Halo 3 contest winner announced!

This post is to announce that James Collins is the Winner of our Halo 3 contest. James got a brand new Halo 3 Gift wrapped from Xbox360help team. Congratulations James & Good luck for all of you in our next contest.

Please leave a comment on this post with your suggestions for our next contest, should it be a free game? An Xbox live Gold Card? or maybe something else?

Halo 3 contest winner

If you haven't been following our Halo 3 contest, then you must have been living under the rock!!! Tonight we are going to announce the winner's name so stay tuned by subscribing to our feed.

Xbox 360 help Joins Blogsvertise

Xbox 360 help joined the new advertising service, only designed for bloggers. Blogsvertise advertising service is setup for bloggers and online journal writers to earn revenue/income from their online blog/journal in an easy to use, simple and effective system.

It is free to register your blog and add your blog to the system for approval. Once approved, your blog goes into the assignment queue. The blogsvertise administrator then assigns writing tasks for what our advertisers want you to mention in your blog. You dont have to endorse the website product/service, just mention it in your blog and link to the advertiser website 3 times in your entry.


We thought that we would share this great service with our readers who are interested in blogging.


Xbox 360 help blog team.

Blood Bowl coming to Xbox 360

Blood Bowl, based on the popular 80’s board game created by Jervis Johnson and published by Games Workshop, will soon be receiving a breath of Xbox 360 life by way of French development studio Cyanide.

Scheduled for release in late 2008, Blood Bowl combines American football with a Warhammer-like fantasy universe, resulting in a brutal, bloody sport like no other. Imagine a team in which players consist of Orcs, Elves, Humans, Dwarfs, Goblins, Lizardmen and many other fantasy creatures whose only desire is to carry the ball to the Endzone…at any cost! Weapons, magic and good old fashioned hand-to-hand combat are at your disposal as you battle your way to victory in this unique sports sim that doesn’t bother to take itself too seriously.

While players can choose to play Blood Bowl in real time, the game also features the board game’s turn-based mode of play. Both modes come complete with the original rules, devices, strategies, play and rhythm that fans have grown to love. Bribe a referee, hire a wizard to cast spells on the other team, hire cheerleaders, whatever it takes to win.

"300" In HD For 100 MS Points only

To celebrate the launch of Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store Microsoft is giving everyone chance to download the spectacular 300 (BBFC 15) at a bargain price. For 24 hours starting at 00:01 (GMT) on 28 December to 23:59 (GMT) on 28 December, the Warner Bros box office hit can be yours to rent for just 100 Microsoft Points.

Praised as "the Citizen Kane of cinematic graphic novels", 300 is not to be missed. It's one of many great blockbuster titles in the Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store, the first video-on-demand service to be available in six countries - USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, France and Germany.
Everyone's getting excited about Christmas, and now it's going to be even better! You don't need to leave your living room to rent fantastic movies. Xbox 360 owners can stay snug at home to choose from a range of terrific full-length films including:

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
• The complete Matrix trilogy
• Ocean's Eleven (2001)
• Lethal Weapon 4

Classic cinema such as :

• The Fugitive
• The Perfect Storm
• Eyes Wide Shut

Family favourites as :

• Analyse This
• Clash of the Titans
• Looney Tunes: Back in Action.

Start renting great cinema in standard or High Definition today - all you need is an Xbox LIVE membership and broadband.

Xbox Live Marketplace video store

Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store Opens Its Doors!

The glitz and the glamour of Hollywood is about to hit Xbox 360 when the Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store opens for business.

You’re now able to download the biggest movies from Marketplace direct to your Xbox 360 – bringing blockbuster entertainment to your living room without even having to get up from the sofa!

What’s more, you won’t need to compromise on choice or quality. With over 25 movies available at launch (December the 11th 2007) from studios like Warner Bros., you’ll have an all-star selection of flicks at your fingertips. There’s something for everyone too – from family entertainment like Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Looney Tunes: Back in Action through to intense blockbusters such as 300, and hard-hitting dramas like The Perfect Storm.
And with the choice to download most movies in either standard or glorious high definition you’ll be guaranteed a first class experience that will take best advantage of your home entertainment setup. Standard definition movies are from 250 Microsoft Points, while HD movies are priced from 380 Microsoft Points.
So, are you ready for some brilliant movie entertainment downloaded directly to your Xbox 360? Just get on Xbox LIVE from December 11, head to the Marketplace blade, and discover the wonders of Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store! Here are a few launch day highlights to whet your appetites…

• 300


• Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone


• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets


• Zodiac


• The Matrix


• The Matrix Revolutions


• The Matrix Reloaded


• Ocean’s Eleven


• The Perfect Storm


• Swordfish


• Three Kings


• Training Day


• The Fugitive


• Risky Business


• Space Cowboys


• Eyes Wide Shut


• Analyze This


• Demolition Man


• Eraser


• Executive Decision


• Lethal Weapon 3


• Lethal Weapon 4


• Looney Tunes: Back in Action


• Mars Attacks!


• Clash of the titans


• Superman III


• Dead Calm

Halo 3 Heroic Map Pack

Have you satisfied your appetite for Halo 3 yet? It’s barely been out of the office Xbox 360 since it arrived and we’re still hungry – ravenous, even – for more. And that’s very fortunate because ‘more’ is just what we’ve got, thanks to the Heroic Map Pack.

Came to Xbox LIVE (in a hail of Covenant bullets) on December 11th the Heroic Map Pack download comprises a trio of brand new multiplayer arenas, each offering a unique gameplay experience and all significantly extending the incomparable Halo 3 fun – and that’s got to be a good thing, right? Be assured, it totally is!

The first map, Standoff, is set in a symmetrical valley that is riddled with large boulders and sinuous trenches, making it ideal for sneaky sharp-shooters and mid-sized Slayer matches. Next up Rat’s Nest is a vast and twisty labyrinth that you wouldn’t really want to run around on foot, thus the action is more vehicular in nature – and is all the more explosive for it! Finally the Foundry describes itself as the ultimate Forge map. More or less every component of this cavernous warehouse can be moved and placed to your liking – stairways, bridges, tunnels and large walls to cower behind when you see us coming, guns a-blazing! With that kind of flexibility you might never need another map pack again. But that’s not how we play…

The Heroic Map Pack costs a mere 800 Microsoft Points and is available now – go check it out! However if you’re prepared to wait until spring 2008, when the next Halo 3 map pack is scheduled to launch, it will be totally free. How’s that for a triple-whammy of awesome news? But can you really keep your itchy trigger finger in check until next year? No, us neither!

Microsoft sued over Halo 3 "Consistent" crash

Master Chief better get a good lawyer to go along with his plasma gun.

A San Diego resident who recently purchased Halo 3, which stars the pistol packing super soldier, has filed a lawsuit against Microsoft - alleging that the company released 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 said he purchased a copy of Halo 3 at a Gamestop store in San Diego in mid-October. When he tried to play it on his Xbox 360, the system "repeatedly locked up, froze and/or crashed," Nunez said in court papers.

