Next Xbox Live Update To Bring Some Features

Microsoft announced that the next update for Xbox Live, that comes out this August, will have the following updates:

Netflix Updates

Now you can watch movies with your friends no matter where they are and manage your queue from the comfort of your couch.

* Movie Parties – Xbox LIVE Gold members can sit together in a virtual theater with up to seven friends no matter where they are while your Avatars watch a movie, flirt or even throw popcorn at each other.
* Manage Your Queue – Browse the Netflix Instant Watch video catalogue, choose from the most popular movies and genres and add to your queue all from the comfort of your couch – no computer required.
* Enhanced Playback Experience – Enjoy a smooth viewing experience when your internet bandwidth fluctuates.
* Friends Info – Richer information is now displayed in the Friends channel and in the Guide showing what you and your friends are doing.
Avatar Marketplace

Express yourself! Deck your Avatar out with the latest clothing and props from the top brands and game franchises.

* Clothing – Download premium items, including branded apparel from your favorite fashion labels and Xbox 360 games such as "Halo."
* Props – You can now equip your avatar with animated items they can carry around and interact with.
* Awardables – The ability to earn Avatar clothing and props as rewards within games has been added. Please stay tuned for an update on supporting titles.

Games on Demand— Please note that Games on Demand will be available in the preview beginning early August.

Enjoy 24 x 7 access to a growing online library of popular full game titles on Xbox LIVE whenever you want them, in the comfort of your living room.

* Purchase Options – Browse and download a great selection of full Xbox 360 games using Microsoft Points, direct debit, or credit card.
* Game Manuals – Game manuals for Games on Demand titles can be viewed, downloaded or printed on Xbox.com.
* It's Yours Forever! – As with other Xbox LIVE content, Games on Demand titles are linked to your Xbox LIVE account, so you can delete and re-download anything you have already purchased to the same console or another console.

User Ratings

User ratings help you find games that other people think are awesome!

* Rate it – You can now rate every game on the Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace using a 5-star system.
* Sort and Find it – Now you can easily find the games that everyone's been raving about by visiting the Top Rated games in the Browse All category of Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace.

Xbox LIVE Parties

Everyone loves to Party! Check out the new and improved Xbox LIVE Party features.

* Party Reconnections – If you are accidently disconnected from your party, Xbox LIVE will automatically reconnect you.
* Streamlined Party Invites – Invites are now just one click away! No need to click through multiple screens to get all your friends together.

Video Display Options

We've made it easier for you to see your entertainment in the highest resolution possible on your TV using an HDMI connection.

* Display Discovery – Make sure you can see and hear your entertainment in the highest resolution and sound quality possible with the option to override and select audio and video formats independent of the information your television sends to your Xbox 360 console.


Other Improvements

We're always listening to you for feedback, and this Xbox LIVE update will include numerous dashboard updates.

* Gold Member Veterans – Xbox LIVE Gold members get to show it off with a stamp on your Gamer Card that tells people how long you've been a Gold member.
* Indie Games – Xbox LIVE Community Games has been renamed Xbox LIVE Indie Games. We feel this new name better represents the independent spirit of these titles.
* Achievement Browser – We've revamped the Achievements browser so it's now easier to read through all the achievements while playing a game. You can now also launch a game directly from the browser.
* Achievements Tracking – A new view inside the profile panel which includes a summary of Achievements earned across all the games played, and shows of all your completed games.
* Streamlined Navigation - Streamlined navigation, including new entry points in the dashboard for Active Downloads, redeeming codes, recovering Gamertags and more
* Voice Messages – No more blank voice messages! When recording a voice message, a warning will pop up if no audio is detected.
* Friends List Sorting – It's now easier to find your friends! Find and sort your friends by activity, Gamertag or online status by pressing the Y button while viewing the friends list in the Guide.
* Memory – Time stamps now appear in the memory area, which particular handy when managing saved games.

Account Management

We've made some changes to make your life easier.

* Subscription Notification – If your Xbox LIVE subscription is about to run out, you will now be notified when you sign into Xbox LIVE.
* Updates for Invalid Windows Live IDs – If the Windows Live ID you provided has expired, you will now be prompted to update it the next time you sign into Xbox LIVE.
* Account recovery – We've enhanced the account recovery process to make it faster and more reliable.

What does this Xbox LIVE Update not include?

The following features will be coming in future Xbox LIVE updates, which we'll be sure to let you know about.

* Facebook
* Twitter
* Zune video and 1080p Instant On
* Last.fm
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In Case Your Wondering....

Ok, I have received a few messages regarding the giveaways I usually have, so I will let you know whats going on with them and other things.

The giveaways are currently paused right now due to the lack of inventory of online codes from Amazon.com. I am currently pondering other ideas for giveaways, so if you have any suggestions please leave them in the comment section. Keep in mind that I am a working man, a full time college student with kids and my budget is very small.

Secondly, if you ever wonder why I don't update this site with constant 360 news like some other sites, its because I don't care about "filler" news. I wanted this blog to be a site that I would enjoy, and so I only post news thats worthy of my attention. Constant lil tidbits about said games is not for me, I just do not have the time. If anyone would like to write for this blog, and post more updates please feel free to email me @ kcandersen@mchsi.com. But for now, I will continue posting updates on only news that both core gamers and casual gamers truly care about.

