|
Post by Matt on Jul 22, 2006 18:17:32 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]Xbox 360 shipments hit the 5 million mark [/glow]7/21/2006 10:17:36 AM, by Eric BangemanWith a one-year lead on the other two next-generation consoles, Microsoft has been hoping to get a significant head start with Xbox 360 sales, especially on the PlayStation 3. Microsoft is on record as saying that they expect to open up a 10 million unit gap between the 360 and the PlayStation 3 by the time Sony's console launches, and the company is forecasting 15 million total sales for its next-gen console by the end of FY 2007 (June 30, 2007). Although that number may be out of reach, the company shipped another 1.8 million consoles during the final quarter of its 2006 fiscal year. The 1.8 million Xbox 360 shipments last quarter bring Microsoft up to 5 million for fiscal year 2006, which just ended. Amazingly, amid all the reports of console shortages, the company was still able to ship 1.5 million Xbox 360s during the quarter encompassing the holiday season, including 900,000 in the US, 500,000 in Europe, and 100,000 in Japan When the company announced its first quarter earnings, it said that it hoped to ship 4.5 million and 5.5 million Xbox 360 consoles during fiscal 2006. It hit that target, selling 5 million shipments for the fiscal year. At this point, the 10 million unit head start Microsoft was hoping for looks to be just a bit out of reach. Another strong quarter with similar growth could put the console right around 7 million units shipped by the end of the next quarter, with a possibility of hitting the 9 million mark by the time the PlayStation 3 will go on sale in the US on November 17, 2006. 15 million by the end of next June? Probably not out of the question, especially if consumers get sticker shock from the PS3. arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060721-7321.html
|
|
|
Post by Matt on Jul 22, 2006 18:25:17 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300] Atari Confirms $39 Test Drive X360 Price Point [/glow] July 20, 2006Struggling game publisher Atari announced that its forthcoming next-generation racing title for the Xbox 360, Test Drive Unlimited, will retail for just $39.95 when it ships in September, a price $20 below the $59.95 price point demanded of most other titles for the next-gen console. In addition, the company also noted that it will release monthly paid downloads over the Xbox Live Marketplace, including cars and bundled genre-specific radio stations (featuring between 10 and 20 songs each), beginning six weeks after the game hits store shelves. No announcement was made regarding the expected price of other versions of the game, which are slated to ship for the PlayStation 2, PSP, and PC. There is little question that the game's success at retail is important for Atari, which recently sold its Driver franchise and most of the assets of the Newcastle, UK-based Reflections development studio to Ubisoft, noting that Test Drive was its foremost racing franchise. The sale was just the latest in a string of IP and studio sales for the company, which has major long-term debt issues, but also claims an intentional 'refocusing' of goals. The company has also emphasized in June while reporting its financial results for the fiscal 2006 fourth quarter the importance of its previously announced pricing program called GamersFirst. The program began on June 1 and effectively lowered the price point of all existing Atari console titles for the PS2, Xbox, and Game Boy Advance to $19.99. Additionally, all existing Windows titles (excluding the Turbine-developed MMORPG Dungeons & Dragons Online) were recently lowered to the $19.99 level as well. Titles offered in the on-going GamersFirst program include Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi, Driver: Parallel Lines, Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, and Indigo Prophecy. “Innovation should be available to everyone, not a privilege for those who can afford high price tags,” said Bruno Bonnell, Chairman, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Atari. “Our GamersFirst program demonstrated the positive impact of flexibility in pricing. We believe it is our mission to deliver triple-A games that are accessible to the masses. As such, we are offering Test Drive Unlimited – a game that is being positively touted and recognized by the media – for $39.95, and furthermore, will continue users’ experiences past launch by featuring new cars and free music for download.” POSTED: 10.30AM PST, 07/20/06 - Jason Dobson - LINKwww.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=10157
|
|
|
