Pro Evolution Soccer 2009

Pro Evolution Soccer released on the 17th of October 2008

PES Features and improvements:

• PES 2009 will feature a new game mode called 'Become A Legend'.
• Connect your camera and import data to create your own player or team emblems. You can create your own character and guide him through a superstar career in professional football.
• You will feel the great improvement in the Graphics, ball control and the new camera angles, players and stadiums.

Fully Licensed National teams:

• Europe (Croatia, Czech Republic, England, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Portugal,Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Sweden & Turkey)
• Asia (Australia, Japan & South Korea)
• Africa (Ghana & Côte d'Ivoire)
• America (Argentina & Brazil)

Xbox 360 green Wireless Controller

Microsoft offers Xbox 360 gamers the new unique Xbox 360 green Wireless Controller.
The most requested colour will be available on October the 24th 2008.

Imagine the green wireless controller with the enhanced D-Pad functionality with XBLA games.
It'll be great, won't it??!!.......

You can now add green to the list of Xbox 30 wireless controllers' colours: chill, black, pink, blue, and now green.

Note: The green limited edition wireless controller is available in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Xbox 360 elite price drop

More surprises for Xbox 360 gamers.

Do you imagine high definition gaming experience for £ 129.99 only?

That's true.

• Xbox 360 Arcade only for £129.99 ERP. You can now enjoy the Xbox 360 with five full Arcade games included: UNO, Pac-Man Championship Edition, Feeding Frenzy, Luxor 2 and Boom Boom Rocket.
  
• Xbox 360 only for £169.99 ERP. Are you a serious gamer? Are you looking for the ultimate console? If yes Xbox 360 is your best choice.
  
• Xbox 360 Elite only for £229.99 ERP. Do you prefer it all in black? Xbox 360 Elite is what you need. The ELITE Xbox 360 console package includes a massive 120GB hard drive, a HDMI port, and HDMI cable, all wrapped up with a premium black finish.

Xbox Live new update on 29 Sep 08

On the 29th September 08, Xbox Live service will be temporarily unavailable for 24 hours starting 9am .
This will be due to the new important Xbox Live update that will change the way you enjoy Xbox 360 entertainment forever.
After the Live update your Xbox Live will be ready for the arrival of the New Xbox Experience later this year.

Xbox 360 will be a limitless world of home entertainment (you'll enjoy the best games, movies and TV shows live side by side with your personal pictures and music library).
Everything you enjoy about your Xbox 360 can be shared at any time with friends via Xbox Live using cool customisable animated Avatars.

Note: You won’t see the New Xbox Experience when LIVE comes back online, but you will be ready to receive it when it launches later this year.

Xbox360 New License transfer tool

The new Xbox 360 License Transfer Tool on Xbox.com makes self-service, voluntary license transfers for content purchased through the Xbox LIVE Marketplace possible for our community.
The license transfer tool lets you consolidate your downloaded content licenses to one console. For example, if you downloaded items from Xbox LIVE Marketplace on one console, then purchased another console later on and downloaded more content to the new one, your content would be licensed to two consoles.
This tool lets you download your older content licenses to your new console.
You can find it on www.xbox.com/drm

Note:

• You won't need the License transfer tool if you sent your console for repair as licences are transferred automatically during the repair, you might need to download them again. You can find the steps on the Console After Repair page.
• The tool can used only once every twelve months.
• Movie rental licenses are not transferred. So make sure you watch your movies before using this tool.

Below are the transfer steps:

1. Finish the process on www.xbox.com/drm
2. Attach a hard drive or memory unit.
3. Turn on the console.
4. Sign in to Xbox LIVE with the gamer profile that originally downloaded the content.
5. Go to Xbox LIVE Marketplace and select Account Management, Download History.
6. Select an item and then select Download Again.
7. Repeat the 5th step for each item in your download history.

Note: The content is no longer licensed to the old console. You can only use it while signed in to Xbox LIVE.

New Xbox 360 60GB hard drive

The New Xbox 360 with triple the storage

(60 GB hard drive )

Microsoft is now offering the gamers more gigabytes for their buck. An Xbox 360 console with triple the storage space of the original console, but for the same price of $349 (U.S.) estimated retail price.
Now you'll have three times the storage to manage all that great content.
Available in retail stores in the United States and Canada starting the upgraded Xbox 360.

It includes a 60GB hard drive for storing the growing wealth of digital entertainment available for the console, including music, movies, television shows, and game content.

The new Xbox 360 includes:

• Xbox 360 console: The console is equipped with a cool white finish and three powerful core processors capable of producing the best in high definition (HD) entertainment (up to 1080p for gaming), 16:9 cinematic aspect ratio, anti-aliasing for smooth textures, full surround sound, and high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) output.


• 60GB Hard Drive: The 60GB detachable hard drive allows you to save your games and store television shows, movies, music, pictures, trailers, levels, demos, and other content available from Xbox LIVE Marketplace, the premier one-stop digital download center for entertainment.


• Upscaling DVD Player: With an HDMI cable (sold separately), watch your favorite DVDs in near high-definition using the upscaling capabilities of Xbox 360.
  
• Xbox 360 Wireless Controller: This award-winning, high-performance wireless controller features the Xbox Guide Button for quick, in-game access to friends and music. It has a range of up to 30 feet and a battery life of up to 30 hours on two AA batteries.
  
• Xbox 360 Headset: The headset lets friends and family around the world chat while playing games, watching movies, or sending voice messages on Xbox LIVE.