I think that about does it, thanks for your attention.
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Rapture we have a problem

With 2K announcing that Bioshock 2 has been pushed back to Early 2010, to me this means one thing: Something is wrong with the game.

It was originally supposed to be out this fall, and should have been nearing the completion very soon. So what happened? IMO, a few different things could have happened:

1. Game is completely Bugged out, and it will take a while to fix all of them.

2. The game was not nearly as fun as the original, and 2K does not want to damage the Bioshock brand in any way, what so ever. (Most likely scenario)

3. Too much competition coming out this fall, with blockbusters such as COD:Modern Warfare 2, Halo 3:ODST, Brutal Legend, and a few others, 2K does not think that they will be able to put Bioshock 2 up against these titans and walk away with as much money as they would like. (Other most likely scenario)

I am officially bummed out about this, I was so excited to go back to Rapture this fall, but now I will just have to wait. What do you guys think about this?
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Fallout 3: Point Lookout Secret Locations

Here is a great video of some secret locations in Point Lookout, in case you missed them. I scoured the entire (rather large map) and found all kinds of goodies.

Fallout 3 -- Point Lookout at IGN.com

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Awesome Mass Effect 2 Gameplay Video

This is a must watch for any Mass Effect Fans, or anyone looking forward to playing this stellar game.


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Summer Of Arcade Release Schedule

Major Nelson has posted what we gamers are going to be spending all of our hard earned money on, and our much valued time. This is going to be a block buster summer for XBLA with titles like these:

July 22: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™: Turtles in Time Re-shelled 1200 Microsoft Points
(Ubisoft Singapore®/Ubisoft®): Cowabunga dude! Marking the franchise’s 25 anniversary, everyone's favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game is back with a brand new look in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled.” The arcade classic has been revamped with all new 3D graphics, but the same classic beat 'em up gameplay.


July 29: Marvel vs. Capcom 2 1200 Microsoft Points
(Backbone Entertainment/Capcom): One of the most popular fighting games of all time, “Marvel vs. Capcom 2,” arrives worldwide on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Choose from 56 legendary characters from Marvel Comics and Capcom history, including Ryu and Wolverine. With online multiplayer over Xbox LIVE and enhanced HD graphics, decide your own dream team in the ultimate tag-team fighting experience.


August 5: Splosion Man™ 800 Microsoft Points
(Twisted Pixel Games/Microsoft): Fools they were, to tread where knowledge should stay forbidden. For what emerged was not a man - it was a Splosion Man. "And all who saw him were sploded, for he was the fire and they were but meat." Able to splode himself at will, the Splosion Man launches his way through levels as an uncontainable force. From Twisted Pixel Games, developer of the award winning The Maw™, Splosion Man will keep you on your toes as you play through more than 50 single-player levels and 50 multiplayer levels. Nominated by GameSpy, Gamespot, IGN, and 411mania, this meat-riddled splosion-fest took several Best of E3 awards including Best Platformer and Best Downloadable Game.

August 12: Trials HD 1200 Microsoft Points
(RedLynx/Microsoft): Nominated for GameSpy’s Best Downloadable Game of E3 award, “Trials HD” is guaranteed to get our heart racing.” Put on your helmet, and rev your way through “Trials HD,” a full-featured, physics-based motorcycle racing platformer in stunning HD graphics. Tear up more than 50 tracks and test your metal in two unique game modes: Race and Skill. Create, share and download an unlimited number of free tracks with the level editor, and customize your rider to fit your personality.


August 19: Shadow Complex 1200 Microsoft Points
(Chair Entertainment and Epic Games/Microsoft): Winner of numerous Best of E3 awards including Best Downloadable Game from 1UP, IGN, GameTrailers and G4TV, “Shadow Complex” is the next evolution in downloadable games. “Shadow Complex” marries the quality and depth of a full retail title with the stunning visuals of Epic Games’ industry-leading Unreal Engine 3, and a classic side-scroller. Set in the world of Orson Scott Card’s best-selling novel, “Empire,” Shadow Complex provides more than 10 hours of in-depth gameplay and introduces a compelling universe.
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Johnny Lee Says "Natal will spawn new genres"

The Wii head tracking genius, or Geewiiness as some call him (Ok just me) did an interview with 360Magazine.uk and had some great insight to share about Natal. The most prominent thing johnny said was that "Almost certainly. Most of the current game genres are optimized for the input device that was available. With the additional of motion and pointing sensing, we’ve already seen several great examples where developers are exploring novel kinds of gaming experiences.

“The lines blur between game categories, and the lines blur between control mechanics. Natal provides a very different set of input capabilities than your typical game pad. To really take advantage of those capabilities, new kinds of experiences will have to be explored.”

Click here to read full article.
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Will The Real Project Milo Please Stand Up?

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Gears Of War Title Update 4 Available Now

Man, it has been a month or so since I have played Gears 2, But with yesterdays new title update, I think I am going to take it for another spin, and hopefully this vehicle doesn't stall out on me constantly like it did the last few hundred times I have played.

The Gears team released Title Update 4 for Gears of War 2 today. The update is available now and will download automatically when you start Gears 2 while connected to Xbox LIVE. For the full run-down on all of the improvements and exploit fixes, check out the complete patch notes on the official Gears of War forums.