Post by Matt on Jul 22, 2006 18:29:37 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300] Guitar Hero to rip it on 360s? [/glow] Source: Game blog GamerAndy.com, citing a source "in the know." Posted by TimSpot, Jul 20, 2006 5:35 pm PT The official story: See below. What we heard: Currently, gamers who want to live out the dream of being a heavy metal god have to possess long, feathered hair, a denim or leather jacket, various tattoos, and a PlayStation 2. That's because Red Octane's Guitar Hero has been exclusive to Sony's current-gen console. Even the game's sequel, due in stores this November, is slated only to play on the PS2. If a report from GamerAndy.com is to believed, however, Xbox 360 owners will soon be shreddin' it as well. Citing a source "in the know," the blog claims that Guitar Hero II is also in the works for the Microsoft's next-generation console. The site offers no other evidence that the game is in development. Even with such little proof, the prospect of Guitar Hero II coming to the Xbox 360 is almost as predictable as a rock star's hotel bill. At this year's E3, Activision announced that it purchased the game's publisher, RedOctane. Activision director Ron Doornik wasn't too subtle about the direction the company wanted to take the franchise. "The success we are seeing today is a strong indicator that Guitar Hero and the many potential extensions, new platform exploitations and international versions appear to be somewhat transition proof, as consumers are responding to this product on current-generation platforms in a manner that defies traditional late-cycle behavior," Doornik said. "We think the online capabilities of the next-generation platforms offer new and well differentiated opportunities to create additional revenues from downloadable music, which today represents one of the most popular downloadable content categories." The Xbox 360 certainly qualifies as a next-generation platform with online capabilities, and frankly, the idea of a wireless Guitar Hero controller sounds tooooootally raaaaad. Plus, as addictive as Guitar Hero is, downloadable songs over Xbox Live Marketplace would rake in huge amounts of dough. When asked for comment, a representative from RedOctane could not confirm that an Xbox 360 version was in the works, but did manage to throw in a plug for the PS2 version. Bogus or not bogus?: Not a big surprise here, and likely not bogus. Start practicing those scales now. But why didn't the source mention anything about a Wii or PlayStation 3 version? www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=24824273&sid=6154426
|
|
|
Post by Blaw on Jul 22, 2006 23:40:10 GMT -5
*faints*
and exalt to matt.
|
|
|
Post by Matt on Jul 22, 2006 23:43:30 GMT -5
Ah...well, here he is. Good to see you posting again.
And here's an exalt for you! Exalt-a-Blaw! +16!
|
|
|
Post by Blaw on Jul 22, 2006 23:45:47 GMT -5
well i would of posted if someone didn't take my post reply button and leave for two weeks, luckily i found another one.
|
|
|
Post by Matt on Jul 22, 2006 23:54:34 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]Comic-Con 2006: XBL Arcade Game Surprise[/glow]Newgrounds has been busy making games for you to download.by Kathleen Sanders July 20, 2006 - The Behemoth, creators of zany cartoon sidescrolling shooter, Alien Hominid, really do like that Xbox Live Arcade technology. As evidenced by their high-def port of the previously mentioned title to X360 Arcade and their next trick: Castle Crashers -- a four-person, side-scrolling bash 'em up in frenzy vein of Viewtiful Joe Red Hot Rumble or Double Dragon. The Behemoth didn't have very much luck shopping the strangely appealing brawler Castle Crashers to publishers and were thrilled at the ease of which it will find a wide audience (and a cheaper price) via the Xbox Live Arcade. We got to play a quick round of the game, and the bright, rich cartoon colored visuals helped keep the frantic, four-player brawling from getting confusing. The same alien humor evidenced in their previous title is here in spades. It may prove to be a great way for X360 owners to settle scores in groups this fall. xbox360.ign.com/articles/720/720033p1.html
|
|
|
Post by supersaltine on Jul 23, 2006 10:27:44 GMT -5
*joins Blaw in fainting about the Guitar Hero article*
|
|
|
Post by bobthereviewer on Jul 25, 2006 23:29:14 GMT -5
Do my eyes decieve me? A sequel to Beyond Good and Evil?Well, I may just have to put the Wii aside if this is true. Man, you don't know how much I wanted a sequel. I really hope this is true. Here is the link: igo.ampednews.com/news/3208/Please, go buy the first one, then get the sequel. This game changed my way of thinking, and it really made me care for these characters.
