Some may knock the cartoony style of Madden NFL Arcade, but as a kid that grew up playing NBA Jam in the arcades, I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on Madden Arcade. The game looks fun as hell and I welcome a break from the “just how realistic can we make things look” next gen graphics conga line.

If you haven’t seen or heard much of the game, it is essentially 5 on 5 football with insanely unrealistic power ups that freeze opponents in place, send three footballs down field with one whip of the arm, and allow Brett Favre to play until he’s 80. Better yet, to paraphrase Kotaku’s Owen Good, it allows the Washington Redskins to score two touch downs on offense.

Madden NFL Arcade is due to hit the PlayStation Network on November 24th and Xbox LIVE on November 25th, with a price tag of $14.99 and 1200 MS Points respectively.

My Thanksgiving agenda is bound to include eating way too much food, kicking my brother’s ass in some Madden Arcade, and passing out on the couch to a Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions match up sure to be a half time blowout.

Have a look at the trailer below and let me know what you think in the comments section.

Okay, so maybe he didn’t mention the porn streaming part, but in a recent Tweet, Xbox LIVE’s Major Nelson announced the following:

“We just hit a new #XboxLIVE record: Over TWO MILLION people connected to the service at once.”

I think all two million of us should sign off and sign back on at the same exact moment as a way of expressing our gratitude. Seriously though, two million is a very big and impressive number. In monetary form, it’s double the amount of an infamous Dr. Evil ransom. Measured in inches, it’s almost as big as my fully erect …

Congratulations Microsoft.

In an on going effort to eliminate modded consoles from accessing their Xbox LIVE service, Microsoft has reportedly banned an estimated 600,000 accounts — a tad over one-fortieth of their LIVE subscribing customer base.

Banned users will likely still be able to use their console offline, assuming they don’t throw it into a wall or drive over it upon receiving the news.

Oh how high society frowns upon you! If you happen to be an Xbox LIVE Silver Member that enjoys decapitating zombies when you aren’t drowning kittens in your bathtub, you know that the Left 4 Dead 2 demo wasn’t available to you last week. Well, put the kitten down and power up your 360. Valve’s zombie fest sequel is waiting and your clogged tub drain will thank you.

Grand Theft Auto IV’s second downloadable episode, titled “The Ballad of Gay Tony”, is available on Xbox LIVE marketplace right now (complete with Sprunk Extreme Base Jumping) and will run you 1600 Microsoft Points (roughly 20 bucks).

If you get your hands on it, let us know what you think in the comments section.

Bungie has just confirmed that their biggest title, Halo 3, has set an impressive benchmark in console online gaming. Over Xbox Live, over one billion matches has been played in Halo 3 which beats out the previous record of 798 million set by it’s predecessor, Halo 2.

“Thanks a billion for all the good games and the continued community support,” wrote the Bungie team. “We’re in awe of the success Halo 3 has been met with, but we’re not done yet. Stick around and stay tuned, there’s definitely more to come.”

This momentum is expected to continue throughout the year as Bungie sets to release they’re highly anticipated Mythic Map pack for Halo 3 which brings in 3 new playable multiplayer maps. For those who purchase Halo Wars, the map pack will come bundled in but for those wanting to wait, Bungie will release the map pack worldwide this September.

It is very rewarding to see Halo 3 garner this continued success. It just shows what may happen when a developer decides to stick hard with their games, even years after it has released instead of disbanding them. Personally, some of my greatest Xbox Live memories come from playing Halo 3 online. I just hate it when people on my team in a Ranked match decides to bail out, really sucks, but I believe Halo 3 will always be a dominating factor over XBL over the course of the 360 lifespan.

Source: Games Industry Biz

G4TV has posted a video containing 15 minutes of gameplay footage they recorded themselves while fighting for their lives against an army of zombies. If this doesn’t get you ready to hit “download” when the public demo of Left 4 Dead hits XBL tomorrow, you must not be a fan of four player co-op awesomeness. Hit the jump for the video.

Struggling to make ends meet in a rough economy? Maybe you lost a decent chunk of chain on the stock market, or maybe your hours have been cut by your employer. Regardless of your real world dilemma, Microsoft has got just the thing for you! Spend real money on virtual stuff for your virtual self this spring when they launch their official Avatar Store!

Rent shment. Having a roof over your head won’t matter the least bit if your virtual counterpart isn’t pimped out in the latest fashions. Who needs three square meals when you could spend that extra cash on a set of fictitious wheels!