The lawsuit contends that the problem is widespread, and that Microsoft and Bungie haven't taken any steps to fix it.

"Although faced with repeated and mounting consumer complaints and inquiries concerning this operational flaw in Halo 3, the defendants have failed to recall Halo 3 or otherwise remedy its failure to function on the Xbox 360," the suit alleges.

As a result, Nunez charges that Microsoft and Bungie are in violation of consumer protection laws. Nunez is asking the court to give the suit class action status and is seeking unspecified damages.

Microsoft and Bungie have yet to file a formal response to Nunez' allegations.

Halo 3 smashed video game industry sales records when it debuted in September. It took in more than $300 million in sales during its first week on the market, including $170 million in first-day receipts.

Check our Halo 3 contest, u might win a free Halo 3!

No Guitar Hero 3 guitars till next year

Those looking forward to a Christmas of co-op fake guitar action will be disappointed to hear that standalone Guitar Hero 3 wireless guitars will not be in the shops until early next year.
That leaves rocking PS3, Wii and every-other-platform gamers with the choice of buying another copy of the game to get their two-player action on, or buggering it off altogether until after the mince pies have gone away.

UK outfit is being shy as to whether Europe is in the same situation. We're guessing we're not going to find standalone guitars until next year either.

Xbox 360 and PS2 owners can take refuge in the fact that old GHII controllers will work just fine with the latest instalment,

Ubisoft Reveals Rainbow Six Vegas 2

Ubisoft has announced a sequel to last year's tactical first-person-shooter Rainbow Six Vegas is in the works, and it's coming as soon as March of next year. Additionally, Free Radical's PS3 exclusive shooter Haze has been delayed into early next year, despite the recent confirmation of a December release date. The news all comes as part of Ubisoft's financial report for the first half of the fiscal year, which according to Gamastura shows their sales up 52% to $372.86 million, and profits up 12% to $44.8 million.

"Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas took the gaming world by storm in 2006 thanks to its technological advances and gameplay innovations," said Ubisoft President and CEO Yves Guillemot. "We are convinced that Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 will remain a pioneer in the highly competitive first person shooter genre, bringing more of what Rainbow Six fans love to the table."

Ubisoft Montreal is once again developing the sequel, set to arrive only a little more than a year after its predecessor. Compare that to Ghost Recon:Advanced WarFighter 2, however, which came almost exactly one year after the original.

Microsoft begins Xbox live bans!

It appears that Microsoft is bringing out the ban hammer once again. According to a thread on an Xbox-Scene forum, users are having their Live wrists slapped left, right, and center due to "bad discs" (i.e., non 1:1 copies of games).

Initially, the problem seemed to be modified DVD firmware, but it now appears the cause is due to game data that isn't properly copied, or has been "touched" in some manner. Keep in mind, these are console bans, as opposed to Live account bans, which is a minor amount of good news.

The forums are abuzz with profane indictments of Microsoft and calls for heads on platters (okay, it's not that bad) -- but mostly everyone is just waiting to see where the next hit will come from. You've been warned, folks.

Xbox 360 fall update feature listed leaked

According to reports, a member of the official Xbox forums posted up the entire list of what can be expected in this Fall's Xbox 360 dashboard update, however his original post has been deleted from the official Xbox site. Anyhow, check out the full list.

Compatibility with 3rd party wireless controllers
Compatibility with messenger pad
Xbox Live Vision firmware upgrade, sharper image filtering
Many more Vision Cam settings
New screensaver settings - when away from Xbox 360, screensaver will play for optional time, before screen goes dark
New Xbox Live Arcade blade - where you can download, play and learn about Xbox Live Arcade
Brand new “web based adver-games” flash games which aren’t downloaded, but are playable bite sized games, accessed via new Xbox Live Arcade Blade
New Screensaver option in Themes and Gamer Pics option in Marketplace blade
New functionality with Messenger, works with chatpad
New XNA Game Launcher for those that have the program, new options
New language, time and date settings
New “advertising opportunities” in gameplay
Xvid support
New “favourites” option via Xbox Live Arcade, can rate according to preference
IPTV Functionality - support for TiVo like PVR options. Will be able to record TV direct. Options include source by channel, director, actor and distributor
Filter friends list, will be able to filter friends via games
New clan support - will be able to launch clan games direct from dashboard, can “fold” friends into new clan category in friends list
Better translations in settings and other options for Japanese, German and Spanish languages
New quick option to delete via X Button in memory viewer.
Option for having downloadable In-game content not inform when completed download
Option for having video content not inform when completed download
Faster settings for viewing unfinished video content downloads
New option in Games tab - beta and others, will be launcher for MMO and multiplayer betas
New option in Marketplace Games tab, search by letter, can be inputted via text pad or console
Smarter game settings - you can be messaged via publishers about new in-game content for your games
Picture in picture functionality for DVD Drive and some other updated settings
Improved USB Keyboard settings
Improved voice chat settings in game and from dashboard
Faster response times to Redeem Code settings
Option to play a Redeemed Code game straight after redeeming code
Console will now recognise low Hard Drive space, will inform you immediately if can’t download current item, will automatically download next available that is able.
Increased space size for gamerpics and dashboard themes
Themes can now be animated
Themes may now have sound effects
Better slideshow capabilities, new options added. New sound effects and integration with Hard Drive/ PC music capable.
New estimated timer for downloads, informing how long download will expect to take.

Xbox 360 help Halo 3 giveaway!

ANNOUNCEMENT:
XBox360Help is having a FREE HALO 3 giveaway! Yes, that's right; a free copy of the critically acclaimed game, Halo 3!

There are no strings attached, folks; its just an e-mail raffle. Simply send an e-mail with the subject line of "I want to win a free Halo 3" to: xbox360helpprize@gmail.com

On the 21st of December, XBox360Help will randomly choose an e-mail address from all respondents.

To receive the prize! Send us an email as soon as possible to get a chance to WIN a FREE HALO 3!

Major Nelson warns Xbox Live Cheaters

Larry Hryb, Director of Programming for Xbox Live and better known to gamers as Major Nelson, warned gamers about sharing account information and tampering with one's Gamerscore or Achievements.

In a blog post, Major Nelson warned that, aside from being a violation of the terms of service, sharing account information could result in a loss of that account.

He added that if players “employ some nefarious techniques to artificially increase [their] Gamerscore or obtain achievements by manipulating the Xbox software without playing the game,” their Gamerscore could be removed or their account and/or console might be banned from Xbox Live.

Xbox Games Now Downloadable on Xbox 360 Marketplace

Timed to correspond with the five-year anniversary of Xbox Live, Microsoft has announced it will begin adding original Xbox titles to the Xbox 360's Live Marketplace for users to download to their hard drive.