|
|
|
Post by Matt on Jul 26, 2006 0:48:43 GMT -5
You musta had one helluva gamer experience!
|
|
|
Post by Matt on Jul 26, 2006 16:20:38 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300] Assassin's Creed headed to the Xbox 360...again? [/glow] Source: A CVG preview of the game...on the Xbox 360! The official story: See below. What we heard: Hey did you hear? Assassin's Creed may be coming to the Xbox 360! Ubisoft's medieval stealth game has been the subject of one of the hottest rumors of the year, a rumor that refuses to die or be debunked. Assassin's Creed was officially announced at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo for the PlayStation 3. Though a press release never mentioned the word "exclusively," it sure did its best not to mention the Xbox 360. However, the game, previously known as Project Assassin, was first revealed as an Xbox 360 game at X05--Microsoft's Xbox-centric event. Further doubt that the game was a PS3 exclusive was cast when some Web sites claimed the E3 demo was running on an Xbox 360 dev kit, and earlier this month, Internet reports stated that an Ubi employee spilled the beans at the Interactive Digital Entertainment Festival in France. The latest good news for those in the Microsoft camp comes via the Web site for Computer and Video Games, which has posted a preview for the game on the Xbox 360--which no doubt peeved the French game publisher. Though Ubisoft has never announced that an Xbox 360 version is in the works, CVG appears to be accepting it as fact. To give the preview even more credence, the article is branded with the Official Xbox Magazine logo. When asked for comment on the rumored Xbox 360 version, Ubisoft said something awfully familiar. "Assassin's Creed is coming to the PS3. No other announcements have been made." So what gives? Ubisoft and Sony may have a deal for a timed exclusive, much like they had with the Grand Theft Auto series on the PlayStation 2. Another more nefarious possibility is that a deal may have been worked out so the game stirs enough interest in the PS3 if gamers believe it will only be available for that platform. And of course, there's the possibility that no one wants to believe (except hardcore Sony fanboys)--it is a PS3 exclusive game. Bogus or not bogus?: We've said it before and we'll say it again...we'd be utterly flabbergasted if it didn't make it to the Xbox 360...not bogus! www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=24838609&sid=6154653See the above link for more links!
|
|
|
Post by Matt on Jul 27, 2006 17:51:39 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300] THQ Cancels X360 Sopranos[/glow] The developer apparently was spreading itself too thin.by Daemon Hatfield July 27, 2006 - During its first quarter earnings call today, THQ announced it has cancelled development of The Sopranos for the Xbox 360. The game was simultaneously being developed for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 for release this holiday season. According to a THQ representative, the team found the 360 version wasn't shaping up to be significantly different than the PS2 version. THQ wanted The Sopranos for Xbox 360 to be a truly next-generation experience, but with the team split between systems it wasn't able to give the game the attention it deserved. Now a PlayStation 2 exclusive, The Sopranos is still on track for a holiday release for Sony's system. ps2.ign.com/articles/721/721460p1.html
|
|
|
Post by Matt on Jul 29, 2006 3:18:15 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300] Fuzion Frenzy 2 Lives![/glow] Teaming up with Hudson, Microsoft revitalizes the earliest Xbox party game of them all.by Douglass C. Perry July 27, 2006 - With fervor growing over Halo 3 and Gears of War, the last thing we thought Microsoft would do is this -- bring back Fuzion Frenzy. In an announcement made today, Microsoft has teamed with Konami-owned Hudson to bring Fuzion Frenzy 2 to Xbox 360 by year's end 2006. A pure party game that originally appeared at launch on Xbox, the sequel, Fuzion Frenzy 2, will appear on Microsoft's next-gen system with revamped mini-games, online multiplayer options and customizable tournaments. Gamers can create their own tournaments and take them online for others to play, earn tournament cards to fight off opponents, select a variety of planets to battle on, and pick and choose from as many as 40 mini-games all told. Games such as Collision Collusion, Turbine Jumper, and Super Slam Dunk -- the last of which is an advanced slam dunk shootout played in low gravity -- offer casual and hardcore gamers instant access to quick games. We'll have more on Fuzion Frenzy 2 soon. xbox360.ign.com/articles/721/721437p1.html
|
|
|
Post by supersaltine on Jul 29, 2006 8:44:17 GMT -5
DUDE! That game was sweet! HAHA! A new Fusion Frenzy! Totaly unexpected!