Xbox LIVE EMEA product manager, Robin Burrowes, had the following to say about the company’s big picture plans for avatar enhancement:

“The plan of record will be to launch a more extensive Avatar Store from spring time onwards next year, and that store in theory would have branded content in there, game publisher IP stuff in there as well.” Adding that the pricing structure is still “under discussion.”

Holy smokes! Nike just released the new virtual Air Jordans. If I don’t buy them all the other avatar versions of my friends will laugh at me and call me names. Sorry, I’m just not a big supporter of the push to express your virtual self at the expense of real world means.

Some may argue this is no different than spending boat loads of cash on WoW gold, but I disagree. The majority of people dishing out dollars for currency in games like World of Warcraft are doing so to offset the time commitment, obtain improved statistical gear, and fund game progression. Blowing your paycheck on a digital representation of a Gucci bag just doesn’t seem like a wise decision.

Afterthought: Is this really the direction we need to be going in? Would you really spend your hard earned money on virtual crap?

Source: videogamer.com (via: scrawlfx.com)

Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE boasts an enormous user base, however, many of its users have been nothing short of vocal in criticizing the monthly subscription fee required to fully “jump in.”

Supporters of the service often cited the flexible in-game chat capability as its primary edge over the PlayStation Network, but recent updates on the part of Sony have bridged that gap.

The addition of online capabilities to consoles allowed gamers to remotely connect to each other, but more importantly, from a publishers perspective, it created a viable means for digital distribution of content. On that note, both the PS3 and 360 next-gen consoles have infrastructures capable of delivering digital content to consumers, but which format do publishers prefer?

In a recent interview, Capcom’s digital content product manager, John Diamonon, discussed the current digital distribution options available to publishers. Diamonon complimented the PSN service, and had the following to say about XBL:

“As far as Microsoft goes–how can I say this diplomatically–there are things I think they’d like to do to promote content in multiple ways, and I think they’ll get there eventually… but they’re not there yet.”

It should also be noted that Sony recently granted Capcom a branded PSN storefront (the first of its kind), allowing the publisher to pimp their wares and their brand.

Source: edge-online.com

Eidos Interactive has announced today that the Xbox 360 console version of Tomb Raider: Underworld will be benefiting from nearly 6 hours of additional gameplay time in the form of two additional chapters titled “Beneath the Ashes” and “Lara’s Shadow”.

The DLC will be available via the Xbox Live Marketplace, with the first chapter (Beneath the Ashes) expected to hit this Christmas, and the second (Lara’s Shadow) unloading in early in 2009.

Eidos promises that both chapters will provide a unique experience, and Sean Vesce, General Manager for Crystal Dynamics, adds that the “retail release of any videogame is just the start of the player experience.”

It seems that Microsoft has bought into Sean’s philosophy, as they appear to be buying up exclusive content left and right. While it may be extend the life of a game, it remains to be seen whether or not it will drastically improve a console manufacturers bottom line.

You won’t have to hold your breath till December though, in addition to the DLC, it was also announced that a demo of the game will make its way on to XBL in October.

Full press release available after the jump.

EIDOS AND XBOX ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE DOWNLOADABLE CHAPTERS FOR TOMB RAIDER: UNDERWORLD

First New Chapter Rolls Out in Time for the Holidays with Game Demo Available in October

Redwood City, Calif. – October 6, 2008 – Eidos Interactive, creator of some of the world’s leading video game properties, today announces an agreement with Microsoft to release two brand new downloadable chapters in the continuing Tomb Raider adventures of Lara Croft. Containing up to six hours of new gameplay and content for Tomb Raider: Underworld™, the chapters will be available exclusively on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®. A demo for Tomb Raider: Underworld will also be available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace in October.

Offering entirely new content specifically designed to extend the Tomb Raider: Underworld experience, Tomb Raider: Underworld – Beneath the Ashes and Tomb Raider: Underworld – Lara’s Shadow will deliver two very different single player gameplay experiences. Tomb Raider: Underworld – Beneath the Ashes takes place after the Underworld story has finished and will feature an incredible new environment to explore, additional secrets to unlock and different enemies to fight. Tomb Raider: Underworld – Lara’s Shadow will introduce players to a new kind of playable character and create a unique Tomb Raider experience.

The first new chapter, Tomb Raider: Underworld – Beneath the Ashes, will be available for download exclusively on Xbox LIVE Marketplace this Christmas. Tomb Raider: Underworld – Lara’s Shadow will follow in early 2009.

