Return

It's been a month since my last posting. Holidays have been crazy and haven't been able to find enough time to keep up. Well, it looks like Xbox live has been having some issues, still, it seems. Not only that but also on Christmas day. Poor kids, waking up on Christmas to new video games that they cannot bring online? Well, thankfully the holidays are nearing an end, New Years is almost upon us. 2008 is looking to be a good year for gaming, however, January is a dry month. With just two games listed so far...

Kingdom Under Fire: Circle Of Doom

Circle of Doom sets itself apart from the previous Kingdom Under Fire series, as strategic elements are replaced with a very unique gaming experience that combines revolutionary online features, explosive action, and streamlined RPG elements, all presented in HD visual of massive scale and ultra-real details. Another distinguishing factor is that the developer is determined to create a stress-free and fun game for everybody. Whereas the predecessors could have been somewhat challenging for casual gamers, Circle of Doom will be very approachable and enjoyable on the surface, with much depth and freedom to be explored and experimented underneath the guise.

There is already a Demo on the Marketplace so you can check out the new features. I like the new RPG elements that allow you to use different weapons, items and armor that you pick up all via the inventory menu on the fly.

Burnout: Paradise

he fifth installment in the Burnout series gives players license to wreak havoc in Paradise City, the ultimate racing battleground, with a massive infrastructure of traffic-heavy roads to abuse. Gone is the need to jump in and out of menus and aimlessly search for fun like many open world games; in Burnout 5, every inch of the world is built to deliver heart-stopping Burnout-style gameplay. Every intersection is a potential crash junction and every alleyway is an opportunity to rack up moving violations.

Of course, rules are made to be broken, and when gamers enter Paradise City, they’re assigned a Drivers License that quickly begins to amass a record of player’s most aggressive, reckless and destructive exploits behind the wheel. But it’s not the law that’s eyeing player’s progress … when gamers push things too hard they’ll be squaring off against the city’s most infamous burners, and these legends aren’t interested in who crosses the finish line first...

Will these games be enough to Satiate the Gamer this month? With one at the beginning of the month and the other at the end only time will tell. Can we make it to February? Where the dry spell ends with all of these?!

Bully: Scholarship Edition	Action	February 5, 2008
Club, The	Action	February 5, 2008
Culdcept Saga	Strategy	February 5, 2008
Dark Messiah of Might & Magic: Elements	Action RPG	February 5, 2008
Devil May Cry 4	Action	February 5, 2008
Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition	Action	February 5, 2008
Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol Encore (Microphone Included)	Music	February 5, 2008
Spiderwick Chronicles, The	Adventure	February 5, 2008
Turok	Shooter	February 5, 2008
World in Conflict	Strategy	February 5, 2008
Conflict: Denied Ops	Shooter	February 12, 2008
Frontlines: Fuel of War	Shooter	February 12, 2008
Lost Odyssey	RPG	February 12, 2008
FIFA Street 3	Sports	February 18, 2008
Supreme Commander	Strategy	February 18, 2008
Dynasty Warriors 6	Action	February 19, 2008
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway	Shooter	February 26, 2008
Condemned 2: Bloodshot	Action	February 26, 2008
Dark Sector	Shooter	February 26, 2008
Lost: The Videogame	Adventure	February 26, 2008
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty	Shooter	February 26, 2008

All Dates Are Subject to Change

Coming Soon

History Channel: Battle for the Pacific:
Ships 11/29/07

The History Channel takes you to the Battle for the Pacific where you will experience history brought to life in one of the defining campaigns of World War II. Relive epic land battles fought on some of the most brutal and unforgiving battlefields in recorded history. Retake strategically important locations throughout the Pacific Theatre that are vital to the allies on the Road to Tokyo. Play through the eyes of an American GI as you experience intense, no holds barred action against an opponent for which surrender isn't an option! Fire authentic allied and axis weaponry including sub-machine guns, sniper rifles, anti-aircraft guns, pistols, and grenades Relive History - each level begins with a documentary video featuring actual battle footage, key facts and statistics, and the importance that the battle ultimately played in the allied victory.



Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2 Bundle
Ships 12/4/07

The dancing universe expands further on the Xbox 360 with Dance Dance Revolution UNIVERSE2. Exclusively designed for the Xbox 360, Dance Dance Revolution UNIVERSE2 has true universal appeal with multiple options and settings for players of all skill levels, cool smash-hit songs and exclusives and robust online and offline support.

• Truly universal appeal with music from 70s, 80s, 90s and today!
• Very accessible for all skill levels
• Freestyle Mode debuts on Xbox 360 – dance how you want to dance without arrows (perfect for kids or anyone with two left feet)
• Brand new Quest Mode lets you build your own character
• Play online, download new music and more via Xbox Live
• Enhanced graphical design in high definition

The Golden Compass
Ships 12/4/07

Discover a world of mystery and danger in The Golden Compass, the upcoming action adventure video game based on the best-selling novel by Philip Pullman and the major motion picture from New Line Cinema. Going beyond the film you can experience the unforgettable journey through the eyes of protagonist Lyra Belacqua on a quest to rescue her imprisoned uncle and kidnapped best friend. Joining Lyra on her mission is her spirit daemon, Pan, as well as a giant and powerful armored bear, Iorek, and the mysterious Golden Compass – a truth-telling device that will help lead the way. The Golden Compass promises to bring the beloved story to life through adventure and harrowing action sequences. As Lyra, players will evade dangers and traverse a magical landscape while uncovering the secret behind the disappearance of her friend and uncle. And as Iorek, the fearsome armored bear, players will smash through obstacles and enemies in order to protect Lyra along her way. Their travels will take them through a collection of unique locations, such as the port town Trollesund and a dark and foreboding research station in Bolvangar as well as areas not seen in the film. Together Lyra, Pan and Iorek embark on an epic journey of action, exploration, collaboration and discovery.

• Authenticity to the movie: The official videogame of The Golden Compass movie from New Line Cinema brings to life characters, locations and scenes sure to captivate movie fans around the world as well as delivering film footage to guide you through the journey.
• Vivid characters are brought to interactive life: Featuring the likenesses of the movie's impressive cast, which includes Nicole Kidman as Mrs. Coulter, Daniel Craig as Lord Asriel and newcomer Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra Belacqua.
• Heroic action sequences: Travel into the frozen north as the rebellious and headstrong heroine Lyra who uses her cunning to evade enemies. Or charge forward as her powerful friend and protector Iorek – a giant armored bear able to overcome any challenge with his brute strength.
• Discover a powerful bond greater than friendship. Experience the collaborative bond between Lyra and her unique animal-companion Pan who has the ability to morph into four different creatures to help Lyra navigate her way around obstacles throughout her perilous journey.
• Explore a parallel universe: Immerse yourself in the world of The Golden Compass movie and discover 11 otherworldly vistas, including locations not seen in the theatrical release.
• Use quick wit to discover and evade. Participate in a variety of embedded mini-games to help Lyra gain further information about her expedition and avoid enemy confrontation. The Golden Compass will lead the way. Use the truth-telling Golden Compass to solve in-game puzzles and unlock bonus content allowing players to explore the worlds as seen in the movie.

Alan Wake (HOT!)
Ships 12/31/07

Official pricing and release dates have not been announced by the publisher. Price and release date listed are estimates only and subject to change

From Remedy, the makers of Max Payne, comes this psychological action thriller for next-gen consoles and future-spec PC systems. The game is currently without a publisher, and it's strange Rockstar hasn't picked it up. Maybe they passed on it. Either way, the game features the massive open city of Pride Falls, offering the free flowing simulation of town life, excellent draw distances, lighting, physics, and special effects.

Resident Evil 5
Ships 1/1/2008Official pricing and release dates have not been announced by the publisher. Price and release date listed are estimates only and subject to change. Worry Free Guarantee - if the price decreases between the time you place your preorder and the release date, you’ll receive the lower of the two.

Changes Ahead?

Could there be changes down the road for Microsoft's game console?

Reuters has the sccop on Activision CEO Bobby Kotick saying that prices on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles must fall to $199, which according to Kotick is the key price point for mass adoption.