Here is the complete rundown of improvements/tweaks:

Title Update 4 makes these new improvements:

• Adds the ability to collect multiplayer experience by playing Horde mode. Players currently gain experience at this rate:

o 50 points per completed Casual wave.
o 75 points per completed Normal wave.
o 100 points per completed Hardcore wave.
o 125 points per completed Insane wave.

• Adds the ability to restart Public Horde from the current failed wave instead of having to start over from wave 1. Title Update 4 also allows the host to kick players from a Public Horde session.
• Increases the frequency of downloadable content (DLC) maps showing up in map voting if all players have shared map packs.
• Adds a message at the end of the match to explain to players that they should wait before quitting so that they avoid an experience penalty for quitting early.
• Adds support for the new campaign chapter, "Road to Ruin."
• Adds 13 new achievements worth 325 points. All of the new achievements require the Dark Corners Map Pack, a set of seven new maps and a deleted campaign chapter to be released July 28.

Exploit Fixes

Title Update 4 fixes these possible exploits, where under certain circumstances:

• A player could copy game progression data from one profile to another.
• A team could use the 50-point revive bonus to artificially increase its score in Horde. Going down but not out (DBNO) in Horde now subtracts 50 points, so there is no advantage to using the revive-bonus technique.
• A player could get 2 points for each kill in Wingman.
• A player could continue to shoot the Flamethrower while performing special movements like evading and mantling.
• A player could cause heavy weapons to spawn continuously while playing Horde.

Title Update 4 also fixes a number of lesser-known exploits.

General Fixes

Title Update 4 fixes these other issues as well:

• An issue that could cause players to lose all achievement progression if they signed in during a loading screen.
• Issues related to the Smoke Grenade causing a player to cringe instead of knocking them down. If hit by a Smoke Grenade with cringing turned on, players will now:

o Drop the Boomshield, even if aiming while carrying it.
o Drop a heavy weapon, even if it is deployed.
o Cringe while roadie running.
o Cringe while in cover.

• An issue that prevented players from shooting around the lower left side of a planted shield.
• An issue that could cause a DBNO player to not appear as DBNO.
• An issue that prevented Gears players from inviting players of other games to join them in progress in a Private match using DLC.
• Issues that caused rich presence information to become inaccurate.
• An issue that caused the overall achievements progress bar to not reflect the latest achievements.
• An assortment of localization bug fixes.
• Additional miscellaneous bug fixes.



http://gearsofwar.xbox.com/
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Happy Fourth Of July!

It's that time of year again, time to fire up the grill, light some fireworks, kick back a few cold beers (if your of age of course), and watch some fireworks. If your like me, The fourth also means a three day weekend, and that means getting in some gaming. I will be playing Fallout 3 Point Lookout and Fight Night Round 4 this weekend, what will you guys be playing?
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ZUMA XBLA CODE GIVEAWAY!

Yeah I know some people may be thinking "Zuma, thats old as hell" Well my friends Amazons xbla game code catalog is very limited, and even more so if I stick to my budget. So with that said, Zuma is a great arcade game, very, very addictive, and is fun for the whole family. If you love Peggle, then you will like Zuma.

UPDATE: The winner of this weeks giveaway is flamboyantfrank. Congratulations, and thanks to all for entering.

The Rules To Play:

-Due to the region locks on XBLA Game Codes, you must be a U.S Xbox Live Gamer to participate, well at least if you want to actually play the game.

-Leave a comment about Michael Jackson!

-Only one comment per person

-Leave contact details such as Gamertag, Yahoo handle, MSN Handle, AIM handle, or Email so I can contact you if you win.

-Entries can be submitted until Saturday, 11:59 Central Time.

-Winner will be chosen at random, and will be sent the online code to win Zuma!
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MetaReview: Fight Night Round 4: Its A KO!

Fight Night Round 4 is the reigning champion of all boxing games, and this new edition is the crown jewel of the group. I have had loads of fun with this game, and Its one of the best games you could possibly buy this year. Metacritic has Fight Night Round 4 with a metascore of 89. Here are what some of the more popular reviewers are saying about Fight Night Round 4.

1UP, Score 91. Developed by an all-new team and re-built from the ground up Fight Night Round 4 is in good hands with the team at EA Canada; not only have they matched the quality of the original title, but in many ways they dramatically exceeded it.

Official Xbox Magazine, Score 90. Despite the uphill difficulty curve, repetitive commentary, and long loading times, Round 4 is a force that topples its mind-blowing predecessor in every category. You will get punched in the face, and you will love it. [Aug 2009, p.64]

Game Informer, Score 90. It’s hard to reinvent a sport that’s…well, already a sport. But, developer EA Canada has done a marvelous job with bringing a focus to the fighting that brings out the sweet science.

IGN, Score 88. A wonderful boxing game. There are certainly issues to be found in the new Legacy Mode, but it’s much closer to what players want from a career mode. The online offering, while not hugely different from the previous Fight Night, still delivers where it counts.
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I Cant Do That.....

So today, this guy was in my office, and I asked him " Your always so damn happy, what gives?" he said to me " I just live everyday like its going to be my last bud." After he left I pondered this concept for a while, then i realized, I CANT DO THAT, and here is why:

A. If i lived every day like I was dying, I would be obese by the end of the year. I mean lets face it, if it was our last day to live, we would eat all the desserts, fatty foods, and most calorie filled foods imaginable.