“We are constantly looking at ways to extend our franchises, whilst developing a deeper relationship with our players. The retail release of any videogame is just the start of the player experience, from there it all depends where you want to take the player in terms of ideas and innovation,” said Sean Vesce, General Manager for Crystal Dynamics. . “With these additional chapters and the online reach of Xbox LIVE, we are able to deliver exclusive content to millions of gamers worldwide.”

“We’re thrilled that Xbox owners will be able to extend their Lara Croft adventures with exclusive Tomb Raider: Underworld episodes,” said George Peckham, General Manager of Global Third Party Publishing for Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business. “We look forward to continue working closely with our great publishing partners to deliver the most robust gaming experiences, only on Xbox 360.”

If you grew up listening to Red Hot Chili Peppers like I did, then the headline will make sense to you — if not, here you go.

Rock Band 2 owners will be able to power up their Xbox 360 and download the entire Blood Sugar Sex Magik DLC for 1,600MS Points from XBL. In other words — what XBL got “you got to get it put it in you.” Yeah, I know that song isn’t from BSSM, but I wanted to say it anyway.

So many great tracks in this one album like “Breaking the Girl”, “Under the Bridge”, and a favorite of one of my ex girlfriend’s, “Sir Psycho Sexy”. I wonder if she was trying to tell me something…

Hit the jump for the full track list.

• “The Power of Equality”
• “If You Have to Ask”
• “Breaking the Girl”
• “Funky Monks”
• “Suck My Kiss”
• “I Could Have Lied”
• “Mellowship Slinky in B Major”
• “The Righteous & The Wicked”
• “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”
• “Under the Bridge”
• “Naked in the Rain”
• “Apache Rose Peacock”
• “The Greeting Song”
• “My Lovely Man”
• “Sir Psycho Sexy”
• “They’re Red Hot”

I’ve been biting my nails, waiting and wondering when the deal announced at E3 between Netflix and Microsoft’s Xbox Live is actually going to start.  Well in the the “New-Instantly on your TV” tab on the Netflix website there’s a little picture of an Xbox 360 that says, “Beginning late fall 2008.”  What’s late fall mean?  My guess is November, since December has GOT to be a winter month (it has Christmas in it.)

Some other details straight from the source may surprise you.  The good is there’s no limit to how many instantly watchable movies you can view in a month and all you need is an internet connection, the 9 dollar, “1 rental at a time” Netflix membership, and an Xbox Live membership.

The bad is that that Xbox Live membership must be Gold and you can’t instantly watch every movie in Netflix’s 100,000 title library.  The instantly selectable Library’s more around 12,000 deep, but I did see some good stuff in there, such as The Office and Dexter.   And, listen, I did the math and at 2 hours a dvd you have enough instant movies to last you 3 years if you did nothing but watch movies and not sleep.

If you’re reading this and you don’t own an Xbox 360 (for shame!) you can pick up the The LG BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player (Available fall 2008) and the little, cutesy Netflix player by Roku which retails for 100 bucks.

Gametrailers blogger LifeRPG has been doing some serious thinking about what would make online consoles just a little bit better, and some of these actually seem like they might work. Read on for the full list of most wanted features.

Here’s a rundown of the six suggested features:

1) Be able to watch a friend play, from your screen
To make myself clearer, let’s take an example: JUSTIN.TV
You play, recording yourself with your webcam and broadcasting your gameplay to the entire world. Anybody coming on your channel will be able to see you play. So basically, what i am saying here is a concept pretty much similar. When online on PSN/XBL , it would be great to have a feature that lets you connect to your friend’s game and watch him play….In other terms, i would be a ‘Spectator’.

2) Take in-game videos screenshots, and being able to host them online directly from the PSN/XBL
The PSN lets you (although still very limited) upload in-game footage directly to YouTube. Well, that’s good for a start isn’t it, but i mean….YouTube? No. Just no. SCE / Microsoft need to set up a private video sharing website, in which all content would not only be in HD, but also uploaded directly from our consoles.

3) Cross Platform Online Play
Take a multi-platform game, COD4 for example. Imagine a feature that would allow PSN gamers to play against XBL gamers. This sure sound ridiculously impossible, doesn’t it? But let’s think bigger..See this example: how about a multi-platform game developed by SCE themselves? A MMO for example, that would be out on PS3 and PC..maybe that would work.