|
|
|
Post by Matt on Aug 14, 2006 17:34:16 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]Play your own Xbox game[/glow]Microsoft plans free tools for enthusiasts to make own games, but at first only other hard-core gamers will be able to share the creations. By Ina Fried Staff Writer, CNET News.comPublished: August 13, 2006, 9:00 PM PDT Microsoft is trying to turn hard-core gamers into Xbox programmers. The company plans to show off on Monday a new set of developer tools that will let college students, hobbyists and others create their own games for the Xbox 360 console, for a Windows PC or both. Dubbed XNA Game Studio Express, the free software is expected to be available in beta form by the end of the month, with a final product available sometime this holiday season. "The tools we are talking about make it way easier to make games than it is today," said Scott Henson, director for platform strategy for Microsoft's game developer group. Microsoft will demonstrate the new software at Gamefest, a company-run show for game developers that takes place in Seattle this week. The approach is similar to one Microsoft has taken with software development in general, selling its Visual Studio tools to professional programmers while making a more limited "express" version free to hobbyists. Microsoft released the first version of its XNA tools for professional developers in March 2005, ahead of the Xbox 360's release the following November. With the hobbyist release, the software giant is hoping to lay the groundwork for what one day will be a thriving network of enthusiasts developing for one another, something akin to a YouTube for games. The company, however, is pretty far from that goal. In the first incarnation, games developed using the free tools will be available only to like-minded hobbyists, not the Xbox community as a whole. Those who want to develop games will have to pay a $99 fee to be part of a "Creators' Club," a name that is likely to change. Games developed using XNA Game Studio Express will be playable only by others who are part of the club. Next spring, Microsoft hopes to have a broader set of tools that will allow for games to be created that can then be sold online through Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade. Microsoft will still control which games get published, and it'll get a cut of the revenue. Down the road, probably three to five years from now, Microsoft hopes to have an open approach, where anyone can publish games, and community response helps separate the hits from the flops. That would mark a major shift in the gaming world. While people have long been able to create their own PC software, console game titles have historically been created by a far more limited set of developers. Everyone says they could do better if only they had a chance, says Envisioneering analyst Richard Doherty. Now gamers can match their skills with the pros, he said. "They may not have a popular game, but they can at least try it." Plus, in creating a new outlet for enthusiasts, Microsoft is looking for one more way of winning the hearts and minds of the hard-core gamer set ahead of the release of Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii, both due later this year. Sony tried something somewhat similar with the original PlayStation, releasing in limited quantities a $750 add-on kit called the Net Yaroze that let people write their own games. Part of the impetus for expanding the pool of developers is the growing expense of making major video games. Many games take 18 to 36 months to develop Henson said, meaning big game companies only want to back sure hits. "Future titles look like existing titles," he said. "There's not a lot of branching off and taking risks." A particular target of the new program is colleges, with Microsoft having signed up 10 universities to use the new software as part of their curricula, some as early as this fall. Doherty said Microsoft is the biggest beneficiary of the program as the effort both helps tie gamers to the Xbox and potentially leads to new ideas. "I think some new talent is going to come out of it," Doherty said. "I'm not saying it's going to be 'American Idol.'" news.com.com/Play+your+own+Xbox+game/2100-1043_3-6104939.html?tag=nl
|
|