• Xbox LIVE Silver Membership: For no additional cost, Xbox 360 owners can chat with friends online, collect Achievements to improve their Gamerscores, send and receive voice and text messages, and access Xbox LIVE Marketplace content such as game demos, and purchase or rent HD movies and TV shows, as well as the best in downloadable games from Xbox LIVE Arcade. (Broadband Internet access required.)


• One-month subscription to Xbox LIVE Gold: An Xbox LIVE Gold Membership provides a complete online entertainment experience. Those who subscribe to this premium service can engage in competitive online multiplayer matches, tailor their matchmaking via feedback and accomplishments, and chat with an entire group of friends at a time.
  

Not only this but Microsoft also dropped the price of its 20GB Xbox 360 console in United States and Canada to be $299 (U.S.) (ERP) while supplies last, a savings of $50.

24 New missions for Ninja Gaiden 2

24 new missions for Ninja Gaiden 2

24 brand new missions (equivalent to a whole new campaign mode) for Ninja Gaiden 2 available now on Xbox Live markerplace all for 800MS points ONLY.
Each one of these missions theme to challenge the full range of Ryu Hayabusa’s formidable ninja skills.

And the most exciting about it is that all high scores will be represented on the Ninja Gaiden 2 Mission Leaderboards for all to admire on Xbox Live.

I believe it worths the effort.

You’ll also be rewarded for these efforts as well with 10 new Achievements to earn.
Now you can become as legendary as Hayabusa himself.....

Beijing 2008 Official Vedio Game of teh Olympic Games

Bring home the Gold!

Compete in Beijing 2008™ - The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games alone or online as you strive to break records in 38 events across ten official Olympic sports including track and field, aquatics, gymnastics, and cycling!

Over thirty official events and national teams: Represent the country of your choice and compete in such sports as track and field, aquatics, gymnastics, cycling, judo, table tennis, and canoe-kayak for the highest honor across ten authentic-looking stadiums.

In-depth Olympic Games and Competition modes: In Olympic Games mode, players organize their daily schedule and customize their national teams with agility, power, stamina, and speed for competition in 38 events. With up to three friends, players can participate in either single or multi-event challenges in Competition mode.

New gameplay mechanics: Controls vary across events, including a time-based system where timing, power and angle are essential, a rhythm-based method that requires increasing and sustaining speed, and a targeting system to aid players in accurately hitting targets.

In the zone: Players are pulled right into the athlete's mind, getting them closer to the action and giving them time to accurately control every move.

Global online competition: Face challengers from other nations, compete in exhibition events, and track your progress on the leaderboards, which allow you to prove yourself before the world.Capturing the Olympic spirit: As the exclusive official videogame, Beijing 2008™ offers an authentic look and feel of the Games, ultra-realistic recreations of the Beijing stadiums, and a chance to soak up the atmosphere from the Olympic host city in your own home.

Upgrade Xbox Live child account

Is your Xbox Live account a child account?
Did you create your account before the 18th?
Do you want to change it to an adult one?
Are you 18+ now?

Now Microsoft allows you to promote your child account to an adult account after you step in your 18th year.
This promotion removes the Family Settings and Xbox LIVE restrictions.
To promote your account, you must agree again to the Xbox LIVE Terms of Use and marketing opt-ins.

Here's how to promote your child account:

1- On the Xbox Dashboard, Select your gamer profile.
2- Choose Account management.
3- Choose Promote Child Account.
And follow the steps.

Note: If your parent's credit card was on your account, you must enter a new one to replace it.

GEARS OF WAR 2

Get Ready.....................

GEARS OF WAR 2 will be available November 2008

Did you enjoy Gears of War?! Xbox 360 exclusive game that blends tactical action with survival horror, thrusts gamers into a deep and harrowing story of humankind's epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet. If yes, so you'd like this surprise ....
GEARS OF WAR 2
An even bigger, better and more badass experience than Gears of war
Sure you can’t wait to get it in hands...
November 08 will be the date.

GEARS OF WAR 2

Get Ready......................

GEARS OF WAR 2 will be available November 2008

Did you enjoy Gears of War?!
Xbox 360 exclusive game that blends tactical action with survival horror, thrusts gamers into a deep and harrowing story of humankind's epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet.

If yes, so you'd like this surprise ....

GEARS OF WAR 2

An even bigger, better and more badass experience than Gears of war

Sure you can’t wait to get it in hands...

November 08 will be the date.

Watch the game trailer:

Xbox 360 France €60 Rebate Offer

For France Customers ONLY

From April 29th to June 15th
If you buy an Xbox 360 and GTA IV, you'll receive €60
You do not have to purchase the Xbox 360 & GTA IV together but should buy them both between April 29th to June 15th.

To get the rebate:
1- Fill in application form on xbox.com
2- Send the proof of purchase for the Xbox 360 console and GTA IV game, with the 13 digit bar code (you'll find it on the console packaging) to the address on the application.

Xbox 360 price drop

April 29th, Microsoft announced lowering the prices for the Elite, Premium and Arcade Xbox 360 consoles in Singapore.

In Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan that price drop is for the Premium Xbox 360s only on May 1st.

Below are the new prices:

Singapore

Elite --> SGD 699

Premium --> SGD 499

Arcade --> SGD 399

Hong Kong
Premium --> HKD 2,499

Korea

Premium --> KRW 369,000

Taiwan
Premium --> NTD 10,360

Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack

April 15th, the launch date for the Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack

Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack is a collection of three new amazing maps:

1- Avalanche :

Your excuse to ride the many vehicles made famous by the Halo series, but retuned for the snowy battlefield.