Xbox Live first burst onto the scene in 2002, a year or so after the release of the original Xbox console. Since then it has gained around eight million users, completely dwarfing any other non-PC online gaming service.

On December 4, Microsoft will release a firmware update for the Xbox 360, which will include in part the ability to download specially chosen Xbox games from the Xbox Live Marketplace. Confirmed titles include Crimson Skies, Fable, Psychonauts, and of course Halo. The games will be priced at 1,200 Microsoft points ($15).

"On its fifth birthday, Xbox Live truly is the place for hanging out with friends and enjoying downloadable TV shows, movies, videos, game add-ons and now downloadable Xbox games on demand," said the Microsoft VP in charge of Xbox Live John Schappert.

It edges up the competition over digital downloads between Microsoft and Sony. Sony's Playstation 3 online store has been noted for its inclusion of full-length, high-capacity games including the PS3 game Warhawk. Xbox Live previously had been relegated to cheap, small casual game titles.

Microsoft will also be celebrating the five-year anniversary by awarding 500 Microsoft Points to anyone whose current Xbox Live account dates back to 2002. Additionally, beginning tomorrow, all users in the US will be able to download Carcasonne, an Xbox Live Arcade title, for free.

Beowulf Preview and Trailer

Roar and gore. It' the two words that have been left lodged in our grey cells following a recent eyes-on event with Ubisoft's Beowulf.

Roar, because Beowulf's a shouty fellow with obvious anger management issues who is surrounded by thanes constantly yelling the Norse equivalent of "Beowulf FTW!"

Gore, because it's gratuitously violent. With gratuitously violent knobs on.

The game is a tie-in with Robert Zemeckis' forthcoming Beowulf movie - which in turn is based on the ancient Epic poem - and naturally borrows scenes from the flick while also featuring the notable voice acting talents of the likes of Ray Winstone (Beowulf), Anthony Hopkins (King Hrothgar) and Brendan Gleeson (Wiglaf). But rather than reprise just the movie in videogame form, much of Ubisoft's game focuses on a 30-year period in the fictional life of Beowulf not covered in the flick. It is, if you will, Beowulf: The Lost Years.

Boiling the game down to its bare bones, it's a third-person action-adventure steeped in Norse mythology that deals with a lead character (accompanied by a group of thane buddies) who is struggling to perform heroic, righteous feats while battling inner demons. In gameplay terms, this ongoing fight for Beowulf is represented by the player being able to switch between two types of play styles - Carnal and Heroic, both of which can be upgraded RPG-style during the game.

Carnal is akin to Beowulf unleashing berserker rage. On-screen, the world is overlayed with a tinge of red, the sound becomes muted and the violence ramps up to over-the-top mode. An already violent game, suddenly the lead character is ripping off heads, crushing enemies' chests in with knee stomps and causing gore-filled carnage with melee weapons. When the beast is let loose, no one is safe from Beowulf's ire. Both friend and foe can be cut down in an orgy of wanton destruction.

On the flip side of the coin, Heroic mode is Beowulf creating slightly less bloody mess while strapping on goody-two-shoes. In this mode he can boost the morale and combat effectiveness of comrade thanes during combat and order them to do his bidding via a simple command system.

Want that conspicuous, giant round stone rolled out of the way to reveal a cave entrance? Easy. Order your thanes and they'll shove it out the way with a testosterone-filled yell of hurrah. Well, as long as you succeed with the simple, timed mini-game this involves, that is.

Order Beowulf from Amazon.com

By design, playing in Heroic mode presents more of a challenge when stacked up against Carnal. Carnal is more seductive, an easier path to walk, helping you out of seriously sticky situations; and, at the risk sounding too much like Yoda, we'll shut up there. At this point you might expect us to start talking about a moral system impacted by the choice of play styles, except there isn't one. What you get instead, we're assured is key NPCs questioning you're actions if you revel in Carnal, but precisely what effect this has on the game overall we've not been shown.

However, what we do know is that a) there are two endings to the game depending on which of the Heroic and Carnal styles you plump for most overall and b) if all the thanes that accompany Beowulf die - the player can kill thanes when Carnal - then it's a trip to the game over screen.

It can also have a negative impact on missions if care isn't taken, as we discovered. We'd watched as Beowulf fought, fought and fought some more, scaled cliff walls Tomb Raider-style, discovered hidden weapons in niches in rock-faces and fought more some more, but were then privy to a scene requiring the character to rescue hapless virgins from great, stomping ugly trolls and sacrifice.
Carnal mode was engaged in favour of Heroic at this point in time and, in a moment reminiscent of God of War, a sequence of timed button presses performed found Beowulf leaping onto troll necks to beat them severely around the back of the head. But in a 'whoops' moment in the heat of general melee, the lead character's sword accidentally sliced through one of the virgins. Bet she didn't see THAT coming...

Speaking of God of War, Ubisoft drew the eyes-on preview to a close by firing up the first of six main boss fights that feature in the game. And it could have been lifted straight out of a Kratos adventure.

Beowulf, muscled like a maiden's fantasy, stood defiantly alone on a small piece of land jutting out into the sea, and had the unenviable task of defeating a giant green serpent spewing up from the depths with just his bare fists and kicks.

Suddenly one serpent is joined by another, their heads snapping forward and giant pointy teeth attempting to sink into human flesh. But an opportunity suddenly presented itself in the shape of timed button presses, which saw Beowulf leaping up onto a serpent's neck, ripping a massive horn out of its back and ramming it home into the beast's head - with plenty of blood spurting, naturally.

Xbox 360 Beowulf trailer:

Then we assume it was a case of rinse and repeat, but the demonstration ended before the battle's climax. Oh well, And that concluded the end of our observation of Beowulf, with the red of blood left imprinted on our retinas and the sound of shouting Vikings ringing in our ears. The game's out next month on Xbox 360.

Supreme Commander confirmed for Xbox 360 in 2008

Officially confirming statements by Chris Taylor of Gas Powered Games, publisher Aspyr Media has announced that PC real-time strategy title Supreme Commander is in the works for Xbox 360. Vancouver-based Hellbent Games, founded in 2006 by former Rockstar Vancouver/Barking Dog Studios designer Christopher Mair, will be handling the port.

Due in early 2008, the Xbox 360 port of the game will feature newly-created units, maps, multiplayer modes, and interface and HUD elements. Xbox Live-based online multiplayer will of course be supported.

"We believe that we¹ve raised the bar for RTS gaming on the PC and now, co-developing with Hellbent Games, we know that we can do the same on consoles," said Taylor in today's announcement. Last month, Taylor characterized Xbox 360 as "the platform of choice for moving stuff from the PC." He acknowledged the strategy genre's control interface obstacles on consoles, but stated, "we're getting closer and closer to that touchdown."

Aspyr will be publishing Supreme Commander on Xbox 360; it will be the company's first game for Microsoft's current-gen console. PC version publisher THQ does not appear to be directly involved.