4) Stuck in a game? Meet the Virtual Walkthrough!
Let’s admit it folks, we’ve all got stuck in games..and still do. One of the game i most used a walkthrough was Zelda: Twilight Princess. I can vaguely remember the number of pages i printed off the GAMEFAQ walkthrough, but it certainly was above 30. Aren’t you fed up with that? Moving to your PC to look for the solution ; Making sure you always have papers and cartridge ready, cause if you don’t you’d have to constantly come-and-go from console to PC ; Reading the walkthrough while playing..well believe me i am. I believe it is time we have a Virtual Walkthrough. In other terms, an in-game walkthrough that would help us in our ’stuck’ situations, and lead us to the solution.

5) Not an online feature, but a feature in general..a really important one: Game Cutscenes accessible anytime
Am i the only one who wishes i could re-watch all cutscenes from the games i play? I’m sure i’m not. I believe this is a game developer decision, and not a console manufacturer’s, but whoever it is they must hear us: We want to watch all cutscenes from the games we’ve completed ANYTIME. Whether it’s on the Disc itself (unlocked after completing the game maybe), or an option to have them all transfered to our HDD, we want it!

6) Organized Clan Management System
Clans Clans Clans..Numerous clans exist for nearly every online game available today. A great feature would be the integration of an Organized Clan Management System. The use of such a system would basically let console users to not only group the clan members, but actually manage the entire clan overall: Have a motto, a logo, statistics, …etc
In other terms, Clan Identification. That would be a great idea, eventually for future ‘clan leagues’.

Our own writer John Kershaw had this to say about these ideas:

Points 1 and 3 are just technically hard to do. You can already kinda do point 2 in Halo, but because of the server costs, it wouldn’t happen over the two networks, it’s a game-by-game thing. Point 4 has nothing to do with XBLA or PSN, same with 5. Point 6 is called a forum.

Use the comments below to let us know: What do you think of these proposed features? Would you use any of them?

Source: LifeRPG’s Gametrailers blog

If you are a hockey fan, and you own a PS3, you can boot up right now and download the EA Sports NHL 09 demo. Xbox 360 owners will looking to lace up will have to wait until early September to hit the virtual ice.

Our very own Emily Balistrieri had a chance to check out the game at the EA Studio Showcase a few days ago, and had this to say:

Dave McCarthy gave us the lowdown on what’s new this year for NHL 09. They’ve made further improvements even since last year’s award-gilded installment, adding the EA Sports Hockey League mode. Players can create their own character, level up, and play on fully human teams–six on six–with other hockey fans online.

The career tracking is pretty in-depth, and you can be scouted by other players or scout for new talent for your own team. During the game, you get feedback on how well you’re keeping position (also shown in real time as an arrow, if you’re not quite in the right spot), as well as various other attributes, so you’ll know what to work on to become a better team member. NHL 09 will be available September 9th.

Sounds like the game is worth a download, but if it’s as short as the Madden demo was, XBL owners won’t be missing out on much.

Just a heads up for you Star Wars fans, the demo for LucasArts latest Jedi combat game, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, is up on Xbox Live now (and PSN later today) for those who want to try the game out.

The demo isn’t very long, weighing in at 904mb, but shows off plenty of force powers and fast combat. Go ahead and start your download now!

Source: Gamersreports.com

After receiving the Edge Award for Interactive Innovation, Halo 3 creators Bungie have thanked the publication via a highly entertaining video.  In it there are hints towards a new Halo development, but not a new game as many have been suggesting.

We suspect that when Luke Smith says, “Even though in Halo 3 you finished the fight, it doesn’t necessarily mean the ride’s over,” he is referring to the often teased Halo 3 online expansion. For example, a few weeks ago this was said on Bungie’s very own blog:

While a lot of the changes done this month were backend things that players will never notice, you would be right to think that August’s changes feel very minimal. The reason for this is that we’ve been focused on preparing a larger series of changes to Matchmaking for September. Much larger.

Much, much larger.

No, really. It’s huge. You should see how giddy Luke gets when I talk about the tentative plan.

And even before then “major changes to the Halo 3 Online experience” were teased. Check out the video below.

After the controversy of E3, where Bungie were stopped from making a new game announcement by Microsoft, it seems all they can do is hint and tease.  Well, we’re taking notice and we expect to hear more about an online expansion very soon.  September maybe…

Image Credit: DeepBlue of Neogaf

Playable demos for Madden NFL 09 and Facebreaker have hit Xbox Live and the Playstation Network today.

Madden NFL 09 is due to hit stores on August 12 and Facebreaker just a few weeks later on September 5.