B. I would be unemployed. If it was my last day to live, the last place in the World I would be is at work.

C. I would be a chain smoker. Yes I quit smoking, but only to prolong my health and save money. If I thought it was my last day to live I would be smoking like a champ.

D. My family would be plain sick of me. If i lived a day like it was my last, then I would spend every moment with my family, and they would be tired of my ass within a week.

I could go on and on, but the point here is that I don't think its truly possible to sustain a normal happy life if you "lived every day like it was your last." So with that said, maybe we should just live, and treat every day like its a gift, and try to enjoy it as much as possible.
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TMNT 1989 Classic Arcade XBLA Giveaway [UPDATE}

This week I am going to be giving away ONE online code for the Xbox Live Arcade Smash Hit TMNT 1989 Classic Arcade!!!

UPDATE: This weeks lucky winner is BuckyBadger26. Thanks to everyone for entering, stay tuned for the next giveaway.


The Rules To Play:

-Due to the region locks on XBLA Game Codes, you must be a U.S Xbox Live Gamer to participate, well at least if you want to actually play the game.

-Leave a comment about North Korea!

-Only one comment per person

-Leave contact details such as Gamertag, Yahoo handle, MSN Handle, AIM handle, or Email so I can contact you if you win.

-Entries can be submitted until Saturday, 11:59 Central Time.

-Winner will be chosen at random, and will be sent the online code to TMNT 1989 Classic Arcade!!!
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This Is Brutal Legend......Box Cover

Brutal Legend is one of my most anticipated games of 2009, and its coming out this ROCKTOBER!!! This is the Box Art for Brutal Legend that was just released, looks pretty sweet I must say.
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MetaReview: Ghostbusters

Ive already played this games for a couple of hours, and I must say it is very fun. If you are a fan of the movies, then you will definitely enjoy this game, as it seems as if it is the next true Ghostbusters story. It has a Metacritic score of: 80, and some of the more popular reviewers had this to say about the game:

1UP, Score: 83. As a Ghostbusters fan, this game came through by delivering an entertaining experience with plenty of laughs and just the right amount of action.

Team Xbox, Score: 81. For whatever Ghostbusters: The Video Game is lacking purely as a game – and really, it’s not that much – it more than makes up for it in the production. We should hold it up as a model not just for movie into video game translations, but as an example of how you treat a beloved institution right when making a video game about it.

IGN, Score: 80. There are some moments that cause the game to stumble, but you're getting a new tale in the Ghostbusters canon, fun gameplay, a whole bunch of stuff to destroy, and some cool ghosts to scan. I felt that the game's ending was a bit flat and the romantic interest was forced, but Ghostbusters is a hell of a ride.
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Cliff Bleszinski says more Gears!

In and interview with oxm, Cliff states that there is still plenty of life in the Gears universe, and although the survival horror genre is near and dear to his heart, he is still focused on Gears. So Mr. Bleszinski when are we going to get a Gears 3 teaser???
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Awesome Deal for Bioshock and Oblivion

Just caught wind of this two in one game deal that will combine the Hits Bioshock and Oblivion together for $39 on the 360, and $29 on the PC. This would be a great buy for anyone who hasnt played either of the games. I personally have played the crap out of both of those titles, but still will be picking up this special edition.
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Madden NFL Demo

Hi Folks, just got this email from GameStop, figured I would share with you Madden Fans. This email has just forced my hands into pre ordering from GameStop, something I hate to do. Anyways, here is the message:

From the Editor
GameStop Exclusive Super Bowl XLIII Rematch Demo*

While you're waiting for the release of Madden NFL 10, you can relive the Super Bowl in our GameStop-Exclusive Super Bowl XLIII Rematch Demo between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals, with four 5-minute quarters! Just reserve Madden NFL 10, and you'll be eligible to receive a code for the demo, while supplies last. The demo should begin in late July, and you should expect to receive your demo code in mid-July.

Starting Monday, visit the GameStop Blog for Madden Mondays, our weekly peek at some of the features of Madden NFL 10. Madden NFL 10 releases August 14 for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP and PS2. Reserve online now or at your local GameStop.
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XBLA Wednesday

Tomorrow we have three new games going to be available for download on Xbox Live Arcade. The first one is Rocket Riot, which will cost 800 MS Points. Then we have Sam And Max Save The World and Magic The Gathering to round it out. Looks to be another great week for Xbox Live owners, Which one will you pick up?
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UNO Giveaway[UPDATE] X2

This week I am going to be giving away an online code for the Xbox Live Arcade Smash Hit UNO!

UPDATE: I WILL NOW HAVE NOT ONE BUT TWO CODES FOR UNO TO GIVEAWAY!
UPDATE X2: Thanks to everyone for entering this contest,everyode had great comments, and all factual. So come back again next week as I will be giving away a new XBLA game.

The winner of this weeks UNO Contest, drawn at random, is Maniaccat & Laureo The Oreo.

The Rules To Play:

-Leave a comment about how the Xbox 360 is superior to the PS3

-Only one comment per person

-Leave contact details such as Gamertag, Yahoo handle, MSN Handle, AIM handle, or Email so I can contact you if you win.

-Entries can be submitted until Saturday, 11:59 Central Time.