Need for speed: Prostreet release

Compete at the highest level of street racing with Need for Speed ProStreet. It's no longer good enough to simply rule your local neighborhood; you need to dominate on a global stage. Build the ultimate battle machine, take it to multi-disciplinary showdowns and pit your skills and reputation against the world's best street racers. Every dent, every scratch and every crumpled body panel is a battle scar, proof of your commitment and competitive mettle. This is your chance to prove that you have what it takes to be crowned the next Street King. Need for Speed ProStreet is the realization of the raw power, visceral aggression and intense rivalry that embodies street racing culture.

Features:

• Real, Adrenaline-Fueled Racing—Experience the raw power of street racing with a brand new physics engine, and intuitively refined AI.
• Dominate Across All Racing Disciplines—Prove yourself in four distinct styles of racing: Drag, Drift, Grip, and the all-new Speed Challenge.
• Ride the Edge of Disaster—One wrong move, and witness the consequences of your mistakes via truly advanced and comprehensive damage capturing technology.
• Performance Drives Results—Choose from hundreds of real-world, aftermarket parts and see the impact of visual Autosculpt technology on performance - all in real time.
• Redefining Competitive Social Play—Redefined online features amp the spirit of competition and create for the ultimate showdown.
• Share your Tuning Capabilities with the World—The all-new Blueprints feature allows you to upload your visual and performance customization settings online. You'll be credited each time your design is used to dominate a race.

Need for speed: Prostreet is to be released on the 11th of November, Preorder your copy at Amazon.com

"Family Timer" The new feature added on December update

Coming with the newest Xbox 360 dashboard update in early December, the "Family Timer" will allow parents to set a limit to gaming hours; notifications will warn the gamer periodically of the time remaining. This new feature headlines the joint initiative between Microsoft and the PTA called "PACT": a family contract "intended to foster family discussion surrounding screen time guidelines."

Manage Play Allowance Screen

"As a leader in interactive entertainment, it's Microsoft's responsibility to provide parents with tools they can use to manage their children's video gaming and online experiences, and we have made that a priority from the very start," Microsoft's Robbie Bach said in a statement.

The PTA, of course, agrees, and CEO Warlene Gary noted that "as times change and technology advances, the role of the parent stays the same in raising a safe, healthy, and successful child. PTA is proud to partner with Microsoft to provide parents with more resources that keep them involved in their children's lives."

In-Game Timer Notification

This will be sort of a disaster for some kids who will be forced then to quickly save the game before it automatically turn off, would that be a good step or a non needed one??

Scene it? Review and Trailer.

Scene it game is making its way to Xbox 360, complete with four newly crafted (and by "newly crafted" we mean that they blatantly ripped off Buzz's controller design) controllers.

The real question with Scene It? isn't whether it's fun, because it is, but instead it's whether or not you should spend the extra twenty bucks on converting to the Xbox 360 alternative when there are already a bevy of board game options available.

A big point of contention that 360 owners are obviously going to be gabbing over for awhile is the controllers that come packed in the game.

Yes, there are four of them. Yes, they use infrared lights to communicate with your console, and yes, you do need to attach a new IR port to receive the signal. Why are they handcuffing 360 owners to the limitations of infrared technology rather than using Microsoft's proprietary wireless technology?

Our best bet is to cut costs. The additional IR dongle also allows you to keep your 360 in an entertainment center behind a closed door and simply run the receiver's wire up to ten feet away from your system. It's just a hair shorter than the wired controller's cable, so there's a good bit of freedom.

Got Scene it?

The Big Button Pad also is fairly flexible and doesn't need to be pointed directly at the receiver. The manual reads that you can be up to 15 feet away, but ours functioned properly from more than 25 feet so chances are you won't have any issues. There's also a good bit of freedom when it comes to pointing the Big Button Pad at the IR port. We were able to point our pad directly up and even tilted slightly opposite the direction of the port and could still answer questions. Just so long as there's no solid object sitting in between you and the receiver things should run smoothly. There's no question that bona fide wireless support would have been preferable but we understand the decision to leave it out and are happy to report that the IR port does indeed function well.

But does the Big Button Pad actually push Scene It? on Xbox 360 forward from what the DVD game offers? Surprisingly yes, it does. It's fun to have something different than a standard DVD remote in your hands, passing it between players, and will definitely make the game more accessible to those who have never played an Xbox 360 game before.

Not only do the controllers function just as they should, but the gameplay within Scene It? is actually pretty damn fun. For as much ridicule as I've taken for defending this game over the last few days everyone who has actually picked up a controller and given the game an honest chance has come away with at least a small grin on their face.

There are three basic modes: short play, long play, and party play. Short and long play are essentially the same game, but short play will run you around 25 minutes, whereas long play is around an hour depending on how good you and your posse are. Short play contains three rounds, with three different puzzle types (five questions per type) per round whereas long play has five puzzle types per round.

Check Scene it? At the Xbox 360 help store.

Party play is the most disappointing of the modes, as it's the one that requires you to have four players taking part. You can play with three people, but the computer will assume that there is a fourth so you'll be sitting idle as the clock ticks down waiting for someone to buzz in on the fourth controller. Granted, if you're at a party you'll likely have at least four people to play with, but if you aren't the most popular kid on the block it would be nice to have the option to play with fewer.

The short and long play are where you'll spend most of your time, and both perform extremely well once you factor out the annoying announcer and the unneeded cutscenes that are intended to set up the game. One of the features that separate the Xbox 360 version from what you've been playing since 2001 is the fact that Microsoft's system keeps track of which of the 1,800 questions you've seen already.

That means that you won't have a repeat for quite some time. When you do get a repeat, and we have, it'll likely be in the movie clips section of the game. is Scene it? constantly taking you into the "screening room" and showing off the different movie clips that it holds, far more often than any other game mode. Luckily there's no set cycle of questions, so just because you get one repeat set of questions doesn't mean that you'll have already played the subsequent bunch.

Even though the gameplay won't blow anyone's hat off, there are plenty of puzzle types that stay fun throughout the experience, which is exactly why Scene It? can be looked at as an overall success. It doesn't try to be more than it is. It's a party game through and through and you and your movie buff friends--or even casual fans--will have a blast yelling at each other and obsessing over every question that comes along. Time factors into the score you get for each correct answer and games do come down to 30 or 40 points (out of a total of around 40,000) on occasion so you can imagine the amount of tension that can bring to a household.

The game designers also did a good job of crafting questions and puzzle types for different types of players. Some types are geared towards more creative thinkers, others are geared towards analytics, and then there are strictly memory-based games. That means that you could play with four friends, through four games, and it's entirely within the realm of possibility that there could be a different winner each time.

The biggest downside to the gameplay is that there is essentially no Xbox Live integration. This game would have been perfect to play with friends or random people from across the country, or at least have the ability to download new questions for a fee from Microsoft's online service. As it stands there doesn't seem to be anything of the sort, but that's not to say that they couldn't release a patch that opens up online functionality later on.