Check out our hands-on previews of Madden NFL 09 and Facebreaker from E3 to see how impressed we were by both EA Sport Titles.

Source: Majornelson.com and Playstation.Blog

The return of Capcom’s retro blue bomber! I grew up playing Mega Man in this format, and while part of me hopes that more companies follow Capcom on their retro revival world tour, it does make me somewhat question my $500+ next gen console purchase.

If so many gamers, including myself, are doing cartwheels over a game that could easily play on much cheaper hardware, why is it that we are buying next gen mega machines? Oh that’s right — Blu-ray and HD DVD. End rant. Enjoy the footage.

Mega Man 9 will cost you 1000 WiiWare Points, which translates into about $10. We would imagine that the PSN and XBL versions will follow suit. What exactly does your money buy you? Well, in addition to the ten year jump back in time, the game will also integrate online leaderboards and DLC.

Source: IGN

Got the (deep breath) Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix Beta (phew) up and running on the 42 in LCD and roped my roommate, Josh–a gamer and game programmer–into sharing his thoughts along with mine.

It’s really barely a taste of what the final product will be like, but you at least get a sense of what the shiny HD will look like. Click through so you know what you are disagreeing with before you post nasty comments.

Josh: There is a strange disconnect between the precision of the graphics and the wimpiness of the special move effects.

Emily: Yeah, I guess I sort of understand where that is coming from. Feels almost just a like a Saturday morning cartoon.

Josh: Definitely. But it grows on you as all the nostalgic feelings come up, trapping your opponent in a series of punches or quarter-circling them for the last bar of damage.

Josh: To be honest though playing this makes me want to fire up Soul Calibur II on my Xbox.

Emily: Oh yeah, cuz Sung Mina is way hotter than Chung Li. But that isn’t saying much for this game, then, is it?

Josh: Well, if they let us play as more than two characters we’d get to see more of the redrawn Udon Entertainment art.

Emily: Ah, I’d probably be playing Ryu or Ken, anyhow. I guess I don’t know what the proper way to control this would be. I guess this will probably have stick support? I’ve been using the analog to halfway decent success–I mean, for someone who *cough* hasn’t really played much Street Fighter, I am pulling off my fair share of hadokens.

Josh: It’s true, my face was full of fireballs.  I’ve been sticking to the d-pad in an attempt to pull off tighter moves, but, well, any game relying on it suffers some from the 360’s pseudo-digital d-pad, as anyone who’s played Lumines on XBLA can attest.

Josh: The analogue stick is definitely the way to go.  Though that victory would have been way more satisfying if you’d actually fallen to the ground, a burning corpse of pain, instead of standing there with a stupid grin on your face while the announcer told us I’d won.

Emily: Yeah, time-outs suck ;p Ken sez, “Well, at least you threw a punch…”

Josh: Those were some dramatic dust clouds you kicked up there.  I’m have to say I’m underwhelmed by the supposed HD upgrade.

Emily: Welllllll, let’s just call ourselves spoiled instead. If you’re SO used to 1080p that you just don’t care anymore, then let the rest of us have fun until IV comes out!!

Josh: Oh, no, give it to us pixelated and raw, just don’t go halfway.  I’d love it if they gave it to us with original graphics.

Emily: There will apparently be an option for the original sprites in the final game, but it doesn’t seem to be in for the beta. Whoa, did we just do synchronized hurricane kicks?

Josh: That was pretty sweet. Still kicked my butt in the end, though. Poor Ryu. “You’re not bad, but you’re not good either.”  Ken pretty much summed it up right there, didn’t he?  For all my complaining, though, I can’t wait to see the rest of the art and play through the other characters.

Emily: Yeah, I’m not sure if Ken and Ryu, buff and sparkly as they are, will hold my attention for the duration of the beta, but the full release should prove more exciting.

An alleged feature list for Microsoft’s Spring update has been leaked. As per usual, there are some lackluster additions but others are huge, and if the list does prove to be accurate we will have some excellent new features being added to Xbox Live.

I’ve highlighted some of the features which have got me the most excited, but at a glance the biggies are 4 person group chat, the ability to download a gamer picture from a gamecard when being viewed, an option to purchase membership for charities (includes benefits), support for titles to store installation data on Storage Device for faster loading, and the finale, calibration options for motion sensor devices!

The last two could prove to be very interesting as 1: it may quash denials from Microsoft that they are not developing a motion controller and 2: storing installation data on a hard drive is a big advantage the Playstation 3 has at present. Faster loading times for levels and textures can never be a bad thing.