-Winner will be chosen at random, and will be sent the online code to UNO!
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1 Vs. 100 Season Pass???

I was just checking out some gaming news @ Joystiq, and ran across an article about a viewer spotting some sort of 1 Vs.100 season pass download. Is Microsoft going to have a free edition, and a Paid edition? Is this a spin off of the popular game? I guess we will have to just stay tuned, but in the meantime you can head over to this link and check out the captured screenshots of the gamepass.
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MetaReview: [PROTOTYPE]

OK here we are 6 months into 2009 and I finally have found my favorite game of the year, I know its going to change come this fall, but Prototype is a summer blockbuster in every since of the word. It provides moments that are comparable to some of best action flicks out this summer, gameplay that tops almost every other open world game I have ever played, and an Anti-Superhero that is more powerful than several of the usual suspects put together.

I have not had this much true fun playing a game since Gears Of War 2, it provides us with non stop action, various challenges, and some of the coolest powers to ever be developed for a video game. If you haven't played this yet, do yourself a favor and go and play it NOW!

With my thoughts aside, lets take a look at what some other popular reviewers verdict for Prototype were:

Planet Xbox360: Score: 92; Some of the finishing moves are downright disgusting but had us calling over all our friends to take part in the bloody fun.

GamePro: Score: 90; I can't wait to go play some more. I suspect that some people will find their enthusiasm drained more than mine by the shallow enemy gene pool, but even they're bound to get swept away by the myriad pleasures of tearing up town as a ghoulish and preternaturally fleet-footed shape-shifter.

GameSpot: Score: 85;This open-world action game set in Manhattan is proof that even viral outbreaks can be incredibly fun if they're done right.
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Swing Your Money Maker, Tiger Woods Franchise Sales Over $500 Million

An NPD analayst by the name of Anita Frazier recently tweeted that Tiger Woods video games have surpassed $500 million at U.S retail life to date.

My Take: I questioned in a previous blog post why we need to see a new Tiger Woods each and every year, being that there is no real roster changes, the courses are the same, and there is only so much innovation the developers can apply to golf. Well I think those numbers just answered my question, EA will continue to release a Tiger Woods each and every year because that series is netting them some serious loot.
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Xbox 360 New Console Rumors

It looks as if 1UP is either on to something or purely guessing but they have started a rumor avalanche. When checking out Joystiq, Kotaku, and 1UP today, each one of them had a major rumor in the tune of a New Xbox console coming next fall catering specifically to Project Natal.

The rumor basically is that Microsoft is going to launch Project Natal with a brand new slimmed down, simplified version of the Xbox 360. I personally don't think MS will do this for a couple of reasons:

A. They already have flooded the marketplace with 3 SKUS, one more would surely confuse the consumers. (unless they scrap the Arcade in favor of the rumored one)

B. The Xbox 360 is a very popular brand, and to ditch that name would be a loss.

So all in all, I think 1UP is looking to much into Shane Kims words. When he said it will be treated as a launch, I am thinking that he means that in the terms of: massive amounts of publicity, a good solid 12 or more games for Natal, and enough hardware and software support for Natal on the launch day to make it successful. What do you guys think?
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New Bioshock 2 Screens

If you all are like me, then you cant wait to dive back into Rapture and see what antics the splicers are up too now. I personally am hoping that our character (the big daddy) and The big sister end up hooking up at the end, and making a big baby character that has atomic spit up. Anyways, lets take a look at some of the screenshots for whats sure to be this falls smash hit, Bioshock 2.










Courtesy of: IGN, and Gamespy.
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MS Wins Exclusivity Battle: TMNT A Timed Exclusive, Woot!

All of you fanboys currently entrenched in a exclusivity flame war, were finally bringing you home. Kotaku has reported that the new XBLA Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In A Time Re-Shelled is going to be a timed exclusive for the 360. Take That Sony. And I get the trophy for most sarcastic post ever!!!
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XBLA Doom Giveaway

I want to know why everyone thinks Project Natal will revolutionize gaming, so I will be giving out an online code for the Old School Classic DOOM on Sunday to the commenter with the most unique answer. You don't even have to be dead serious, so yes satire is welcome. So check back Sunday to find out who the winner is. All I ask is that you leave me at least a twitter name, AIM handle, Xbox Live Gamertag, Yahoo Handle, or a Windows Live Handle so I can send you the code. Good Luck!

UPDATE: Since there were only 5 comments to choose from, and they all were great. I just wrote down your names, put them in a hat, and drew one out. With that said, Congrats Funnyshadowdog, you are the winner of DOOM for the XBLA this week.

Stay tuned next week for my next giveaway.
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Jimmy Fallon Meet Project Natal

Jimmy was geeking for this segment the entire episode, he genuinely looked excited, so much that I would compare it to a kid at Christmas. It looks like everyone enjoyed themselves, and I think MS has a huge hit on their hands.
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EA's NFL Monopoly Needs To End

Let me first say that I am a huge fan of Madden, I buy every years new version, even if they are barely upgraded. But with the court case of EA's Monopoly being allowed to continue, I think I need to touch on why it is important for the Industry if EA lost their sole ownership of the NFL license.