Xbox 360 Scene it? Trailer:

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare review

They say war is hell. Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare takes you to the very depths of Hades.

The long-awaited COD4, IW's follow-up to the excellent Call of Duty 2, is a jarring, intense, and gripping take on war in the new millennia. The enemies are smarter, the weapons are deadlier, and the grenades all too plentiful. COD4 will shake loose your fillings and have you begging for more.

But as any Call of Duty fan can tell you, the people at Infinity Ward are skilled storytellers and masterful scenarists. It's because of this that Modern Warfare finds itself in the company of movies like Black Hawk Down, rife with intense portrayals of serious and complicated situations that, though perhaps not entirely realistic, still convey to the rest of the nonenlisted world how war might feel: completely f***ed up.

The premise is loosely based on several volatile political situations on the other side of the world: A bloody coup occurs in an unnamed Middle Eastern nation that is fed up with Western influence and perceived imperialism. A Russian ultranationalist offshoot is trying to influence the outcome and use the Arab state's upheaval as a distraction for more nefarious and immediate plans. It's as much CNN as it is recent seasons of 24 -- events and timelines obviously exaggerated for effect. The story unfolds from an unapologetic "us versus them, and they are wrong" perspective, with little time spent on the larger philosophy of war. And that's fine, because it's ultimately a story about how soldiers execute their orders: efficiently, without question, with no room for pulpits.

Get your Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare from Amazon.com, click here.

Call of Duty is one of those roller coaster-type games, where you sit back and let the game guide you down one hopefully thrilling path. But the trick to pulling off a successful linear shooter is breaking the player away from the rails every so often, and that's accomplished by making encounters engaging and avoiding repetitive situations. Jumping between American, British, and Russian troops worked well in Call of Duty 2 and the same method applies for COD4. You alternate missions under British SAS and U.S. Marine Corps command, but both squads are linked by attacking the same ultimate goal from different angles, and because of that variance, it always feels like what you're doing is a vital part of winning the war (without developing into the stereotypical one-man army).

Moonlight rescue missions, frontal assaults and panicked extractions, sniper infiltrations and assassinations, ambushes and support roles, small teams and big squads...even though you're using the same guns and grenades throughout the entire game, every objective you're told to complete is a different exciting experience.

A mission begins with your squad moving through the countryside and taking out enemy positions. It's tense, and the firefights are frequent. But halfway through, you're transported high in the sky on an AC-130 gunship, peering through a black-and-white scope at small dots on the ground. The fancy graphics and sound disappear, creating an odd sense of security as you continue guiding the squad to its objective by clearing the path ahead with the AC-130's massive guns. The calm, nonchalant radio chatter of the airplane's operators replaces the screams for help. And then you're back on the ground in the thick of it -- an excellent example of the game manipulating your expectations of the series. When they're done well, scripted sequences work.

Unless you're playing on the Hardened difficulty setting, for that's where the scripted nature works against the game. Thanks to the more powerful enemies and less powerful armor, Hardened is always a challenge, and frequently a repetitive frustration. The checkpoint system is almost perfectly laid out, but there are certain "brick wall" areas that overwhelm you with punishing enemy fire and little recourse. Repeated attempts reveal enemy patterns and behaviors, and once you can anticipate that it feels like a shooting gallery. You start out impressed with the unknown combat scenario, but that feeling gives way to "and now two guys will run through this door..." In short, play through on Normal the first time for medium challenge and maximum enjoyment of the set pieces, and then challenge your skills later.

Just as the campaign is a satisfying thrill, COD4's multiplayer is treated with equal craftsmanship. A party system fueled by a wealth of playlists of differing maps and modes provides for near-endless entertainment, and a combination leveling/in-game achievement system keeps the carrot at the end of the stick. From levels 1 through 55, there are various rewards to unlock: new weapons, attachments, camouflages, and "perks." These perks are extra abilities that you can grant your character that give you certain advantages. Stopping Power makes your shots more powerful, Deep Impact allows for better bullet penetration through materials, Last Stand lets you draw your sidearm when you've been shot for a final attempt at revenge...other perks allow you to carry more ammo and grenades. And for every weapon, there are challenges that you can complete to unlock further upgrades. Most boil down to "shoot enough people," but there are more interesting challenges, like shooting down enemy helicopter support.

Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in game play video:

he best way to contain so many options is by total character and class customization. The Create-a-Class feature lets you differentiate your weapon loadout and perk assignments dependent on the situation. There are default classes like "Assault" and "Sniper," but this is the best way to employ your rewards in the game's various multiplayer modes. With 55 levels of progression (and multiple passes through the ladder -- you can surrender all of your unlocked stuff and start over with an emblem of honor), it can be daunting for those starting out at the bottom. You don't get much cool gear or perks, and you'll likely be trounced in the first handful of games by guys who can run faster and shoot better than you. But advancement is quick, and you'll get new guns, better sights, and more valuable perks soon enough -- and that quest for better gear is when the addiction sets in.

With proven mechanics, brilliant visuals and sound, a satisfying campaign, and robust multiplayer, COD4 is one of the best FPS packages of the year -- no small feat, considering the competition.

Guitar Hero 3 Cheats

Guitar Hero 3, Legends of Rock Cheats:

Hyperspeed
O, B, O, Y, O, B, O, Y

Performance Mode
RY, RB, RO, RB, RY, GB, RY, RB

Precision Mode
GR, GR, GR, RY, RY, RB, RB, YB, YO, YO, GR, GR, GR, RY, RY, RB, RB, YB, YO, YO

Unlock All
YO, RB, RO, GB, RY, YO, RY, RB, GY, GY, YB, YB, YO, YO, YB, Y, R, RY, R, Y, O

Get your Guitar Hero 3, Legends of Rock from Amazon.com

Rock Band: The Complete Licensed Track List

Rock Band is arriving in stores on November 20. Along with a guitar, mic, and drum kit, the $169.99 package includes 58 songs (45 licensed tracks, and 13 more that are unlockable). For months, Harmonix/MTV/EA has teased us with pieces of the track list. Today, we finally have the complete list of licensed tracks. Keep in mind that each week following the release of Rock Band, new downloadable songs will be made available. Among the DLC is the entire Who's Album "Who's Next," Metallica's "One," and eighteen songs by The Grateful Dead.