"The Wii at its price point is now setting a standard and an expectation, and people say, well, the Wii is less complex technically. I don't think that really matters as much to the consumer," Kotick told the Reuters Media Summit. "In the next 24 months they all will need to be at that $199 price point, and you can imagine Nintendo will be down to the $129 price point over the next few years."

Also Halo 3 seems to be causing some problems.

Information Week is reporting about a lawsuit against Microsoft filed by a San Diego resident, who claims that Halo 3 is a faulty product that frequently crashes when played on the Xbox 360.

In court papers filed this week, Randy Nunez charges that Halo 3 "consistently causes the Xbox 360 to crash, freeze, or lock up while the game is being played."

Along with Microsoft, Nunez also is suing Bungie, which developed Halo 3 along with Microsoft and recently spun off from the software maker. The action was filed in U.S. District Court in Southern California.

Nunez is asking the court to give the suit class action status and is seeking unspecified damages.

Many games had received the faulty disc error and this could be related. No word from Microsoft about the issue and the potential amount of copies that could be affected. Nunez could certainly be one of players that got faulty disks.

Xbox 360 Fall Update

Microsoft announced today that the Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard Update will include a new feature called Friends Lists, which will allow Xbox Live members to check out the friends lists of other members right from the dashboard.

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Expand Your Xbox LIVE Network of Pals by browsing the Friends lists of other Xbox LIVE members

New Experience to be made available on December 4th with the Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard Update

Microsoft is making it even easier to expand your Friends network on Xbox LIVE, starting with the Fall Dashboard Update on December 4th. Members will now be able to check out the friends lists of fellow Xbox LIVE members right from the Dashboard. With this new feature, members can find old friends or connect with new ones within the community of more than 8 million people on Xbox LIVE around the globe and send messages and game invites, as well as compare games and Achievements.

With the prevalence of social media websites such as MySpace and FaceBook, this type of capability has largely come to be expected from consumers as a means to relate in an online community. Xbox LIVE continually seeks new ways to better serve the expectations of its members, which often result in enhancements made available for free through the bi-annual Dashboard updates.

When the Fall Dashboard update is distributed on December 4th, the new default setting on Xbox LIVE will be active enabling members to see the Friends lists of other Xbox LIVE members. Members who would like to keep their friends list private can take the following steps to change their settings beginning today:

Log in to www.xbox.com/fof and select one of the three options available for your Gamertag:

* Everyone (only available to members 18 and older) * Friends only (available to members 13 and older) * Blocked (available to all members, and automatic for anyone under the age of 13)

Stay tuned for more information about the Xbox 360 Dashboard Update later this month.

Microsoft Japan recently held a small press briefing detailing some of the new features bundled into the Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard Update. With the help of Engadget Japanese's Ittousai we've been able to pinpoint a few relevant changes that are in store for next Tuesday's update. The most significant addition is the reorganization of the "games" blade (pictured above), which now features the "Game Library" (in place of "Xbox Live Arcade"), in addition to the old "Achievements" and "Played Games" sections.

When opened, the Game Library is nearly identical to the current XBLA menu, with a vertically-scrolling games list and an info box appearing for the highlighted game [Famitsu image]. New, however, is a horizontal sorting menu, broken down by filters like "All Games," "Arcade," "Demos," and "Recent Downloads." (This new horizontal and vertical organization is not unlike Sony's XMB design -- Microsoft calls it "twist" navigation, the same UI used for Zune.)

Additional Fall Update features:

• Top level of "marketplace" has been reorganized and reduced to four categories: "Featured Content," "What's New," "Game Store," and "Video Store" (below top level, categories will be navigated by twist, just like the Game Library)
  
• "Personal Profile" added to Gamer Profile; text field allowing approx. 500-1000 characters, providing space to publish name, nationality, region, and self introduction. (Further social networking tools to accompany 'Friends of Friends' functionality)
• XBLA demos deleted from "Played Games" and Gamercard lists
  

Note: This feature set is by no means complete, and we should expect to see variations in and additions to the North American update, which will be made available on Dec. 4th.