Competition is key to innovation in any industry, period. Without competition, companies will not work hard to bring out the best product they can. Just imagine, if the video game industry in whole was monopolized, if either Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony was the only one with the legal right to make a console, then we would see the lowest possible quality of games, with little to none innovation. To me that world would suck, I am glad that their are 3 very powerful console makers, that ensures us gamers that they are each going to try their hardest to outdo the competition, and give us gamers the innovation we demand. But also it is crucial to the industry, without new innovations growth would stall, and users would get bored with their consoles, and possibly leave gaming.

Back to Madden, I firmly believe that if 2K sports was still producing their stellar NFL titles, then we would be seeing two incredible football games every year. Yes I know that Madden will sell millions of copies regardless of the quality of their game, but when NFL2K was still alive and kicking, Madden continually stepped up their game and brought a great title every year. I for one, was a die hard 2K fan, and thought they brought the best of the NFL experience to the game, and I miss that.

The same also applies to the MLB license, just look at the quality of MLB2K games after they acquired the license, all of their games have suffered terribly, and they add little innovation. The MLB license to 2K has kept me away from buying these titles, and actually has caused me to lose interest in a sport that I once was a hardcore fan of.

With all that said, I think it would be in the best interest of the Leagues, consumers, the entire gaming industry, and developers to end their monopolizing of these licenses, and allow creativity to flow once again in a river that has dried up.
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MetaReview: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10

First off, let me just start by saying I am a Tiger Woods video game fan, but I must question the need for a new Tiger Woods every year. Whenever I get the itch I just pop in Tiger Woods 07, and it satisfies it. But anyways, another year of Tiger Woods is out, and it is actually looking to be the best Tiger Woods yet. Metacritic has Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 with a metascore of 81, and here are how some sites scored it:

Team Xbox: 90
IGN: 83
1up: 83
Official Xbox Magazine: 80

Screenshot Courtesy of IGN
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Sega XBLArcade Day!

I woke up today, fired up the 360, went to go see what new game or two was released on Xbox Live Arcade, and found to my surprise, several Sega Classics all 400 MS Points A Piece. These are the titles that was released today:

Altered Beast
Sonic 3
Phantasy Star II
Comix Zone
Gunstar Heroes
Shinobi
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Microsofts KODU Releases This Month

One of the games or projects talked about last year was KODU, which allows users to build a game world, and game play for about any scenario using a simple set of tools. This game is slated to come out by the end of the month, kind of strange it was nowhere at E3? This game is being billed as some as Microsoft's answer to Little Big Planet, but to me it looks like something way different, and not as detailed. I will go hands on it later this month, and see if this "game creator" is any good.
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Bonus Round Post E3 Microsoft With Geoff Keighly, Dan Hsu, and Michael Pachter

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1 Vs. 100 Beta Review

I have scoured the internet and have not seen one review of the beta, possibly because it is in Beta stage, but I feel that this game is complete, so I am going to review it as such.

Ok? Good, lets begin. To start with, 1 Vs. 100 beta is a free game offered to all Xbox Live Gold Members, that lets thousands of players play in a live game show right from their couch, with their avatar being their virtual representative. During the live show, one person is chosen to compete against the Mob, which is made up of 100 of the best players (supposedly, more on this later). The goal of the game for the one is to eliminate all of the 100 mob players by answering answers correctly. The way the one is chosen is completely random, and it can be anyone. If you are chosen as one of the mob members, you have to answer every question correctly and outsmart the one to possibly win prizes(when beta mode is over). If you answer one incorrect answer your out of the mob, but fear not because you can still play in the Crowd.

The Crowd is made up of everyone that is not in the mob or the one, we are talking about up to 250,000 players all together playing a live game. If your in the crowd the objective is to try to answer as many questions correctly as you can, and as fast as you can. The premise of being in the Crowd is that the better you do, the better the chance you have of getting into the Mob.

The game show has two modes: The live show, and extended play. The live show is hosted by a real life guy named Chris Cashman, and it is live, not recorded. Jen Taylor(cortana from halo) is the typical host that keeps the game moving along, and asking questions. The voice of Jen Taylor isn't live, but you couldn't tell as it flows very smoothly. Then there is the extended play, which does not have a live host, mob, or the one player. Instead in this mode, it has a different theme for each show, and all players just play together to try to get the best score.

My Verdict: This is one of the best overall experiences one can have on Xbox Live, it is family friendly, has a huge variety of questions, always entertaining, and is very addictive. To all of those who haven't played, get in there and have some fun already.
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A Great Time To Be A Gamer

I was sitting here discussing Project Natal and Modern Warfare 2 with my Dad, and I showed him videos of Project Natal, and he was just completely amazed. He just can't believe how far videogames have come. He reminded me that I started my video game hobby as a kid with an Atari 5200, and then my first true love was Nintendo. He told me that he remembers every time they would buy me a new console, when he seen it he would think that there is nothing going to come out with better graphics then this, but yes something always does, and the industry keeps evolving.

After our conversation, I just started to think about everything going on in the Industry right now, and how fortunate we gamers are today. We get to play near reality looking games, games for all situations and genres, watch movies on our consoles, stream movies from netflix on our consoles, Keep in touch with friends both in the Xbox World and off on our console, and play with people all over the world with our console. Well all of this might not sound like much to people who play everyday, but just imagine if you told people with a Super Nintendo back in 1995 that in less than 15 years they will be able to do all that stuff. The Nintendo player would have been amazed, and probably would not believe you.