Click here to order Rock band from Amazon.com

1960s

• Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter"

1970s

• Aerosmith "Train Kept a Rollin'"*
• The Who "Won't Get Fooled Again"
• Boston "Foreplay/Long Time"
• Mountain "Mississippi Queen" (cover)
• The Police "Next to You"
• David Bowie "Suffragette City"
• Black Sabbath "Paranoid" (cover)
• Blue Oyster Cult "Don't Fear the Reaper"
• The Ramones "Blitzkrieg Bop"
• Deep Purple "Highway Star"
• KISS "Detroit Rock City"
• Molly Hatchet "Flirtin' With Disaster"
• The Outlaws "Green Grass & High Tides" (cover)
• Sweet "Ballroom Blitz" (cover)

1980s

• Rush "Tom Sawyer"*
• Bon Jovi "Wanted Dead or Alive"
• The Clash "Should I Stay or Should I Go"
• Faith No More "Epic"
• Pixies "Wave of Mutilation"
• R.E.M. "Orange Crush"
• Iron Maiden "Run to the Hills" (cover)

1990s

• Foo Fighters "Learn to Fly"
• Metallica "Enter Sandman"
• Nirvana "In Bloom"
• Stone Temple Pilots "Vasoline"
• Weezer "Say It Ain't So"
• Smashing Pumpkins "Cherub Rock"
• Radiohead "Creep"
• Beastie Boys "Sabotage"
• Hole "Celebrity Skin"
• Garbage "I Think I'm Paranoid"
• Soundgarden "Black Hole Sun"

2000s

• The Hives "Main Offender"
• Queens of the Stone Age "Go With the Flow"
• The Strokes "Reptilia"
• Jet "Are You Gonna Be My Girl"
• OK Go "Here It Goes Again"
• Nine Inch Nails "The Hand That Feeds"
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Maps"
• Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dani California"
• Coheed & Cambria "Welcome Home"
• Fallout Boy "Dead on Arrival"
• The Killers "When You Were Young"
• New Pornographers "Electric Version"

Unlockable Tracks

• Bang Camaro "Pleasure (Pleasure)"
• Twelve more yet to be revealed

Click here to order Rock band from Amazon.com

Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter New Missions Released

The hugely popular squad-based tactical shooter Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 ( GRAW2) is looking to draw players back into the battlefield with the release of five new co-op campaign missions.

Up to 16 players can compete over Xbox LIVE or through System Link, enjoying maps drawn from the original two Ghost Recon games for Xbox (Ghost Recon and Ghost Recon: Island Thunder) plus classic, fan favourite maps such as Railroad Bridge, Battlefield Caves and Plantation. Missions range from having to destroy a fleet of convoy vehicles to silencing artillery that is battering allied troops in a nearby village.

In addition to the five co-op maps there are nine adversarial maps available in the pack, seven of which are from previous games with two completely new environments. Here players can fight against each other in Ghost Recon’s various multiplayer modes.

All nine levels have been recreated using the pin-sharp graphics and fidelity of GRAW2 and as such will offer a blast of nostalgia to long term fans of the series while giving new players chance to investigate some classic level designs.

The pack introduces an additional 125 achievement points to play for. These tasks range from, for example, performing a grenade kill after you’ve already died to completing co-op maps without dying or re-spawning on hard difficulties.

The pack of nine maps is exceptional value and will offer players countless hours of multiplayer enjoyment over the forthcoming holiday season.

Click Here to buy Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter from amazon.com

Ultimate Naruto Competition 2 Started - Hiyaa!

Ubisoft and Manga Entertainment Ltd are proud to give you the chance to win the Ultimate Naruto prize where you can win everything you possibly want Naruto related - games, DVDs, merchandise and an Xbox 360 console!

There is a top prize of an Xbox 360, every Naruto DVD released in the UK, Naruto Rise of a Ninja on Xbox 360 and £100 worth of Naruto merchandise! There are dozens of runner-up prizes of games, DVD’s so you’ve got a great chance to win something.

You still can Participate in the competition just Click Here.

There are some rules for the competition so I've listed them here:

1. The competition is open to all UK residents with the exception of UbiSoft Limited (the “Promoter”) employees, their families and anyone professionally connected with the competition. The Promoter reserves the right to verify eligibility qualifications of winners.

2. Minors (ie. persons under 18 years of age) must have authorisation from their parents (or the person who exercises parental authority) to enter the competition on the terms of these rules.

3. Entry to the competition is via the webpage located at the Ultimate Naruto Competition. In order to enter, you must answer three questions correctly and the winning entries will be randomly selected for the prizes.

4. The competition will commence on 15/10/07 (the “Start Date”). All entries must be received no later than midnight on 15/11/07 (the “Closing Date”). By submitting their entry, entrants will be deemed to have agreed to be bound by these rules. Entries through agents or third parties will be invalid.

5. The prize structure is as follows:

• 1st prize: 1xXbox 360 games console, 1 year Gold membership to Xbox Live, Naruto Rise of the Ninja on Xbox 360, 2100 Marketplace Points, the complete Naruto DVD collection from Manga Entertainment Ltd and £100 of Naruto merchandise.
• Runner-up prizes: 10xbundles of Naruto Unleashed Series 1 Part 1 & Party 2, 10xbundles of Naruto Unleashed Series 2 Part 1 & Party 2, 10xNaruto Unleashed complete series box set and 10xNaruto The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow

6. There is a limit of one entry per person. Correspondence will be entered into only at the absolute discretion of the Promoter.

7. The winner will be selected at random from all correct entries. The panel of judges will contain at least one independent member. The judges’ decision will be final and binding.

8. Winners will be notified by e-mail or post before 20/12/07.

9. Prizes will be posted to the winners within 28 days of the Closing Date.

10. A list of the prize winners can be obtained by sending a stamped addressed envelope to Ultimate Naruto Competition, Ubisoft, 1st Floor Chertsey Gate East, London Street, Chertsey, Surrey, KT16 8AP within 3 months of the Closing Date.

11. Entrants to the competition accept that, if they win, the Promoter will have the right, without additional payment or permission, to use their name, age, town of residence and likeness for the purposes of announcing the winner of this competition and for related promotional purposes.

12. All entries will become the property of the Promoter on its receipt of them and will not be returned. Entrants to the competition agree that the Promoter shall be entitled to use entries as it sees fit without additional payment, permission or reference to the entrant.

13. Entrants may be contacted from time to time in the future about new products available from the Promoter. Entrants who do not wish this to occur should tick the relevant box on the entry form.

14. The Promoter is Ubisoft, 1st Floor Chertsey Gate East, London Street, Chertsey, Surrey, KT16 8AP. Please note that under no condition should competition entries be sent to this address.

15. The Promoter accepts no responsibility for incorrect or inaccurate transcription of entry information, or for any human error, technical malfunctions, or any lost/delayed data transmission, or any omission, interruption, deletion, defect, line failures of any telephone network, computer equipment, software, inability to access any website or internet service, or any other error or malfunction, or late, lost, illegible or misdirected entries. No automated entries will be accepted. Entry will be declared made by the authorised account holder of the email address submitted at time of entry. “Authorised account holder” is defined as the person assigned the email account by an internet service provider. If the Promoter determines, in its sole discretion, that there is any suspected or actual electronic tampering with the competition or if technical difficulties compromise the integrity of the competition, the Promoter reserves the right to void the entries at issue and/or suspend, modify and/or terminate the competition.

