As well as announcing the first details of the long awaited PGR4, OXM has also revealed that April will see a demo for the highly anticipated Forza 2. No exact release date was given as it is still going through the Microsoft certification process.
This month’s edition of OXM will see the first preview of the forthcoming Project Gotham Racing 4. It’s all sounding very at the moment. Let’s hope that the final game lives up to expectation.
Enhanced Weather Simulation
“One of the slickest new features in PGR is its weather. Bizarre’s using what it likes to call ‘extreme weather’ for more than just making the sky gray. Water beads up on beautifully on all the gorgeous paintjobs, spray jets out from the tires, and in the in-car view, wipers move and windshields ice up.”
Enhanced Raceway Environments
“A TV-style intro sets up each event, with a commentator offering wisdom…Choppers buzz overhead, camera crews and video vans are everywhere, and hordes of fans line the track. They’ll wear gear with your logo, wave your national flag, and react far more obviously to your performance.”
Extended Car Selection
“PGR4 will deliver a much broader set of vehicles, ranging from a vintage’63 Corvette Sting Ray and the ’54 Maserati 250F to the sleek, ultra-modern Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.”
On the tracks
“You won’t want to miss out on your viewing time with PGR4’s tracks, which tally up to 200-plus in 10 locations.”
On Xbox Live initiatives
“PGR4’s cooking up a mysterious new matchmaking system (like Halo 2’s).”
On in-car view
“Bizarre has two key improvements in the works.You’ll now see drivers moving more- feeding the wheel as they zip through turns or pumping their fist after a win. Special effects will also crank up the tension in key moments: you’ll get a shake effect at high speeds, and your vision will blur after spending some quality time with a a wall.”
In conclusion
“PGR4 feels hugely promising- like a proper sequel with loads of cool new toys.”
Yay, Bungie has finally released some details about the much anticaped new Halo 2 multiplayer maps. The two new maps should be available to download (from the Halo 2 ingame menus only) on April 17th.
Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie Studios today confirmed the upcoming release of two new, eagerly awaited downloadable maps for “Halo 2.” The maps will be available as premium downloadable content for Xbox and Xbox 360 on April 17.
Fans of the original “Halo” have long requested the addition of some of their favorite maps to the critically acclaimed multiplayer experience of Halo 2. These re-creations, developed by Bungie and Certain Affinity Inc., are a perfect way to thank fans for their support as they surpass 800 million hours of Halo 2 gaming on Xbox LIVE.
The two maps will bring new life to ancient battlefields and legendary skirmishes, as both are new, improved and redesigned remakes of fan favorites from the original “Halo: Combat Evolved.” For the price of $4 for the pair, these maps bring a fresh burst of action to the seminal “Halo 2″ online multiplayer experience. Both of the maps will be available through the “Halo 2″ in-game content downloader for both Xbox and Xbox 360.*
The king of “Halo” maps has returned at last. Hang ’Em High, arguably the most popular multiplayer map for the original title, has been reimagined for Halo 2 as Tombstone, with all-new graphics, features and a few hidden surprises. Now fans will enjoy the dangerous catwalks and trenches that made this the most requested “Halo” multiplayer map ever, with a modernized “Halo 2″ flavor.
The second map, Desolation, is a symmetrical, Deathmatch-oriented map and a beautiful remake of the original Derelict. With new graphics and effects and a massive gameplay overhaul, the old favorite is now faster-paced and more balanced than ever — perfect for intense Halo 2 combat.
Tombstone
Desolation
So the next time you insert your Crackdown disc into your Xbox 360 you will be prompted to install an update. The update addresses several minor technical issues to ensure a smoother online gameplay experience and increases the number of ambient gang vehicles that populate Pacific City. Although this last one will make the Repo Man achievement a tad easier, it will also make the Road Warrior achievement a bit harder.
Jetpac Refuelled is now available for download from the Xbox Live Marketplace. Jetpac Refuelled is available in all Xbox Live regions and costs 400 points.
Rare’s Jetpac Refuelled is a revamped and modernized version of the 1983 classic space blaster Jetpac. Clear a path through hordes of aliens to refuel your ship and amass a fortune over the course of 128 hi-definition levels, complete with achievements, leaderboards, and simultaneous multiplayer action.
Jetpac Refuelled provides everything you loved in the classic, plus 128 new levels of enhanced gameplay. Jetpac Refuelled can be played solo, or against another player on the same console or over Xbox Live.
Mark it down in your calendar, March 27th 2007. Microsoft has finally put and end to months of speculation with the accouncement that they are releasing a new funky version of the Xbox 360 – The Xbox 360 Elite.
REDMOND, Wash. — March 27, 2007 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the upcoming availability of Xbox 360 Elite, a new model of the video game and entertainment system that will include a 120GB hard drive, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, a high-definition cable, and a premium black finish for the console, wireless controller and Xbox LIVE® headset. Xbox 360 Elite has enough space for a library of Xbox LIVE Arcade games and thousands of songs, as well as downloadable high-definition TV shows and movies available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. The new 120GB hard drive also will be sold as a stand-alone accessory to give current Xbox 360 owners greater choice and flexibility in their games and entertainment experience. Additional Xbox 360 Elite accessories, such as the black Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Xbox 360 Play & Charge kit and the Xbox 360 rechargeable battery, will be available separately. The Xbox 360 Elite and its accessories are expected to begin arriving in U.S. stores on April 29.
“Today’s games and entertainment enthusiast has an insatiable appetite for digital high-definition content,” said Peter Moore, corporate vice president for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Xbox 360 Elite’s larger hard drive and premium accessories will allow our community to enjoy all that the next generation of entertainment has to offer.”
