Monthly Archives: June 2009

Microsoft has apparently confirmed today that full 360 game downloads will be available in August.

According to Joystiq, the news came out of a post E3 conference lunch.

Mass Effect, Assassin’s Creed and Civilization Revolution were all given as examples of games to be made available using the new service.

Hit the link for full details.

Update – There’s an image of the new service on Kotaku.

Left 4 Dead 2 is to be set in the Southern United States.

Starting in Savannah, Georgia and moving into New Orleans, player can choose four new characters with new stories, new surprises, new zombies, an improved director and five new campaigns.

The full lowdown on the back-story for each new character in the game is over on RPS, who got a special a preview of it. Go read it.

GameTrailers has a video. It’s after the break along with the official press announcement.

Joystiq also hasposters.

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Next up with its E3 press conference is EA, and we’ll be liveblogging it when it begins at 2.00pm PST/10.00pm BST/11.00pm CET.

We’ve already had a Crysis 2 announcement today, but will there be more surprises? You betcha.

Quite how anyone can expect to follow the Microsoft conference is a bit of a mystery, though. Get all the news from that here.

If you’re after streaming video, check IGN, Gametrailers, Gamespot or G4.

Hit the link to watch our E3 coverage of EA live!

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In a word, “blimey”. Microsoft’s E3 press conference is now over, and to say it was “news-heavy” is something of an understatement.

Here’s everything.

• Complete video of Microsoft’s E3 press conference
• The full liveblog transcript
• Peter Molyneux is making game for Project Natal
• Microsoft’s Project Natal camera in action – video
• Microsoft E3 game announcement round-up
  
• Microsoft unveils motion sensing ‘Project Natal’
• Metal Gear Solid Rising confirmed for Xbox 360
• Microsoft to partner with Last FM, not sure how just yet
• Xbox 360 teams up with Facebook/Twitter
• Facebook and Twitter integration screened for XBL
• Alan Wake releases in Spring 2010
• Alan Wake video shows a man on a mission
• Halo: Reach beta coming with ODST, releases in 2010
• Halo: Reach trailer shows a possible prequel
• Halo ODST demo reveals September 22 release
• Forza 3 to be released in October
• Forza 3 officially announced at Micrsoft’s E3 press conference
• Splinter Cell: Conviction demo trailer shows a renegade Sam
• Left 4 Dead 2 confirmed at E3 as exclusive to Xbox 360
• Crackdown 2 Trailer shown at Microsoft’s E3 press conference
• Crackdown 2 gets trailered: enjoy it
• Cliffy B demos new XBLA game called Shadow Complex from Epic
• FFXIII set for spring 2010 on Xbox 360
• Final Fantasy series has sold over 85 million units, world’s first look at FFXIII on 360
• Two maps for Modern Warfare 2 are timed exclusives for XBL
• Modern Warfare 2 gameplay shown at Microsoft’s E3 press conference
• All You Need is Love to be 360 exclusive
• Yoko Ono, Ringo Star, Paul McCartney surprise guests during Beatles: Rock Band reveal
• Beatles Rock Band shown at MS E3 presser
• The Beatles: Rock Band gets screened, trailered

Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux is on stage demo’ing a brand new Lionhead IP for Microsoft’s full-body motion sensor, Project Natal.

He created a boy called Milo who recognizes faces, emotions, words: even displays emotions.

Molyneux then drew a picture on a piece of paper and Milo pick it up in the game.

From our liveblog: “The game scanned a copy of the paper, and Milo recognized it. Holy shit.”

However, there’s no date and the camera’s “still very much in development. Only being shown behind closed doors.”

Sounds awesome.

Microsoft has unveiled Project Natal and it features a motion sensing camera.

Stephen Spielberg demoed it on stage and says it will recognize “your entire being”.

Although it’s “not reinventing the wheel because there’s no wheel at all”, Microsoft plans to make games as accessible as possible, as it will work with the Xbox Dashboard, recognizes your face, and signs you in automatically.

Games using the camera were demoed.

3D Breakout where body controls the ball, and you can move arms, legs, head and kick the ball and it detects the speed and power of the hit.

Comparing itself to the Wii, Microsoft says that this is done up off the couch, with Waggle commands.

Another demo called Paint Party uses body and voice to “express inner creativity” by splattering paint onto a canvas. Just say the color you want and the game adds it.

No date for the camera yet, but it’s still being shown behind closed doors to developers.