This map is actually a tribute to the “Sidewinder” map from Halo: Combat Evolved, but has been massively revamped for Xbox 360.

2- Blackout :

It is actually the same basic design as Lockout (the fan favourite from Halo2), but you won’t believe the graphical overhaul it has received.

Sometimes we’re forgetting how much Xbox 360 really has moved things on graphically, but classic gameplay lives forever.

3- Ghost Town :

This medium-size map suits Team Slayer games, so expect to be kept very busy indeed.

Don’t be surprised to find your pulse racing as you navigate the rabbit warren of passages or emerge onto the rooftops with the ground far below.

Only for 800 Microsoft points you can enjoy more your multiplayer games with the new Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack......

Windows Media Connect firewall ports

Are you trying to stream music, pictues or videos from your Windows Media Connect computer on your Xbox 360?
Is it not working?
Do you get "PC selected failed" when you test the connection?

Basically you are not able to play music because you have a firewall programme installed on your PC blocking the connection between the Xbox 360 and the computer. And this firewall is something other than Windows firewall.
For the Xbox 360 and the computer to communicate there should be some ports opened on your Firewall programme on the PC. (Windows firewall already opens the correct ports for the communication between the Computer and the Xbox 360)

To open these firewall ports, you must know the name of the program, the port that the program needs, and the direction of the communication signal.
Below are the ports that you should open for Windows Media Connect based PC:

For the manual setting of your firewall, you'll need to check the firewall documentation.
For Windows Media Center PC firewall settings press here.

Windows Media Center firewall ports

Are you trying to stream music, pictues or videos from your Windows Media Center computer on your Xbox 360?
Is it not working?
Do you get "PC selected failed" when you test the connection?

Basically you are not able to play music because you have a firewall programme installed on your PC blocking the connection between the Xbox 360 and the computer. And this firewall is something other than Windows firewall.

For the Xbox 360 and the computer to communicate there should be some ports opened on your Firewall programme on the PC. (Windows firewall already opens the correct ports for the communication between the Computer and the Xbox 360)

To open these firewall ports, you must know the name of the program, the port that the program needs, and the direction of the communication signal.
Below are the ports that you should open for Windows Media Center Based PC:

For the manual setting of your firewall, you'll need to check the firewall documentation.

For Windows Media Connect PC firewall settings press here.

Change Windows Live ID associated to your gamertag

Do you have a gamertag and want to change the Windows Live ID associated to your gamertag?
If so follow the below steps:

• Go to your Gamercard on the Xbox Live area of the dashboard, then select Account Management.
• In the Account Management list, select Windows Live ID.
• Choose Change Windows Live ID.
• You will get this message:
  "Do you have another existing Windows Live ID to associate your Xbox Live account with?" So select Yes, I do
• Then enter the password for the Windows Live ID that is currently associated with your Gamertag, and click Sign in.
• Now enter the new e-mail address and the password for the new Windows Live ID that you want to associate with your gamertag, and select Sign in.
• You'll get this message:
  "Do you want to change the Windows Live ID associated with your Xbox Live account?" So select Yes, change.
• You'll get this message:
  “We have completed the Windows Live ID change to your Xbox Live account. You will be required to use your new Windows Live ID when you log on to Xbox Live or Xbox.com”
• Just select "Update Contact Information" if you have to update your contact information.
• Select Done.

Note: You can only change your Windows Live ID once in a 30 day period

Now you'll Xbox Live account is associated to the new windows Live ID

Mass Effect downloadable new pack

On March 10th 2008 Mass Effect new downloadable pack “Bring Down the Sky” is available on Xbox Live Marketplace.

Only for 400 MS points and you begin to explore a new world aboard the starship Normandy. This uncharted territory is no holiday destination however; it’s the Asgard system which is currently plagued by ferocious Batarians.
Deep inside Asgard there lies a human colony world called Terra Nova.

The content pack “Bring Down the Sky” is so named because a group of extremist Batarians have hijacked an asteroid station and have set it on a collision course with Terra Nova.

Thus the lives of millions of innocent civilians are in grave danger, and Commander Shepard has less than two hours to interject.
“Bring Down the Sky” is the first in a series of planned downloadable content for Mass Effect.

It adds like 90 minutes of exhilarating new sequences that benefit from the award-winning features of this action role-playing game – intelligent dialogue, tactical battles, and spectacular visuals to depict each scenario.

After completing “Bring Down the Sky” you will earn an Achievement of 50 score points.
What do you think? Does it worth??!!!

Forza Motorsport 2 Downloadable Content Pack

March the 19th : A new content pack is now available for Forza Motorsport 2.

For only 400 MS points you can download 13 of the most desirable road cars ever created, including the Audi S5, Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, BMW E92 M3 and Porsche GT2.

For drivers who prefer muddy conditions the new Peugeot 207 Super 2000 is nothing short of a rally dream. And, of course, no Forza download pack would be complete without some classic performance rides such as the ’89 Ferrari F40 and ’71 BMW 3.0 CSL.

Every one of the new cars can be tuned, painted and, most importantly, raced. Thanks to Forza 2’s damage and wear physics as well as advanced tire and suspension models that respond to heat and pressure changes, the game continues to offer the most realistic racing simulator on the market.

The latest batch of new cars can be raced on all of the game’s 47+ ribbons across 14 tracks, including licensed circuits such as:

• Mugello


• Suzuka


• Road America


• Sebring.