The competition prizes are:

• Xbox 360 games console
• 1 year Gold membership to Xbox Live
• Naruto Rise of the Ninja on Xbox 360
• 2100 Marketplace Points
• The complete Naruto DVD collection from Manga Entertainment Ltd
• £100 of Naruto merchandise

Naruto Unleashed Series 1
Bundles of Naruto Unleashed Series 1 Part 1 & Part 2

Naruto Unleashed Series 2
Bundles of Naruto Unleashed Series 2 Part 1 & Part 2

Naruto Unleashed complete series DVD box set
Naruto Unleashed complete series DVD box set

Naruto The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow
Naruto The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow

Winners will be notified by e-mail or post before 20/12/07 as we said before also you can check how won through this link here.

Mass Effect golden

BioWare finished with first leg of sci-fi trilogy; limited collector's edition to include art book, backstory primer, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and more.

Mass Effect is an Electronic Arts franchise now, but that isn't stopping Microsoft from pushing the Xbox 360-exclusive sci-fi role-playing game as a big part of its holiday lineup. Today Microsoft announced that not only has the game gone gold in preparation of its November 20 release date, but it will also receive a full-blown Limited Collector's Edition.

Click here to buy Mass Effect from Amazon.com

The Limited Collector's Edition of Mass Effect will include a wealth of background on the game. Foremost among the premium package's offerings is a pair of 36-page booklets, one of which offers a primer on the game's universe and timeline, and the other a collection of concept artwork. The set will also include a bonus DVD with documentaries on the making of the game, a look inside BioWare, 18 Xbox Live gamer pics, 16 dashboard themes, 10 songs from the soundtrack, and 600 concept images with commentary from the game's art directors.

On top of that, gamers who preorder either version of the game at participating US retailers will receive a bonus disc with an introductory documentary on the game, a dozen gamer pics, eight dashboard themes, three songs from the soundtrack, and various trailers.

As has become standard for limited-edition packages, Mass Effect's collector's set will be available for $69.99, a $10 premium over the regular edition's $59.99 price tag.

Click here to buy Mass Effect from Amazon.com

Bionic Commando preview and trailer

Taking its inspiration from its 8-bit namesake released on the Nintendo Entertainment System back in 1988, Bionic Commando features Nathan Spencer, a government operative who represents the ultimate fusion of man and machine. After distinguishing himself in a fierce conflict against the Imperials, Spencer is betrayed and falsely imprisoned by the very people he unquestioningly served.

Three years later, on the day he is due to be executed for his supposed crimes, an experimental weapon detonates in Ascension City, unleashing an immensely powerful earthquake coupled with a radiation shockwave that leaves the city in ruins, wiping out its populace. Military intelligence suggests that a large terrorist search force has moved in and occupied Ascension City, but as yet their motives remain unclear. With the terrain in ruins and the terrorists in control of Ascension City’s air defences the FSA has only one option open to them – the reactivation of Nathan Spencer.

Bionic Commando harnesses the power of the latest generation of hardware to fully exploit the swing mechanic that made the original title so unique. The ruins of Ascension City and its surroundings provide an engaging environment of towering buildings, suspended roadways and monorails, deep canyons and sheer rock faces that allow gamers to traverse each area via multiple routes using swinging, rappeling, climbing and wall-walking techniques.
An expertly trained operative, Spencer is able to target and take out enemies while hanging upside down, climbing a building or even in mid-swing. At close quarters, the bionic arm packs a mean punch, while from a distance, objects such as boulders and cars can be grabbed and launched at enemies.

The development team behind Bionic Commando represents a unique and compelling collaboration of cultures and skills, consisting of an American Producer living in Japan, a Japanese Creative Advisor and highly-rated Swedish developer GRIN providing a European influence. This partnership provides a further example of Capcom’s strategy to work with the best developer talent, whilst maintaining the unique elements of creativity and approach to game design for which Capcom is renowned.

Xbox 360 Bionic Commando trailer:

Skate review and trailer

Say goodbye to Tony Hawk's games and welcome the skate. - EA's latest product.

Finally, a skateboarding franchise we can play and enjoy instead of the declining Tony Hawk series. Though both Tony Hawk and Skate are of course skateboarding games, they differ in many aspects of the game such as controls and graphics. Not to mention that, skate is a lot more fun to play both online and offline.

The first thing you will notice while playing skate is that it is actually somewhat realistic. No more doing 30 second handstands, no more “Natas Spins” (thank god), and best of all, no more 1,000,000 point combos. The second thing you will notice is that this is in no way, shape, or form a button mashers game. The thumb-sticks are the main parts of the controller used during the game. The left thumb-stick controls your body while the right thumb-stick controls the board. Although it does take some getting used too, once you get it nailed down it just makes the game a hell of a lot of fun to play.

The story starts off similar to a movie. You are shooting a skate video, and let’s just say you should have looked both ways before you crossed the street. You basically get owned by a bus, and get rushed to the hospital. The doctor says it’s going to take some major reconstructive surgery to fix you up, so now it’s time to create your character the way you want him to look. The create-a-character isn’t exactly “great”, but it beats the Tony Hawk create-a-skater by a long shot, so be thankful with what you got. Once you finally get out of the hospital, what do you do? Skate of course! You and your friend (camera man), decide to go to the skate park in the suburbs to do a rehab session of skating. This is where you are taught everything you need to know on how to play the game. All of the tutorials are in this area, and once you finish them you should be all set to go. The main objective of the story is to earn recognition by being on the cover of skate mags and taking part of the X-Games. Not too much of a storyline here, but the game makes up for it in a big way. The city of San Velona is so huge that it’s almost overwhelming.

Click here to buy Skate from Xbox 360 help store, In Association with Amazon.com

This is why the game never gets old. Finding sick spots to skate is what it’s all about, and that is what you will spend most of your time doing when playing this game. There are four sections of the city, each having there own type of fun to them. Those sections are the Suburbs, The Res, Downtown, and Old Town. The suburbs are exactly what you think of when you think suburbs. Lots of regular houses, some cool places to skate, a good size skate park. The Res is downhill skating all the way. If you like speed, this is the place for you. Downtown is the place with the best skate spots, but is swarming with security; so be careful. Last but definitely not least is Old Town, which is great for skating mainly ledges. The missions in the game are pretty frustrating at times to say the least. I’ve caught myself about to throw my controller a few times, but that’s nothing compared to breaking my headset while playing Halo 3...but that’s a different story. Anyways, this isn’t a game you can just breeze through. It takes time, practice, skill, and sometimes a good amount of luck is involved too.

Xbox 360 Skate trailer:

Online is great if you’re unlike myself and actually have a good connection. I don’t really like doing things such as races, but instead I just like to free skate around with my friend and practice doing tricks that are killing me in career mode. As I said before I have a pretty bad connection so I try to avoid everything except free skate, but I’ve heard that it is loads of fun, so give it a shot.