Xbox LIVE updates

• Option to delay sign-in to Xbox LIVE upon booting console (to allow user to set Online Status).
• Option to promote Child Account from Family Settings.
• Disallow Child Accounts (over 18) to override Family Settings by launching Privacy Settings through a title.
• Option in Family Settings for Child Accounts to enable child-oriented/non-mature advertisements.
• Introduce a group chat (4) for Private Chat and conferences through Video Chat.
• Support to indicate media being watched to gamercard status (video content from Marketplace only).
• Extend height for Bio field in Personal Profile, easier navigation through text.
• More fields present in Personal Profile – recent achievements, interests, games, movies, links, custom section.
• Compact Personal Profile for new fields (navigating to field will open it up).
• Mandatory option to delete duplicate titles from gamercard (excludes Games for Windows – LIVE). User disconnected from Xbox LIVE when booting any title until action complete.
• Option to remove payment information from gamertag.
• New payment methods for international users.
• Download History on Account Management better organized – games, genre, type, download date, miscellaneous.
• Long descriptions of items on Marketplace can be scrolled using right stick.
• Better organization of free content on Marketplace.
• Option to ‘ping’ when testing connection.
• Allow re-connection to Xbox LIVE if Ethernet cable is re-inserted whilst powered on.
• New strip colors available to developers, staff gamercards.
• New corner icon available to ambassadors.
• Re-introduce Messages button for Inside Xbox updates only.
• Option to store up to 10 messages permanently on server (excludes invites, status messages).
• Increase character limit for text messages between friends only.
• Option to disable invites from non-friends or all players.
• Option to disable invites from titles not on gamercard (excludes demos).
• Option to have smaller items moved up in Active Downloads.
• Automatically re-connect to Xbox LIVE if disconnected unexpectedly (set intervals).
• Option to download gamer picture (if available) from a gamercard being viewed.
• Display random tips to replace static text on Xbox LIVE and Games blades.
• New button on Marketplace for optional dashboard features – uses Storage Device memory.
• Option to donate Microsoft Points to anybody with a Windows Live ID.
• Option to purchase Membership for charities (includes benefits).
• Integrate file-sharing for selected titles on Xbox LIVE and Games for Windows – LIVE.
• Disable notifications to friends of user repeatedly signing into service (set period).
• Option to see ’snippet’ of text message in notification.
• Windows Live Mail integration – includes support for Xbox LIVE Vision.
• Web feeds integration – text, images, audio. Includes support for specific item codes on Marketplace.
• Option to display gamer picture or standard picture as display picture in Windows Live Messenger.
• Support for headset, Xbox LIVE Vision in Windows Live Messenger.
• Support for limited ‘winks’ that display on dashboard interface. Option to disable ‘winks’ and ‘nudges’ added.
• Notifications separate from Windows Live Messenger to Xbox 360 notifications.
• Disable multiple languages from being used in any Xbox LIVE editable fields.

Games

• Option to delete titles from gamercard with 0 gamerscore and 0 achievements (excludes some titles that will be re-added to launch another title).
• Organize My Games at the Games Library section better (includes disc-based titles) – sort by genre, platform (Games for Windows – LIVE), percentage completion.
• Support to display friends leaderboards for disc-based titles.
• Show dates of an achievement unlocked when comparing.
• Preload Games Library upon dashboard bootup for faster access.
• Game updates now shown as items in Memory, increased amount of updates on Storage Device.
• Option to delete game updates, removed ‘cheat code’ as no longer needed.
• Support for more titles to display banner when accessing guide in-game.
• Option to re-introduce awarded gamer pictures from titles that do not have their own re-introduce feature (requires saved game).
• Disable gamer pictures from being awarded from trials.
• Support for titles to store installation data on Storage Device for faster loading.
• Synchronization to achievements offline/online that were deleted and then re-added from developers.

Media

• Option to hold LT and RT for rewinding/fast-forwarding video content.
• Option to delete individual music tracks from storage device.
• Option to rip music CD at different quality.
• Copy non-protected files (pictures, music, videos) from USB storage devices, CDs and computers to proprietary storage devices.
• Support for menu, top-menu features on video content downloaded from Marketplace.
• Section added for audio delivered through feeds (podcasts). Option to stream, download to Storage Device.
• Support added for video titles/description to gamercard status.