And for those of you wanting to express your inner artist, there’s the chance to fully customize and design the livery of each one before sharing or selling them at the in-game auction market.

Below are the cars available in the downloadable pack:

• Audi S5


• Audi TT Coupe S-Line


• BMW 3.0 CSL E09


• BMW E92 M3


• Ferrari F40 Competizione


• Ferrari F50 GT


• Ferrari 430 Scuderia


• Lamborghini Murcielago LP640


• Maserati GranTurismo


• Maserati MC12 Corsa


• Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR


• Porsche 911 GT2 (997)


• The Peugeot #1 Peugeot 207 Super 2000 (Xbox liveried 2007 IRC championship winner).

Microsoft lowers Xbox 360 prices

On Friday the 14th of March: Microsoft lowered Xbox 360 Retail Prices to be:

• £159.99 for the definitive high-definition gaming and entertainment console.
  
• The entry level “Xbox 360 Arcade” console gets a new ERP of £159.99, shaving £40 off the original ERP.
  
• “Xbox 360”, with a 20GB hard drive and one wireless controller gets an ERP of £199.99, a saving of £50.


• “Xbox 360 Elite”, with its massive 120GB hard drive ideal to store bucket-loads of media content downloaded from Xbox LIVE Marketplace as well as your own music, will have an ERP of £259.99, saving you £40 off the original ERP.

Whichever you choose, Xbox 360 can easily adapt to suit your entertainment needs. There’s something on Xbox 360 to suit everyone at home, even if they’d sometimes rather watch a movie (on DVD or via the Xbox Live Video store) than playing the latest games.

But when it comes to games Xbox 360 really is king, with over 150 3+ rated games to suit younger players and up, and unparalleled parental control allowing families to keep watch over everything else.

The very best games are all available on Xbox 360, with over 1000 to choose from by the end of the year. Fable2, Too Human and Rock Band are due in 2008, and don’t forget that Grant Theft Auto IV will have exclusive downloadable episodes on Xbox Live.

ICS with Windows Vista

How to share internet connection on your Windows Vista PC with your Xbox 360 console

To set-up ICS on Vista follow these steps:-

• Connect to the internet normally on your PC.
• Connect your Xbox 360 to your PC using an Ethernet cable.
• Click Start then Network then the Sharing Center Button.
• Now click Manage Network Connections. Make sure you identify which of the connections is your internet connection. If you are using a USB modem to connect to the Internet it will be under the "Dial-up" section.
• If you have more that one Local Area Connection you must first know which one is the connection to your Xbox 360, try unplugging the Ethernet cable connected to your Xbox 360 from the PC side and observe which Local Area Connection have the unplugged sign on it (A red X will appear on the connection) so that's the connection to your Xbox 360, now reconnect the cable and right click on the connection to make sure the connection is enabled.
• Now you know which is your Internet connection and which is your Xbox to PC connection (Local Area Connection), right click on your Internet connectin and click Properties.
• Go to the Sharing tab.
• Then tick the "Allow other network users to connect through this computers Internet connection" and "Establish a dial-up connection whenever a computer on my network attempts to access the Internet" boxes.
• If you have more than one connection you'll have to choose the one you need to share the Internet connection to through a drop down list that will appear here, just select your Xbox to PC connection that we identified before, if you only have one Local Area connection there will be no drop down list so just go on with the next step normally.
• Click OK then right click on your Internet connection and select Disconnect then right click again and select Reconnect.
• Now the Dial-up connection will be Connected, Shared.
• Right click on your Xbox 360 to PC connection and select Status/Details.
• Go to IPv4 IP Address, it should be (192.168.0.1) If not, there is something wrong with the settings you've done so you'll have to start the steps again and follow it more carefully.
• Go on your Xbox 360 to "System" then "Network Settings", and make sure that all the settings are set to Automatic if not put it all to automatic

Now Connect to Xbox Live and Enjoyyy.....

ICS with AOL

Are you trying to connect to Xbox Live using Internet connection Sharing (ICS) and your internet service provider is AOL?

Is it not working?

If yes, you'll need to follow different connection sharing steps.

To make AOL work via your PC you have to create a separate connection to the internet and stop using the connection AOL installs using its own software.

Here is what you have to do:

• On your PC go to control panel then network connections.
• Select "Create a new connection" from the left side bar.
• The Wizard will welcome you and asks you to Click Next so, click next.
• Select "Connect to the Internet" then Next.
• Then select "Set up my connection manually" then Next.
• Select "Connect using a broadband connection that requires a user name or password" then Next.
• It will ask you for your ISP name so put it AOL.

Then your AOL user account for example something@aol.com (must be with the @aol.com) into the username field and your password into the 2 password fields then click Next.

If you have multiple AOL accounts make sure to use the "Master Account"

You are now on the "Completing the New Connection Wizard" screen, check the box "Add a shortcut to this connection to my desktop".

• Now you'll need to disconnect from the Internet, and double click the new shortcut created on the desktop to connect to the Internet again using our new connection.
• Now make sure you can browse normally using the new connection shortcut. If you get any error telling you there is a problem with the username or password you entered or a domain problem, the details you have put in for sure are incorrect.
• Check your username and password and make sure to put the correct one as this must be set first before we move to the next step. If you are sure that your username and password are correct and that you are using the Master Account, try changing your password, especially if it is longer than 7 characters, try to make it 5 or 6 also try entering your details in lowercase.
• Now we'll allow ICS option normally to the new connection we just created, go to "Control Panel" then "Network connections" and right click the new connection.
• Select properties then go to the advanced tab and check "allow other network users to connect through this computers internet connection"
• If you have more than one network you'll get a dropdown box to select the network you want to share the connection to. If you just have one network you just click Ok.
• Finally connect the Ethernet cable to your Xbox 360 and PC.