Distinguished by its black finish and signature metallic detailing, Xbox 360 Elite will have an estimated retail price1 of $479.99 (U.S.) and will come packed with components and accessories for the ultimate high-definition entertainment experience:2
- Xbox 360 Elite console. The console is equipped with a premium black finish and three powerful core processors capable of producing the best in HD entertainment (up to 1080p), 16:9 cinematic aspect ratio, anti-aliasing for smooth textures, full surround sound, HDMI output and DVD playback with upscaling capabilities right out of the box.
- Xbox 360 120GB hard drive. The 120GB detachable hard drive allows gamers to save their games and store television shows, movies, music, pictures, trailers, levels, demos and other content available from Xbox LIVE Marketplace.3 The hard drive is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $179.99 (U.S.).
- Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (black). This award-winning, high-performance wireless controller, now in black, 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 30 hours on two AA batteries. It is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $49.99 (U.S.).
- Xbox 360 headset (black). Now available in black, the headset lets gamers strategize or trade taunts while playing games and send voice messages to friends on Xbox LIVE.
- Xbox 360 HDMI cable. New to Xbox 360, HDMI allows consumers to get HD video (up to 1080p) and multichannel surround sound, all from one cable.
- Xbox LIVE Silver Membership. With this, gamers can chat with friends online, collect achievements and gamerscores, send and receive voice and text messages, and access Xbox LIVE Marketplace content such as game demos, HD movies and TV, as well as the best in downloadable games from Xbox LIVE Arcade.
- 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, chat with more than one person at a time, and take advantage of unique privileges in the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and Xbox LIVE Arcade.
The following accessories for the Xbox 360 Elite console will only be sold separately:
- Xbox 360 Play & Charge kit. Complete with a charging cable and a black rechargeable battery pack, the Xbox 360 Play & Charge kit allows gamers to recharge their Xbox 360 Wireless Controller without interrupting their gameplay. It is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $19.99 (U.S.).
- Xbox 360 rechargeable battery (black). The rechargeable battery pack provides more than 25 hours of gameplay per charge. It is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $11.99 (U.S.).
Just a quick reminder that Xbox Live, Xbox.com and the Xbox forums will be undergoing scheduled maintenance Today from 08:00am to 10:00pm GMT. As a result of this maintenance, Xbox Live, Xbox.com and the Xbox forums will be unavailable during this time. This is purely ‘back end’ work that was scheduled months ago and is not a dashboard update.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – The Shivering Isles is now available for download on the Xbox Live Marketplace (that is when Xbox Live is up and running again). The Shivering Isles is available to both Gold and Silver members in all Xbox Live regions (except Japan) and weighs in at aprox 993MB. The Shivering Isles features more than 30 hours of new gameplay and allows you to explore an entirely new plane of Oblivion – the realm of Sheogorath.
Shivering Isles features more than 30 hours of new gameplay and allows you to explore an entirely new plane of Oblivion – the realm of Sheogorath, the Daedric Prince of Madness. Shivering Isles adds to the existing world of Oblivion so you can continue playing with your existing save game/character, or create an all new character just to explore the new content.
“We’re thrilled with the response that Oblivion has received to date and feel that Shivering Isles will offer a whole new and different experience to anyone who played and enjoyed Oblivion,” said Todd Howard, executive producer for The Elder Scrolls.
Within the Realm of Sheogorath, players can explore the two extreme sides of the god’s madness – the sublimely creative and the completely psychotic. Something is happening to the Shivering Isles and Sheogorath himself looks to you to be his champion and defend his realm and its inhabitants from destruction. Do you have the strength to survive his trials, tame a realm fraught with paranoia and despair, and wear the mantle of a God?
The Shivering Isles features a bizarre landscape split between the two sides – Mania and Dementia –filled with vast, twisting dungeons mirroring the roots of the trees they are buried within. You’ll encounter more than a dozen new creatures including hideous insects, Flesh Atronachs, skeletal Shambles, amphibious Grummites. Throughout your adventure, you will discover all new items, ingredients, spells, and more, and have the talented craftsmen of Crucible and Bliss forge new armor and weapons just for you.
Well there have been a few more developments in the Xbox Live security issue since last posting. Straight from the the Major:
Earlier this week when I first heard about the “Xbox Live network hacked” story, I checked with the people on our end, and then posted about it. As originally posted, Xbox Live has not been hacked. That is still true. A security researcher, Kevin Finisterre, discovered not a hack, but the fact that some accounts may have been compromised as a result of ‘social engineering’, also known as ‘pre-texting’, through our support center. Kevin gave me a call directly and once I realized what he was talking about (he sent me some painful-to-listen-to audio files) I confirmed that the team is fully aware of this issue. They are examining the policies, and have already begun re-training the support staff and partners to help make sure we reduce this type of social engineering attack.
There’s no other way to say it; this situation shouldn’t have happened. Our customers deserve better.
The Xbox team takes what happened and the resolution of it very seriously. I also wanted to let you know that we’ve posted a page on Xbox.com ‘Troubleshooting Access to your Xbox Live Account‘ that can help you if you have questions. Finally, I chatted with Kevin earlier today and thanked him for bringing this issue to our attention. I also let him know that we have a much better understanding of this issue and that we are reviewing the processes in place to help prevent this in the future.
In an attempt to spoil the European launch of the PS3, Microsoft has put together a few light hearted publicity stunts. Although I’m sure Sony won’t see the funny side.
Stunt #1
Microsoft sends 126 cans of Fosters to CVG offices. 126 cans of Fosters is the difference in price between the 360 and the PS3. Which would you prefer..?
Stunt #2
At Sonys PS3 launch event in Paris, MS decided to sail a rather large advert for the 360 right next to the PS3 boat.
Stunt #3
For all those poor people waiting for their new PS3′s in London were treated to some comfy chairs, courtesy of www.shkyw.org.