Dashboard/Miscellaneous

• Option to navigate quickly out of several menus back to respective blade home (applies to Games, Media, System).
• New blade trim styles added.
• Introduce expanded Inside Xbox as a portal to news, weather, entertainment, help and community features.
• New sounds for various functions (notifications, blades, navigation).
• Calibration options for display/sound.
• Calibration options for motion sensor devices.
• New effects for Xbox LIVE Vision and dashboard background.
• Disable changing of Theme when on Memory to prevent ‘hanging’.
• Preload recent, limited items upon dashboard bootup on Memory.
• Faster loading of Themes section on guide.
• Option to see what items will not work offline due to DRM license changing from Memory.
• Option to automatically associate new DRM to items downloaded for free.
• Indicate ‘charging’ status on guide when Play & Charge kit is connected.
• Option to change text colors on guide to better contrast some backgrounds.
• Language improvements.
• Word censor updated for fields.
• Privacy Settings/Family Settings updated for new features.
• Voice, picture messages can be read at Xbox.com (Gold accounts).

Source: Kotaku

We just received an email from Activision’s PR department containing 9 new screenshots of their upcoming DLC map pack for the hit game, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, due to hit XBL on April 10th. The four maps included in the pack are Kill Creek, Broadcast, Chinatown, and Killhouse.

The maps themselves offer a good variety and all the detail you have come to expect from Infinity Ward. Kill Creek and Broadcast are featured in the majority of the screens, however from what little we have seen of Killhouse and Chinatown, they look pretty interesting as well.

Call of Duty 4 DLC - 9 New Map Screens

9 Photos

 

In an attempt to get you more excited about Fable 2’s release, Peter Molyneux and the studly geniuses at Lionhead are giving you an early taste in the form of an Xbox Live Arcade game.

Keystone is a downloadable XBLA game that will release prior to Fable 2. It’s just one of the many mini-games found in Fable 2, but Keystone will let you gamble and win gold that you can then transfer into your Fable 2 saved game. You can be a rich bitch before you even enter the world of Albion!

No release date has been given for either Fable 2 or Keystone, but the stars are aligning for a Summer delivery. Keystone already looks ready to go, so it can up and surprise us at any time. Be on the lookout for that crafty bastard on the marketplace, or just stay tuned to Ripten and we’ll let you know when it’s coming out.

After being leaked by guitarist Joe Perry quite some time ago, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith has now been officially announced.

Think of it like this: Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s is to Guitar Hero II as Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is to Guitar Hero III. Neversoft will continue development and Activision is, of course, publishing.

The set list as a whole hasn’t been confirmed, and we don’t know how many songs there’ll be. What we do know is that ‘Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing’, ‘Dream On’, and ‘Love in an Elevator’ are all shoe-ins. And for those of you that despise Aerosmith, you should be semi-comforted by the addition of “celebrated artists that the band has either performed with or has been inspired by in some way.”

Apparently as a peace offering, on February 16-18 Aerosmith’s ‘Dream On’ will be available for free download for use with Guitar Hero III. It’ll be obtainable on both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network (Sorry Nintendo!) for those few days only.

When Rez was released into the world in late 2001, it became an instant cult classic with its trippy visuals and trance-like soundtrack. Rez HD sees the game being reborn on the Xbox Live Arcade with updated graphics and extra vibration.

Does the game live up to the hype? Is it worth the money and most importantly, what does it feel like playing a game with a vibrating controller down your pants? Just a few questions you will get the answers to shortly.

If you break Rez HD down to its simplest elements, it’s an on-rails shooter with incredible music. All you do is point and shoot. This is not to say it is a weakness of the game, however, as it turns out it’s one of Rez’s strongest points.

Taking away your movement worries not only allows the game to continue moving forward at a steady pace, but also allows you to concentrate fully on targeting your foes and absorbing the sound and visuals in an almost comatose state– the perfect state to be in for this game.

Aiming aside, there are only two buttons used in the game: one to fire and one to trigger Overdrive. Holding down the fire button allows you to lock-on to up to 8 targets using the reticule, firing on all of them when you release. Overdrive will cause you to automatically fire on all the targets you can see, but will run out after a few seconds, requiring you to pick up power-ups as you go.

As well as the Overdrive power-up, you also collect power-ups which increase your “evolution bar”. Once the bar is full you will evolve into a new form, only dropping down a form when you hit something, or when something hits you.

There are 5 levels, or Areas in the game, each with its own theme, with the final Area only being unlocked when you have fully completed the four previous ones. Each starts off easy and will ramp up the difficulty as you progress, culminating in an end boss.