Make sure you always connect using the new connection (shortcut on the desktop and forget about the original AOL icon)

And if you are already connected to the internet, disconnect and reconnect using the new icon. Your internet browser will not start automatically like it used to do. Just start it up manually after connecting with the new icon.

NOTE:

• You have to set everything in your Xbox network settings to AUTOMATIC.
• And NEVER Put YOUR AOL Username/Password into the PPPoE section of your Xbox Dashboard. As this will prevent you from accessing Xbox live. (This is for ICS)

Special Offer for Xbox UK gamers.

Get 3 months FREE Xbox Live Gold Membership and 2100 Marketplace points when you order BT total Broadband before 31st March 2008.

BT total Broadband, the UK's most complete Broadband service now includes:

1. Download speeds up to 8 MB
2. Free windows Home Hub
3. Best-ever security package
4. BT Vision digital recorder

And later this year, you’ll also be able to watch BT Vision through your Xbox 360!
Even if you already have broadband with another supplier, it is easy to switch to
BT and still qualify for this great offer.

Click here to Sign up for this offer and to read the terms and conditions.

Undertow gratis on Xbox Live

After many Xbox Live users spent their unhappy holidays battling a multitude of problems with logging into and using the online gaming service, Microsoft apologized for the gaff and said it would be offering a free Live Arcade game to all members as a make-good.

Today Microsoft detailed what the game will be and when gamers can actually get it. Beginning next Wednesday, January 23, at 2 a.m. and continuing through the following Sunday, January 27, Xbox Live users will be able to download Chair Entertainment Group's Undertow free of charge.

Ordinarily available for 800 Microsoft points ($10), Undertow is an action combat game with 15 single-player levels as well as multiplayer action where up to 16 gamers take on different classes and races in an attempt to assert dominance over the waves. Undertow is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older.

Online gamer murders rival clan member

*A 33-year-old Russian gamer from the city of Ufa was killed by a member of a rival online clan after virtual violence provoked a fatal real-life scrap, Russia Today reports.

The victim, named only as Albert, was a member of the "Platanium" clan in the unreported game (possibly Lineage II). His group was mostly made up of experienced gamers over 30, and at the end of December had a bit of an online rumble with the tastefully-entitled Coo-clocks clan - mainly students in their twenties - in which one of the latter was apparently killed.

This led to an arranged meet in the real world, during which "Albert was badly beaten and died from his injuries on the way to hospital".

The 22-year-old alleged assailant has apparently shown no remorse, and refused to justify his actions. His fellow Coo-clocks, meanwhile, "continue to harass the family of the murdered man, threatening to kill his sister, who hasn't turned on the computer for days".

She said: "I think they have confused the game and reality. And after we buried him [Albert] on 31 December, they continued to threaten us."

*Source

Rumor Killer: Achievements Did Not Disappear, says Major Nelson

*According to recent rumors, gamers have been booting up their Xbox 360 only to find that the Achievements they worked so hard to get were gone. The rumor went on to claim that the Xbox Live outages over the holiday break were the cause of the missing achievements.

TGR had an opportunity to speak with Major Nelson at CES 2008 this past week. Major Nelson has stated that no Xbox 360 achievements were lost. He confirmed this with the Xbox Live Database staff who stated that there was no missing data from the database.

Also, TGR was able to get a little insight into the Xbox Live outages. According to Major Nelson, the outages were caused due to going beyond capacity, not a DDOS attack as other sources have rumored. This basically translates to: too many people on Xbox Live at one time. This makes sense considering there were undoubtedly thousands of new Xbox 360 owners who wanted to jump into Live and get started.

Major Nelson went on to say that they are working on fixing the issues which caused the Xbox Live outages and that they are making additions to ensure that it never happens again.

“We are creating solutions so it does not happen again. It was a small blip and they are learning from it. We always plan for capacity; however, over the holidays it was well above capacity on live.”

More information to come as it is released.

*Source

Call of Duty 4 MODERN WARFARE

What if you had the chance to "Play on the Big Screen" with Call of Duty 4, Xbox and Carlton Screens here in the UK?!!

Cool.......!!!!!

You'll have the chance on the 26th and 27th January at CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE

CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE is one of the hottest gaming properties of the year.
Microsoft has limited spaces available for this competition – only 5 winners per cinema screen. However, each winner can bring a friend to play with. Check the location of the screens to ensure that there’s one near you (you’ll need to make your own way there):

• MANCHESTER ODEON


• BIRMINGHAM ODEON


• SOUTHAMPTON ODEON


• LONDON GREENWICH ODEON


• LONDON WIMBLEDON ODEON

To enter, simply click through on this link to register your details. The winners will be selected at random and notified the week commencing the 21st January.

Visit http://www.charlieoscardelta.com/ for full details of the game controls, weapons, soldier classes, and downloads.
For reviewing the terms and conditions Visit http://www.activision-win.co.uk/cod4/

Note: You should be 16 years or more to be eligible to enter this competition.