A new era is approaching with Project Natal, it is going to be yet another technological achievement that takes our industry 10 steps further, and broadens the video game industry to people who don't like controllers. With all this said, I think we should appreciate all we have, because it truly is a great time to be a gamer.
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The Hangover MetaReview

I know this has nothing at all to do with the 360, but hey its a slow news day in gaming, and I wanted to show you guys the reviews from Metacritic for what I think is the funniest movie of the year. It has a Meta Score of 73, and a user score of 8.5.

The Hollywood Reporter: 90
TV Guide: 88
Chicago Sun Times: 88
Rolling Stone: 88
LA Times: 80

So most of the reviewers agree, this is the comedy to see this summer, so go see it!
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Xbox 360 Games On Demand In Action

This video shows us how the Games On Demand service is going to work, and how it will look like when it launches later this year. I think its a very intuitive interface, and the ability for users to rate games is going to be awesome not only in Games On Demand, but in Xbox Live Arcade as well.
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MetaReview: UFC Undisputed

I have been waiting for along time to get my hands on this game, I have several buddies that have it and say its a riot. If Gamefly would ever increase their inventory and hurry it up a bit, I might be able to join them. Anyways, Metacritic has UFC Undisputed at a metascore of 83, not bad at all. Lets take a look at what some of the more popular reviewers thought of UFC Undisputed.

GamePro: 100
GameSpy: 90
Team Xbox: 87
1up: 83
GameSpot: 80
Edge Magazine gave the lowest score of: 70
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NegaReview: Damnation

Well the verdict is in from Metacritic, Damnation is Awful. I was going to rent this game, but seeing as it has some of the worse scores(a meta score of 37 to be exact) I have ever seen, I think I will pass. Here are what some of the more popular reviewers though of Damnation:

IGN: 25
Official Xbox Magazine UK: 60
Edge Magazine: 30
XGN: 20
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Red Faction: Guerrilla Meta Review

I have had my hands on this game for a couple of days now and I really enjoy the single player, it comes off as an uber Mercenaries type game with great destruction physics. While Im not to fond of the multiplayer, I still would give this game an 8 out of 10. Lets see how others rate this game.

According to Metacritic, Red Faction: Guerrilla has a meta score of 86 out of 100, and if your not familiar with Metacritic, that's a pretty dang good score. Lets break it down for you a little bit, and look at some of the more popular reviewers verdicts.

IGN: 80
GamePro: 100
Game Informer: 90
GameSpot: 85
GameTrailers: 79
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Top Reasons Xbox Originals On Marketplace Are Being Phased Out

Well with the announcement that after one more game release for the Xbox Originals, MS has announced that they do not plan to release any more games. For me this makes sense for a number of reasons.

1. Most people, including myself, can go to a retail game store, amazon, half.com, or other online outlet and purchase the said game cheaper than what MS is charging for it $15 or 1,200 points rather.

2. No access to friends list or any true functionality of the guide is very frustrating.

3. With MS going to be releasing full game downloads of some of our favorite Xbox360 titles via the marketplace, there is really no room/need for Xbox Originals.

In closing, if these Xbox originals would have been $5 cheaper, supported the friends list, and full capability of the guide, then this service would have been unstoppable. But as it is right now, I am glad to see it go.
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Splinter Cell Conviction: Behind The Scenes

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Xbox 360 Here To Stay Until 2015?

In an interview with Venturebeat for VG247.com, Microsoft Executive Shane Kim, Kim states that he firmly believes that the Xbox 360 will have a life cycle of 10 years, giving us 360 gamers at least 6 more years on our beloved console. He states that innovations like Project Natal will definitely increase the lifespan of the current console.

What I take away from this: Just because Shane Kim says that the Xbox 360 will have a life cycle of 10 years, absolutely does not mean that their will not be a next gen Xbox console before then. They are simply following the Sony strategy with the PS2, which is a great strategy to follow. I also must agree with Kim that the innovations to the NXE, Social Networking Capabilities, 1080p Video Service, Radio, Primetime Game Shows, and most of all Project Natal will keep this console fresh and will keep a healthy (abundance) of games coming as the install base will continue to grow rapidly.
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Overlord 2 Demo Availabel on Xbox Live Arcade

Finally a demo from E3 has landed its way on to Xbox Live. Overlord 2 is the sequel to last years original, humorous, and fun game. So go grab the demos, round up your minions, and go raise some hell. You can download it here.
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Mass Effect E3 Trailer

I absolutely adored the first Mass Effect, and Mass Effect 2 is shaping up to be an even bigger, more action packed experience. It looks as if they have fine tuned the gameplay, and it looks as if the action in Mass Effect 2 will be even grander.
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Fallout 3 Point Lookout Trailer

This is a first trailer for the new Fallout 3 DLC entitled Point Lookout that comes out June 23rd. I personally cannot wait for this piece, as a guy who owns all the other DLC for Fallout 3, this will be yet another adventure that I cant wait to embark on.
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Hitler Must Die! Wolfenstein 3D Is Out On XBLArcade.

One of everyones favorite old school shooter is available today on Xbox Live Marketplace for a wallet friendly price of 400 points. I will be getting my hands very soon, cant wait. You can download it HERE.