Another unique and fun part of the game is the “Replay Editor.” Say for example you did a trick/combo that is so amazing that it’s probably a once in a lifetime thing, well you can just pause the game and edit the replay of it so that it looks even cooler, and then upload it to skate’s official website to show it off to the public for them to view and rate. It’s a nice little addition to the game that makes it just that much better.

My final opinion on skate is that it is really a great game when you give it a chance. It felt awkward at first, but once you get used to it, it is a very fun game to play that can last you a long time, at least until the sequel to skate.

Click here to buy Skate from Xbox 360 help store, In Association with Amazon.com

Xbox 360 Video Games Live Festival

About London Games Festival

The London Games Festival is a weeklong cultural and business celebration of computer and video games, reflecting their influence and importance as central to popular culture and entertainment. Created by the London Development Agency and with the full support of the industry, trade bodies (ELSPA and Tiga) and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, it will provide an exciting week of consumer and trade events in the capital. The Festival is a collection of independent events, which will run concurrently at venues throughout the city between 22 and 26 October 2007.

Video Games Live. 22nd October. Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, London

Xbox is proud to sponsor this year’s Video Games Live concert, celebrating iconic game music, performed live by members of Classic FM's Philharmonia Orchestra. The show will be held at the Royal Festival Hall on London's Southbank, on the 22nd of October as the opening event to this year’s London Games Festival. Tickets can be purchased at: http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/all-events/productions/video-games-live-17937

Video Games Live™ is not just a concert, but a musical, visual and interactive celebration of gaming that will enthral anyone who has ever played a video game. Whether it's the power and passion of Halo® 3, or nostalgia for the days of Pong and Space Invaders, Video Games Live™ promises to deliver an experience you will remember.
More information and footage from previous shows can be viewed at www.videogameslive.com, where there is also the opportunity to download a free track from the forthcoming Video Games Live: Greatest Hits album.

Tomb Raider Anniversary Coming to Xbox 360

Eidos has confirmed that Tomb Raider Anniversary will be released on October 26th '07 for the XBOX 360. The game is currently only available for the PS2, and PC. The 360 version will be on retail shelves and also listed on XBOX LIVE Marketplace downloads in November.

"Anniversary has already been a great success on PS2 and PC Games for Windows and now 360 owners will get the choice of either owning a boxed copy or downloading the game straight to their 360 hard drive." said Kathryn Clements, Senior Brand Manager for Tomb Raider.

A PSP and Wii version will also be released at the end of October.

Tomb Raider Anniversary will use the same game engine as Tomb Raider Legend and was developed by Crystal Dynamics.

New Halo 3 Maps are in the Works

According to Bungie insider lukems they are currently working on new maps to be available for download. He gives you a little teaser about the ones they are currently testing.... His quote after the jump.

"Work is progressing on new maps for future downloadable content, with the design and art teams vigorously engaged in the process. More entertainingly however, the ad-hoc test team of Bungie staff is enjoying these new maps greatly. My favorites are what I have already nicknamed Jodrell Bank and Moonbase Alpha."

"I “invented” a game type on Jodrell Bank which is actually just Team Slayer with Swords and Snipers. Thanks to some unique geographical features of that map, it works great. Moonbase Alpha, on the other hand is best suited to objective games, like CTF and Assault, but it has some natural deadlocks that make Slayer interesting and Infection terrifying.

Which reminds me of one more downloadable map. The scariest map of all time. Dark, frightening and surprisingly enormous. One of the scariest things that has ever happened to me (and this in a lifetime fraught with terror) was racing away from a marauding gang of zombies in Infection atop a Mongoose, only to have one leap out of the darkness ahead and unseat me with a throaty scream. I call that level John Carpenter’s Prince of Dorkness. It’s not as catchy as Jub Jub, but it’s every bit as accurate."

Unreal Tournament 3 will be on Xbox 360 in 2008

Unreal Tournament 3 will be on Xbox 360 in 2008,

Epic VP Mark Rein has reassured gamers that UT3 will still be coming to the Xbox 360 in 2008, after a comment made by Epic president Mark Capps was taken out of context and implied at PS3-only release. After Rein's comment ended the inevitable flame-wars that erupted around the web, Rein went on to discuss Epic's desire to keep the PC version's system requirements down.

"The reason we put out a beta version of our demo was to get feedback on how well the game runs on older hardware." Rein said. While this doesn't exactly relate to the console versions, it is nice to be reassured that Epic is concerned with making the game as accessible as possible.

Mass Effect preview and trailer

Mass Effect is a sci-fi action RPG created by BioWare, Mass Effect delivers an immersive, story-driven experience coupled with awe-inspiring visuals, delivered exclusively to the Xbox 360™.

As one of the first human beings to step onto the galactic stage, you face a grave threat that may destroy all of civilization. Your job is complicated by the fact that no one believes that there is any threat at all. Travel across an expansive universe, exploring the uncharted corners of the galaxy, searching for pieces of the truth in order to discover how to defeat the coming destruction.

Explore uncharted worlds: Uncover a mystery that defies imagination as you travel to the far corners of the universe. Visit unexplored planets, finding side quests that unfold parallel to the main story. Discover alien life, new resources, ruined civilizations, and powerful technologies.

Fight in real-time: Mass Effect features a real-time, squad-based, tactical combat system. Enjoy intense and exciting third-person action as you face off against your enemies. Engage your foes with ranged weapons, biotic powers, science-based magic, and tech powers, all accompanied by astonishing visuals.

Customize your character: Build a stunning, photo-realistic character, expanding your skills and statistics as you progress. Utilize a deep reward system as you travel further afield and discover more about the coming invasion. Change the appearance of your characters with the additions of newly discovered weapons, equipment, and armor to make each one truly unique.

Experience the next generation: Mass Effect takes full advantage of Xbox 360 hardware, providing players with photo-realistic high definition graphics, amazingly realistic characters, branching dialogue with A.I. responses, and a massive universe to explore. As the future of gaming continues to expand online, look for premium downloads on Xbox LIVE

Xbox 360 Mass effect trailer:

Xbox Arcade To Replace Xbox Core

Down below is a leaked photo of Microsoft’s newest but yet to be released Xbox 360 Arcade package, the photo was first published by Ars Technica. It seems certain that this Arcade package will replace the cheap but popular Xbox 360 Core package. Microsoft has told the press to expect the price tag of the Arcade to be the same as Core which would be around $279 and that Arcade would contain more features than Core.
The estimated differences between Arcade and Core package are as below:
Other than that, Arcade would be pretty much the same as Core, but this is still an estimation, Microsoft might add more changes before it launches Arcade to the market. By offering more features while maintaining the same low price point with this Arcade package, Microsoft is planning to give more reasons for people to buy an Xbox 360.