Xbox 2007 Choice Awards winners

As 2007 came to an end, Xbox thought about what an amazing year it had been to be an Xbox 360 gamer. We saw the launch of the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, two Dashboard updates ( Instant Messenger!), the fifth anniversary of Xbox LIVE and the games … by golly, we had games: BioShock, Mass Effect, Halo freakin' 3!
Xbox whittled down all the gaming goodness of the past twelve months into a short list of what they thought were the highlights.
Now the community has chosen the very best in movies, weapons, achievements, and of course … games! It's the Xbox 2007 Community Choice Awards!

Best Game

• Call of Duty 4


• Halo 3


• Mass Effect


• BioShock

Best Game Add-on

• Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles


• Heroic Map Pack (Halo 3)


• Hidden Fronts Map Pack (Gears of war)

Best New Intellectual Property

• BioShock
  
• Mass Effect


• Assassin's Creed

Best Role-playing game

• Mass Effect


• Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles


• Eternal Sonata

Best Racing Game

• Forza Motorsport 2


• Project Gotham Racing 4


• DiRT

Best Family Game

• Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga


• Scene it? Light camera Action


• Beautiful Katamari

Best Xbox LIVE Arcade Game

• Worms


• Puzzle Quest: Challenge the Warlords
  
• Pac-Man Championship Edition

Best Sports Game

• Skate


• Madden NFL 08
  
• FIFA 08

Best Co-op Game

• Halo 3


• Rock Band
  
• Crackdown

Best Weapon

• Gravity Hammer (Halo 3)
  
• Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device (Portal)
  
• Plasmids (BioShock)

Best Vehicle

• AC-130 (Call of Duty 4)


• Brute Chopper (Halo 3)


• Agency Armored Vehicle (Crackdown)

Best Xbox LIVE Event

• Unite to Fight: Halo 3 Launch Week
  
• Xbox All-Nighter Featuring Gears of war
  
• Game with Developer: Valve

Toughest Achievement

• Guitar Hero (Guitar Hero 3)
  
• Brass Balls (BioShock)
  
• Godlike (Shadowrun)

Coolest Xbox 360 Accessory

• Messenger Kit (Chat pad)


• Wireless Racing Wheel
  
• Halo 3 Headset

Best Sequel

• Call of Duty 4
  
• Halo 3


• Forza 2

Best Movie Download

• 300
  
• Transformers


• The Matrix HD

Best TV Download

• South Park
  
• Family Guy
  
• Robot Chicken

Best Game You May Have Missed

• Skate
  
• Shadowrun


• Overlord

Xbox 360 teamed up with British Telecom

Microsoft teamed up with British Telecom to deliver TV, music and movies-on-demand via the HD-ready ‘BT Vision’ service, which is coming to Xbox 360 very soon.
How cool is that? Cooler than you think - seriously!

For those of you not yet clued in, BT Vision is a groundbreaking service which allows BT customers to watch, pause, rewind and record any of the 60+ Freeview television and digital radio channels.
Better still it also grants users instant access to a library comprising thousands of hours of premium on-demand content and numerous subscription channels. We’re talking hit TV shows, top music videos, blockbuster movies, sporting events (such as near-live Premiership football) and the like. Regular BT Vision customers need to install a special set-top box to get all this, but you can have it all at your fingertips using your brilliant 360.
Of course, with BT Vision running on the Xbox 360 there are other advantages too, such as voice chat, sending and receiving instant text messages, Xbox Live Market place and other community features and now that the technologies have converged they can all be enjoyed without having to interrupt your TV viewing.
See, we told you it was cool! So how much, how soon and how do you sign up?
We don’t have all the details just yet, but the Freeview content is free, obviously, the service is scheduled to launch around the middle of the year and it’s open to all existing (and future) BT customers.
Beyond that you’ll have to keep a lid on your brimming enthusiasm until we have more concrete information.
Rest assured we’ll let you know the very instant we find out. If not sooner!

Football Manager 2008 coming to xbox 360

Football Manager 2008 is coming to Xbox 360 on March 28th 2008, Miles Jacobson, Studio Director of Sports Interactive Ltd. said:

“Football Manager 2008 on Xbox 360 gives console gamers the chance to dive into the wonderful world of football management, With the same feature set to the PC version and various online modes, we hope that there is something for every Xbox 360 owner to get stuck into.”

Xbox 360 Football Manager 2008 trailer:

New features for Football Manager 2008:

• The largest change to match-day in a Sports Interactive game since the introduction of the second match engine. Match flow brings more atmosphere to match-days with match previews, team talks, opposition player instructions, the match itself, half time and post match. These now seamlessly follow on from one another, with no more pausing to make tactical changes, and a mini-radar pitch whilst making those tactical changes to keep you in touch with what’s going on in the match
• The international management gameplay has been completely revamped for Football Manager 2008, including, but not limited to, media improvements, international retirements, player interaction, international scouting, improved pool selection, captain selection and a separation of international and club morale for players.
• A much cleaner skin, a brand new advisor system to help players through various areas of the game. A new notes and notebook system, better button positioning for simpler navigation and an updated tutorial and manual. Also, coach reports make taking over a new team easier, and the new calendar system lists all important dates throughout the season. These all help to make Football Manager 2008 the easiest Sports Interactive game to use yet.
• Players can now easily tell what the board and supporters think about their performance in the game through the new confidence section. This gives players feedback not just on their current progress in competitions, but also their financial management and signings.
• A new way of managing all current transfer and loan bids for a players club, both incoming and outgoing, making it easier to compare bids and reject or accept them.
• Match Engine Improvements – A greatly improved match engine, once again utilising the footballing brain of former Republic of Ireland international player Ray Houghton as well as other tools used by real-life managers to make the most accurate simulation of football in a computer game. The ability to change the pitch dimensions at the start of the season to suit players styles of play better has also been added.
• An overhaul of the awards system inside the game which is not only more accurate now, but also includes new awards such as the European golden boot, and a “best eleven”, which shows the all-time (in game) best eleven for all teams and nations.
• To reflect the changes in modern day football, Sports Interactive have updated the finance area of Football Manager 2008 to better reflect the ever changing football world, with more information available to the manager too, including, but not limited to, corporate match day income, season ticket news, investment funds, improved sponsorships, collective win bonuses, and the ability to move around funds from the wage budget and transfer budget (and vice versa) at any point to help you in your quest for the ideal squad.
• The board can now arrange fan days to boost ailing attendances, or for matches that are likely to attract a low crowd, with a long term affect to attendances if all goes well.
• More media and feedback than ever before, plus more detail in existing media, and a new competition news section to find out what major things are going on in all league competitions
• All in game generated players now have pictures using FaceGen technology to give each player more personality, and the ability for the players to be seen to grow up in front of your eyes as the game is going on.
• Saving and loading is now significantly faster, with network gaming faster and smoother to play, as well as tactical changes and match reports being quicker than ever before.

