I'll leave the reviews of the release-day games to others (although I found Amped 3, a top-notch snowboarding game, to be delightfully off-beat and stylish, with loads of 8-bit and retro design touches to counterbalance the slick graphics of the main game). I was looking at it more as a digital home enabler."
First take: XBox 360 Media Center extender( Read More: First take: XBox 360 Media Center extender (Mon Nov 21, 2005 ) | | Enough XBox 360s? | Some people in the media have been concerned that there will not be enough XBox 360s to go around.
"We reported a while back that signs from retailers indicated that the Xbox 360 console will be in short supply on its 11/22 launch date, and now that information has been semi-confirmed by Microsoft. In addition to quoting various analysts on Microsoft's plans and reasons for limiting the launch date supply, this Reuters piece quotes Microsoft's CFO to the effect that the Xbox 360 won't face the same spike-then-slump phenomenon that plauged Sony's PS2 launch. The idea seems to be that would-be Xbox 360 buyers will be less unhappy with a steady but limited supply of consoles than a massive sell-off followed buy a drought."
( Read More: Enough XBox 360s? (Wed Nov 2, 2005 ) | | Text vs. Voice | Gamergod has an interesting article up about text vrs. voice in online games.
"MMOGs are just getting faster, to a point where text chat will be a problem for voicechat to solve. As each new generation of titles come, now targetting the upper hundreds of thousands of subscriptions, this will mean more people playing than were back when I started. As a result, the new players will decide the best form of communication, and drive evolution going forward. If they come for the action, text is holding them back, and heck, they're already used to voicechat from other games, then I suspect I'll be pulling my headset out of mothballs and updating my Teamspeak software."
( Read More: Text vs. Voice (Fri Oct 21, 2005 ) | | X05: Final Fantasy XI: Hands-On | IGN got a hands on looks at the Final Fantasy XI 360 Beta.
"We were able to switch to a first person view by pressing down on the right control stick. Pressing the Y button and then confirming with B allowed you to maximize the chat window so you could see everything that had been recently said in the general, party, and yell channels. The right trigger allowed you to bring up a macro list where you could customize actions like adding players to your party, solo play, and entice."
( Read More: X05: Final Fantasy XI: Hands-On (Thu Oct 20, 2005 ) | | Vanguard yes or no? | | There are multiple reports about Vanguard being released for the XBOX 360. A XBOX 360 game magazine reported that it would be released. But back on Jun 6 2005 Jon Grande Lead Product Planner
Microsoft Game Studios, Publishing posted on the vanguard forums that "Vanguard shall not be forthcoming on the console ... questions?". Guess we will have to wait and see. ( Read More: Vanguard yes or no? (Tue Oct 18, 2005 ) | | Xbox 360 Launch Lineup Announced | | Today at X05, the Xbox® brand experience for the games and entertainment industry, Microsoft Corp. unveiled an incredible lineup of games for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system as it gears up for launch on 2nd December. A series of special guests, including Cliff Bleszinski, lead designer for Epic Games Inc., Todd Hollenshead, co-owner and CEO of id Software Inc., and Gerhard Florin, executive vice president and general manager of International Publishing for Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), joined Xbox executives Robbie Bach, J Allard, Peter Moore and Chris Lewis on stage to talk about their new titles for Xbox 360. ( Read More: Xbox 360 Launch Lineup Announced (Thu Oct 13, 2005 ) | | FINAL FANTASY® XI COMING TO XBOX 360™ | | Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan, "Square Enix" a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software including two of the world' most popular franchises FINAL FANTASY® and DRAGON QUEST™ today announced that FINAL FANTASY® XI will be released on Xbox 360™ Microsoft's next-generation gaming console, and Xbox Live, the company' premier online gaming service. The partnership was announced at Microsoft's Media Briefing held in Los Angeles on May 16th. Xbox 360 will be available this holiday season.
( Read More: FINAL FANTASY® XI COMING TO XBOX 360™ (Thu Oct 13, 2005 ) | | Vanguard: Saga of Heroes on XBOX 360? | It's hard to find press on it, but It looks like Vanguard is coming to the XBOX 360.
XNA is a growing group of software tools that allow developers to more rapidly develop their games. Additionally, Microsoft wants to share tools and technology between its different platforms (e.g. Win32, Xbox, future platforms).
Vanguard is one of the chief early adopters of this ever-growing group of software. For example, we will be using technologies from Xbox live, voice communication, and already have the ability to play the game via an Xbox-style controller with a tiny keyboard attached to it (a TID).
( Read More: Vanguard: Saga of Heroes on XBOX 360? (Thu Oct 13, 2005 ) | | All Points Bulletin For Xbox 360 | | WEBZEN Inc. (Nasdaq:WZEN) announced today that its highly anticipated massively multiplayer freeform combat and driving-based game, "All Points Bulletin (APB)," is in development for the Xbox 360(TM) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. "APB" is being developed by Real Time Worlds Ltd. under the leadership of David Jones, creator of the original Grand Theft Auto franchise. "APB" will be the first real-world based, massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) for Xbox 360. ( Read More: All Points Bulletin For Xbox 360 (Thu Oct 13, 2005 ) | | Marvel Online MMORPG on XBOX 360 | | Today at Comic-Con International, the world’s largest comic book convention, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq “MSFT”) and Marvel Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: MVL) announced a licensing agreement that will team the entertainment powerhouse Marvel with Microsoft’s proven creative and technology success in the interactive gaming space. Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft has obtained the exclusive rights to develop and publish massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) featuring Marvel’s iconic universe of Super Heroes™ for use in games developed for the Xbox 360™ system and published by Microsoft Game Studios. ( Read More: Marvel Online MMORPG on XBOX 360 (Thu Oct 13, 2005 ) | | HUXLEY on the XBOX 360 | | HUXLEY is a massively multiplayer online first-person shooting game (MMO/FPS) developed by the H-Studio of global online entertainment Company, Webzen Inc. Huxley takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where human beings have mutated and are divided into two opposing races, Sapiens and Alternative. Forced to struggle for survival due to limited resources, the Sapiens and Alternative’s are willing to do what it takes in order to wipe out the conflicting race and gain control of the world and its resources. ( Read More: HUXLEY on the XBOX 360 (Thu Oct 13, 2005 ) | | APB: All Points Bulletin on XBOX 360 | |
Looks like a very cool game.
"APB is a massively multiplayer online game based in living, breathing cities that will feel familiar to players, as they precisely replicate famous cities all over the world. APB is a turf war involving two main factions, the Squads, whose goal is to uphold the law, and the Gangs, who seek to break the law at all costs. Players will be able to choose their side, in a classic good guy versus bad guy scenario. The Gangs are all about graffiti, attitude, custom cars and earning cash any way they can. The Squads stand for honor, teamwork, firepower and destroying the Gangs. APB will provide the player with the ultimate customization options from their weapons, vehicles and clothes to their attitude, music and environment. ( Read More: APB: All Points Bulletin on XBOX 360 (Thu Oct 13, 2005 ) |
| |