Konami head honcho Hideo Kojima sensationally appeared on stage at the Microsoft E3 presser and announced Metal Gear Solid: Rising.

MGS 2′s Raiden will be the star this time. No Snake.

“The Metal Gear Solid series is one of the most highly acclaimed video game franchises of all time,” said Anthony Crouts, vice president of marketing for Konami Digital Entertainment.

“With Metal Gear Solid: Rising, the Xbox 360 community will finally get a chance to enjoy the action and excitement that this popular franchise is known to offer.”

So, all those rumours of a Metal Gear coming to Xbox 360 were true.

We knew it.

Update: E3 trailer and press release added.

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Microsoft announced during its E3 press event that it would be partnering with Last FM.

It really didn’t say what exactly the deal was, whether it be streaming music through Xbox 360 or through Zune.

After it was announced, the presenters skipped straight to NetFlix.

We’ll be sure to find out for you though.

The Guild’s Felicia Day has just announced that now you’ll be able to see and interact with your Facebook and Twiter buddies friends over Xbox Live.

Both Twitter and Facebook will be launching on 360 this fall. We’re all doomed.

The news came out of Microsoft’s E3 press conference this morning.

It has been revealed at Microsoft’s E3 press conference that Alan Wake will be released on Xbox 360 in Spring 2010.

We’ve been waiting a long time for this one, but now at least the end is in sight.

Bungie’s secret project has been revealed as Halo: Reach, and it will release in 2010.

Demo will launch with Halo ODST, so that is a good thing.

The conference is ongoing now. Watch us live blog it here.

Microsoft demoed Halo ODST today during its E3 presser.

In it you’re “the rookie”,and the Halo 1 pistol is back, apparently. ODST troopers have a neat visor that Spartans don’t, too.

The demo was rather long and nice, and gave a September 22 release.

Turn 10 has just announced that Forza 3 will be released in October.

The game was just shown for the first time in Microsoft’s E3 press conference.

Dan Greenawalt of Turn 10 Studios has just entered stage left and finally announced announced Forza 3 at Microsoft’s E3 press conference in LA.

It’s been a while in coming, but finally, here it is.

The game’s out in October this year.

Splinter Cell: Conviction was shown at the Microsoft Press Conference.

In it, Sam’s a “renegade,” apparently. A loose cannon who doesn’t play by the rules. Sounds awesome.

Splinter Cell devs showed it via a video demo.

Apparently, in it, Sam’s hunting the people who killed his daughter, torturing a guy for information about who did it, and beating him mercilessly, anyway.

The devs also showed a a new ability called “The Mark and Execute”. Guess this means that Sam climbs like Altair, only better. Ok Ubisoft. He can even hang from pipes and shoot people.

“The dark is where he really shines,” they said.

Stealth and combat are both the main options. Sounds awesome.

Left 4 Dead 2 has been confirmed at Microsoft’s E3 press conference as an Xbox 360 console exclusive. The game will also be out on PC.

Our live blog is still going so keep tabs on it here.

Crackdown 2 trailer was just shown at MS Conference.

Showed a hero running across buildings, kills some guy. Trailer ends with giant explosion.

No release date yet, but wow. It’s coming.

Cliffy B just waltzed on stage at Microsoft’s E3 press conference to reveal Epic’s first Xbox Live Arcade game called Shadow Complex.

Pulled from the press release:

“New from Epic Games and Chair Entertainment, Shadow Complex combines the best of old-school side-scroller design with modern, cutting-edge gameplay and incredible high-definition graphics.

“Collect power-ups, discover new abilities and evolve your character into a force of destruction as you explore an original story set in the world of Orson Scott Card’s best-selling novel, Empire.

“Shadow Complex marries the quality and depth of a full retail title with the accessibility you love, exclusively on Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE Arcade.”

Awesome.

Shack has pics up.

[UPDATE] Joystiq posted a video. It’s after the break.

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Square Enix’s Kitase and Toriyama have just revealed at Microsoft’s E3 press conference that Final Fantasy XIII will ship in spring next year.

They have also just shown first footage of the game running on Xbox 360, and have announced that the Final Fantasy franchise has seen a total of 85 million units sold worldwide to date.

The news came out of Microsoft’s E3 press conference this morning.

Square Enix bigwigs Yoshinori Kitase and Motomu Toriyama have revealed at Microsoft’s E3 conference that the Final Fantasy franchise has sold 85 million units to date.

The dynamic went on to show the first ever footage of a Final Fantasy game on Xbox 360 and revealed the game would release in Spring 2010.