Xbox 360 2008 Game releases

*We take a look at what games are expected to come out this year for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console.

Games in bold are "games to watch out for"

February

NFL Tour (1st)
Devil May Cry 4 (8th)
Turok (8th)
Frontlines: Fuel Of War (15th)
Lost Planet Colonies (22nd)
A-Train HX (22nd)
Army of Two (29th)
Bully: Scholarship Edition (29th)
Brothers in Arms: Hells Highway (TBC)
Lost Odyssey (TBC)
Battlefield: Bad Company (TBC)
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (TBC)
Hei$t (TBC)
Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom (TBC)
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty (TBC)
The Spiderwick Chronicles (TBC)

March

Dynasty Warriors 6 (7th)
Alan Wake (21st)
FIFA Street 3 (28th)
Midnight Club: Los Angeles (28th)
Viking: Battle for Asgard (28th)
Race Driver One (28th)
Conflict: Denied Ops (TBC)
Universe at War: Earth Assault (TBC)
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction (TBC)
Unreal Tournament 3 (TBC)
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (TBC)
The Club (TBC)
Alone in the Dark 5 (TBC)
World In Conflict (TBC)
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (TBC)
Mirror's Edge (TBC)
Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends (TBC)
Warhammer: Battle March (TBC)
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 (TBC)

Q1 2008 (Jan, Feb, Mar)

The Siege of Khe Sanh (TBC)
Lost: The Video Game (TBC)
Rock Band (TBC)
Too Human (TBC)
Dark Sector (TBC)
Left 4 Dead (TBC)
Hellboy: The Science of Evil (TBC)
Condemned 2: Bloodshot (TBC)
Tom Clancy's EndWar (TBC)
SEGA Superstar Tennis (TBC)

Q2 2008 (Apr, May, Jun)

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (TBC)
Grand Theft Auto IV (TBC)
Huxley (TBC)
Fable 2 (TBC)
Destroy All Humans: Path Of The Furon (TBC)

2008

Mobile Ops: The One Year War (TBC)
Mafia II (TBC)
Cipher Complex (TBC)
Indiana Jones (TBC)
Theseis (TBC)
Elveon (TBC)
The Lord Of The Rings: The White Council (TBC)
Just Cause 2 (TBC)
Fracture (TBC)
Saints Row 2 (TBC)
Warhound (TBC)
Resident Evil 5 (TBC)
Shootout: Normandy (TBC)
Sacred 2 Fallen Angel (TBC)
Halo Wars (TBC)
Ghostbusters (TBC)
MX vs ATV: Untamed (TBC)
Prototype (TBC)
The Wheelman (TBC)
WET (TBC)
Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy (TBC)
Dead Space (TBC)

Note: these dates are subject to change and may not be final release dates!

So that looks like the line up. And looks like it could be an expensive year for me with lots of great games expected to be released. What are you looking forward to playing from the list? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