Review: This game is an excellent buy for only 400 ms points. The gameplay will be familiar to anyone who has played Doom, only Wolfensteins' gameplay and graphics are far more polished. It brings me back to the early 90's when shooters were just starting out, theres something nostalgic yet entertaining about this game. The only thing missing from this game is some multiplayer action, other than that, this is a must have for all Xbox 360 owners.

Verdict: I give this game an 8 out of 10.
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Finally, Perfect Dark Is Coming To XBL Arcade

Major Nelson Recently Tweeted that The N64 Classic from Rare Perfect Dark is going to be coming to Xbox Live Arcade this winter! Major Nelson also stated that this game will run in full 1080p. I personally am very excited to get my hands on this, seeing as it was one of my favorite N64 games, right up there with Goldeneye in my book.
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Xbox 360's New Features Video

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Nintendo Fails To Impress At This Years E3

Well Nintendo just wrapped up their 2009 E3 press conference and I must say, it was very unimpressive. They continued their usual parade of casual games, touting sales figures, and testimonies of women who really enjoy the dsi and Wii. The most unusual announcement was when Nintendos President Iwata announced the vitality sensor, which is some sort of device that hooks on your finger to measure your vitals, Im thinking this is an approach to get into more nursing homes. Iwata really didn't announce how this device is going to be used, when its coming out, price point or anything, color me very unimpressed.

The only high notes of the conference was the announcement of a 4 player Mario game, Super Mario Galaxy 2, a new Metroid Prime game made by Team Ninja, and well thats about it. So with all that said, Nintendo definitely failed to generate any excitement this year, heres looking to next year...
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Joy Ride Avatar Racing Game Will Be Free

The first game from recently acquired BigPark is going to be a free Avatar Racing game by the name of Joy Ride. The game will be free for all Xbox Live Gold Members, and will be available sometime this fall. Whats neat about this is that its free, uses avatars, shareable tracks, game modes, and avatar items.
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Throw up your dukes, Fight Night Round 4 Lands June 25tth

EA Sports has announced that its graphics and game play heavyweight boxer will be at retail on June 25th. I have played the demo (5 times to be exact) and absolutely love this new Fight Night, it features more boxers, better graphics (yeah really), better mechanics, and an all new corner mode that I adore. I will be picking this game up day one, bar none.
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Sound Off!

Sound Off: I want to know what everyone thinks of MS press conference. What did you like the most? What did you like the least? And do you think that Nintendo and Sony can outdo MS this year?
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Who Needs Blu-Ray!

MS says who needs a Blu-Ray add on when we are going to have full 1080p HD movies on demand come this fall. I for one think this is a great move for a couple of reasons:

1. I save money, because if they would have unveiled one, I would have purchased it.

2. Digital Distribution is the way of the future, Discs are going to become more and more obsolete as bandwidth keeps on rising.

So with that said, well done MS, you are giving us gamers exactly what we have asked for.
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Awesome Halo:ODST Controller

This bad @ss controller is going to be included in the $99 dollar Collectors Edition of Halo:ODST this fall. This controller will not be able for purchase outside of the collectors edition, so if you want one you best buy the Collectors Edition.

My Take: Consider me sold on this edition, at $99 it is just too hard to pass up. Thats a game and wireless controller(with an awesome design) for a lower price than what you could get at retail.
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Post MS E3 2009 Press Conference Thoughts

First off let me just say I have officially been blown away. Project Natal is going to be the most innovative device for computer entertainment, ever. I was especially enthralled with Peter Molyneuxs project named Milo, it was simply amazing. Also, Xbox 360 reassured me that they have plenty of exclusives coming our way, games such as: Forza 3, Crackdown 2, Left 4 Dead 2, and Splinter Cell Conviction (which also blowed my mind).

As far as multiplatform games, Modern Warfare 2 looked stunning, Kojima announce that Metal Gear Solid Rising would be coming to the Xbox 360, and Rock Band Beatles looked great.

When it comes to the social experience on the 360, MS announced that they have partenered with Facebook, and Twiiter, which will both be on the dashboard come this fall. MS also announced that they have partnered with last.fm for radio streaming on the 360 as well. And one more media related bit, the Zune video library is going to be playable on demand, and in 1080p, which is a major shot at its competitor the PS3.

With so much more information out there, I just cant grasp it all at this point. Microsofts press conference showed us why the 360 is determined to be the all in one home entertainment device that allows us users to do everything in one box, that on any other platform would take multiple devices.

All in all, I give this years Microsoft Press Conference an A+. It was simply amazing.
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Crysis 2 Coming To The 360

Crysis will finally be coming to our beloved 360's , along with the PC, and The PS3. I expect to hear a lot more news about this come tomorrow and possible even today.
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E3 Tomorrow!!!

The moment all of us Hardcore 360 Fanatics have been waiting for is a little over 12 hours away. Is Microsoft really going to present a new motion camera dubbed fluid? What is Lionheads new project? What has Peter Jackson been upto? And what is the newly announced Zune HD capable of?

Well tomorrow all of those questions will hopefully be answered, and I will give my post press conference reaction for all of the announcements. So get ready, because the future is now.
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I'm Back

It's been along time, I have been busy to death with work and college, but I wanted to revive this blog, as I feel I can not only bring all of the latest Xbox 360 news, reviews, and previews, But I can deliver it a no BS way. I will be updating this blog regularly, so please visit often and tell a friend.
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