There is a story to Rez, surprisingly, but it isn’t pivotal to your appreciation of the game. Essentially, you’re in a suicidal super-computer, trying to get into the core to stop it from killing itself, shooting down any viruses or firewalls getting in your way.

Besides the standard game mode, you can choose Score Attack, where you try to get the highest score for each level, and using XBLA’s league tables it allows you to see where you rank beside your friends. There is also Travel mode, in which you can’t be killed, which is always nice.

Graphically the game feels very unique, with the only other games coming close being Space Giraffe or Tron. Each Area has its own general look and feel, but this isn’t to say they are bland. Psychedelic is definitely a word that comes to mind. As you progress, the whole environment will occasionally completely shift in its appearance, or bend dramatically into a whole new form. Combined with the awesome soundtrack it generates a very engrossing experience.

Music plays a very prevalent role within the game, to the extent that when you fire your weapon the game will play percussion sounds in time with you shooting, and the music. You’re actually adding to the soundtrack as you play. Keeping the same soundtrack from 2002, the hard trance vibes still resonate throughout the game, and for me, bring back some very fond memories. With tracks by artists such as Coldcut and Adam Freeland, the music is not only fitting to the game, but also very enjoyable simply to listen too.

Before I wrap things up, I feel I should add a word or two on the vibration functions of the game. Originally, the game came out with something called the Trance Vibrator, which vibrated in time to the music. Sadly the XBLA version is not compatible with the old Trance Vibrator, but not to worry as you can now set up to 3 other controllers to fill that role. A great idea in principle, but I can’t for the life of me work out where to put the third one. It’s also worth mentioning that even with all 3 vibrating, the results are somewhat weak and, to be honest, not really worth the effort.

Rez HD is a very fun game and will provide several hours of incredibly absorbing gaming experience for any player. Although it won’t give you anything earth-shatteringly different from the original Rez, if you have yet to experience the game, then I would highly recommend spending those 800 MS Points downloading it.

What does this score mean? Check out our review scoring breakdown.

Maybe I’m spoiled. Maybe my expectations are too high. Whatever the reason, the most positive thing I can say about Conflict: Denied Ops is that I was not physically injured by how horrible it was.

Well, maybe that’s a bit harsh. There’s nothing really fundamentally wrong with the game — it’s just so underwhelming in pretty much every aspect that’s supposed to make games fun.

Browsing the Xbox Live Marketplace, it seems the developers spent a lot of time trying to make people think this game was going to be cool. Developer diaries and trailers showcase the “destructible environments” and cooperative elements — both of which, in practice, suck ass.

In one of the videos, the player blows a hole in a wall with a shotgun and then shoots through the newly formed hole with his sniper rifle. Seems like that should be awesome, but it’s not. The most destructible thing I encountered was a wooden guardrail around some stairs, which splintered in a very impressive N64-era kind of way.

I shot plenty of things with my shotgun in an attempt to destruct the environment. A television screen shattered (not impressive) and I put a dent in a table (also not impressive). While it is a step up from the flat, untextured decals that represented bullet holes in the past, it is not the mind-blowing feature they try to make it out to be.

As far as co-op, it’s just garbage. Playing this game with a buddy is like when you eat something disgusting and then say “Dude, this tastes like shit! Here, try it!” It’s nice to have someone to share in the experience, but it would be more fun to just take turns stabbing each other in the brain.

Then the characters themselves — wow. You have your choice between generic white guy and generic black guy. Whitey has a sniper rifle with a shotgun attachment, as well as a silenced pistol. Blacky has a light machine gun with a grenade launcher attachment and a rocket launcher. Their interactions with each other remind me of Padmé and Anakin from Star Wars Episode II — more irritating than a sandy vagina.

The shooting is pretty bland. The sniper rifle has absolutely no kick and barely makes any noise. I kept shooting a wall when I first loaded the game up, and I couldn’t tell that I was even shooting. The wall didn’t deform like I expected either, adding to my uncertainty as to whether or not I was actually firing. Maybe I was just confused because of how bad the graphics are…

The overall impression I get from this game is that it sucks. It’s either poorly designed by people that don’t know what fun is, or it was targeted at 3-year-olds that don’t quite understand all the intricacies (the few that exist) of tactically shooting people in the face. In either case, I think it’s in your best interest to only play this game if you hate yourself.

For all you masochists out there, the demo is available now for download on the Xbox Live Marketplace and PSN.