*Source

Madden NFL 08 Unlockables

Unlockable	How to Unlock
60 Yard Pass (15)	Complete a 60 yard pass.
60 Yard Run (15)	Complete a 60 yard run.
90 Yard Pass (30)	Complete a 90 yard pass.
80 Yard Run (35)	Complete an 80 yard run.
Intercept 2 Passes (20)	Get 2 interceptions with one player.
Intercept 5 Passes (35)	Intercept 5 total passes in one game.
Deflect 4 Passes (20)	Deflect 4 or more passes with one player.
7 Sacks with One Player (35)	Sack the Quarterback 7 times with one player in one game.
8 Tackles with One Player (10)	Get 8 tackles with one player in one game.
Recover 2 Fumbles (25)	Recover 2 fumbles in one game with one player.
Force 3 Fumbles (10)	Force 3 fumbles with one player.
200 Kick Return Yards (20)	Achieve 200 Kick Return Yards with One Player. Max 5min Qtr.
200 Punt Return Yards (20)	Get 200 punt return yards in one game with one player.
4 TD Passes (10)	Throw 4 touchdown passes in one game.
Score 84 Points (35)	Score 84 or more points in one game. Max 5min Qtr.
10 Catches in a Row (15)	Catch ten passes in a row with one player. Max 5min Qtr.
20 Completions in a Row (25)	Get 20 completions in a row with one player.
300 Pass Yards (10)	Achieve 300 passing yards in one game.
500 Pass Yards (30)	Pass for 500 yards in one game.
80 Percent Pass Completion (15)	Complete 80 percent of the attempted passes in one game.
100 Percent Pass Completion (25)	100 Percent Pass Completion.
Complete 25 Passes (30)	Complete 25 passes in one game.
1 Catch by Seven Players (20)	Catch one pass with seven players.
200 Pass Yards (10)	Get 200 passing yards in a game.
2 TD Catches with One Player (10)	Get 2 touchdown catches with one player.
150 Receiving Yards (15)	Achieve 150 receiving yards with one player.
200 Receiving Yards (25)	Get 200 receiving yards with one player.
100 Rec Yards with 2 Players (15)	Get 100 reception yards by two players.
10 Catches with One Player (15)	Get 10 receptions with One Player.
200 Rush Yards (15)	Rush for 200 yards or more with one player in one game.
40 Rush Attempts with One Player (15)	Attempt 40 rushes with one player in one game. Max 5min Qtr.
Average 20 Yards Rushing (25)	Average 20 yards rushing per attempt with one player in one game.
150 Rush Yards in One Qtr (25)	Get 150 yards or more rushing in one quarter with one player.
250 Rush Yards (25)	Rush for 250 yards with one player in one game.
100 Rush Yards with One Player (15)	Get 100 rush yards with One Player.
100 Rush Yards with Two Players (30)	Get 100 rushing yards with two players.
400 Yards on Offense (10)	Achieve 400 yards of offense in one game. Max 5min Qtr.
650 Yards on Offense (30)	Get 650 yards on offense. Max 5min Qtr.
No Dropped Passes (20)	Don't drop a pass for an entire game. Min 5min Qtr.
No Sacks Allowed (20)	Don't allow a sack for an entire game. Min 5min Qtr.
3 2pt Conversions Passing (35)	for three 2 point conversions in one game.
3 2pt Conversions Rushing (35)	Rush for three 2 point conversions in one game.
50 Yard Field Goal (20)	Kick a 50 yard or more field goal.
40 Yard Field Goal (15)	Kick a 40 or more yard field goal.
4 Sacks (10)	Get 4 sacks with one player in one game. Max 5min Qtr.
3 Rushing TDs (15)	Get 3 rushing touchdowns with one player.
Intercept 3 Passes (20)	Get 3 interceptions in one game.
Average 20 Yards Receiving (25)	Average 20 yards receiving with one player in one game.

Microsoft sued over Xbox Live outage

*Microsoft now faces a lawsuit over recent problems with its Xbox Live online gaming service. Three Texas residents filed a lawsuit Friday on behalf of themselves and others who have had trouble connecting to Xbox Live in recent weeks.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Houston, claims Microsoft's outages represent a breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation for which the software maker is liable. The suit doesn't claim specific damages, but notes the amount is in excess of $5 million.

In the suit, the plaintiffs allege that Microsoft should have known strong holiday sales would tax its servers. "Microsoft knew the increase in subscriptions would increase game-play on its servers, yet failed to provide adequate access and service to Xbox Live and its subscribers," read the filing.

Microsoft has apologized for the outage and said it would allow Xbox live subscribers to download a free game.

*source

Microsoft offers freebies to address Xbox live issues

If you unwrapped a shiny new Xbox 360 this holiday season, you weren’t alone. And according to Microsoft, that influx of new users helped Xbox Live break a few records—the largest number of new users in the service’s five-year history and the single biggest day of simultaneous members online. Records weren’t the only thing that got broken, though. That flood of new users brought a host of problems for some users, including troubles signing into the service and a variety of performance issues.

Microsoft’s general manager of Xbox Live, Marc Whitten, has a few things to say to users about those problems, and is also extending a peace offering: “As a result of this massive increase in usage we know that some of you experienced intermittent Xbox LIVE issues over the holiday break. While the service was not completely offline at any given time, we are disappointed in our performance. I would like to take this moment to thank you each and every one of you for your patience and understanding as our team has worked around the clock to return the service to a stable state.

“At the same time we would like to offer a token of our appreciation to all of you in celebration of record success for the service. And as a thank you for your loyalty during this holiday period, we will be offering all of our Xbox LIVE members around the world access to a full Xbox LIVE Arcade game that will be available to download free of charge. In the coming weeks we will be sharing the specific details of this offer with you.”

Free is good, right? Let’s just hope it’s free and good.

Is StarCraft 2 coming to Xbox 360?

Altgn*, received an interesting piece of information from a regular poster on their boards. He was taking quizzes through the Microsoft Retail Zone, which is a website interface used to further educate employees of electronic retail stores. While taking the quiz for “Universe at War”, he stumbled upon a cool little gem that might come to pass.

6. Which of the following are defining features of Universe at War?

1. The first ever Xbox 360/PC cross-platform RTS
2. Tactical dynamics create the best RTS until Starcraft 2.
3. Truly unique factions and customization
4. Free one-month Games for Windows LIVE Gold subscription
5. All of the above
6. None of the above

Could this be an unintentional sign given by Microsoft that the long awaited Starcraft 2 will be coming to Xbox 360? As some might remember, Blizzard allowed ports of Starcraft to both the Nintendo 64 and the Playstation. Ports of recent PC RTCs have come to 360 such as Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth 2, and Command and Conquer 3. Both have been received well by console gamers because of their impressive control schemes, previously a massive hurdle to jump for previous RTS console ports. Whether this is simply a misunderstanding or not, this is an exciting rumor nonetheless.

Source*