Microsoft and Epic announce Xbox Live Gears of War tournament
March 30, 2007
According to an announcement by Microsoft Game Studios and Epic Games, the upcoming Gears of War 2007 Global Xbox Live Tournament, presented by the World Cyber Games, will take place in the form of ranked matches that will be held over a four-week period in April and May.
Eleven finalists, based on leaderboard stats, will be chosen for the grand prize: a four-day, three-night trip for two to Prague, Czech Republic, the source of inspiration for the game’s visual design. Airfare, hotel accommodations, basic ground transportation while in Prague, and a $200 Visa gift card are included in the prize package.
Based on the tournament results, the top four players from each participating country will also win a three-day two night trip to the 2007 World Cyber Games National Championship event that will take place in their corresponding country. That trip also includes round-trip transportation and hotel accommodations, as well as a $300 Visa gift card. Runners-up are eligible to receive a package that will contain an Xbox 360 Pro System, a 12-month subscription to Xbox Live, some Gears of War stuff, and a bundle of games, including Viva Pinata, Project Gotham Racing 3, Kameo: Elements of Power, and Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Volume 1.
Registration began yesterday (3/29), and ends on April 29. Official tournament play begins on April 9, and ends on May 6. The winners will be announced sometime in May.
Rumors of 80GB PS3 Arise
Yesterday, Kotaku, a gamibg blog, did some investigative work regarding recent FCC filings. Well, it seems that their search led them to a Sony submitted request pertaining to a pair of recent BlueTooth modifications for the PS3. Hmmm…
The text at the very end of the request references the addition of a new PS3 model, one which has a product code of CECHE01 and is purported to contain an 80GB hard drive. According to the filing, the 60 GB model (CECHA01) is listed as the “Original Model” while the 80 GB model (CECHE01) is listed as the “Addition Model.”
So is Sony going to replace the 60GB model with the new 80GB model? Is Sony planning on the simultaneous release of 3 different PS3 units, in the tradition of the Core, Premium, and Elite versions of the Xbox 360? Is Sony going to do both? Time will tell.
Today, Kotaku has published an official response from Sony regarding the recent filing: “As mentioned when we made the product announcement for PS3, the system will have different configurations (thus, 60GB HDD with memory card slots and Wi-Fi and 20GB HDD without memory card slots or Wi-Fi both exists). Application to the FCC has been made with various possibilities in mind, however, it does not lead to a new product announcement at this time.”
Stay tuned…
Xbox 360 Hard Drive Upgrades Could Be Trouble
March 29, 2007
Following the announcement of the Xbox Elite, potential Xbox 360 owners across the world have been disappointed that the news announced so far only applies to the North American market, but a recent Microsoft Japan press release indicates that the Elite’s 120 GB hard drive will be available in Japan for the price of 18,900 yen ($161.64) starting June 7th.
Wired’s gaming blog, however, recently examined that press release a little more closely and noticed some eyebrow-raising conditions that will most likely affect 360 gamers from all regions. In particular, the blog post points towards the process of transferring data from the old 20GB hard drives to the new 120GB models.
According to the press release, partial transfer looks to be impossible, since the entire contents of your 20 GB drive will automatically be transferred to the larger 120 GB drive. Once that transfer takes place, everything on your original drive will be permanently deleted. In addition, it will be impossible to move any transferred data back to an original 20GB drive. It is also impossible to transfer the data on two or more 20 GB drives to one single 120 GB drive. If there is existing data on the 120 GB hard drive at the time of transfer, the whole of that data is deleted.
The blog is also quick to point out the words of Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg, who suggested that gamers buy a second 20GB hard drive upon the launch of the Xbox Video Marketplace. If you’ve followed his tragic advice, we offer our condolences.
EA Renews LOTR License Through ‘08
Video game publisher and developer Electronic Arts has renewed its license to release additional games set within the literary world of The Lord Of The Rings through 2008.
EA has been responsible for recent titles based on New Line Cinema’s film adaptations of the classic novels since 2001, and EA has also acquired the rights to develop video games based on the classic LOTR book series itself in 2005, thus bringing all LOTR titles under EA’s umbrella.
Previously, Vivendi Universal Games had separately licensed the right to use the Tolkein books from the Saul Zaentz Company, a situation which led to competing LOTR games being released at the time the first movie debuted. However, Vivendi’s titles, which included a game based on The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit, failed to win over critics and consumers.
EA officials note that the company is already moving ahead with a new title set in the world of Middle-earth for release in 2008, though details are scarce as to what exactly the game will be about. While nothing has yet been revealed regarding the upcoming title, past releases have covered a variety of genres from tactical strategy games to action adventure.
The announcement follows EA’s previously announced The Lord of the Rings: The White Council, an open world RPG for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. However, with EA making plans for a new LOTR title, the fate of this project, once referred to as the cryptic Project Gray Company, remains uncertain. EA confirmed in early February that the game, while not canceled, had been put on hold.
Microsoft Confirms Xbox 360 Elite Details, Announces New Xbox 360 Video Marketplace Partners
March 28, 2007
Microsoft has confirmed the April 29th U.S. debut of the Xbox 360 Elite, the new model 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 for $479. A one-month Xbox Live Gold account will also come bundled with the Elite.
The new 120GB hard drive will also be sold as a stand-alone accessory for $179, “to give current Xbox 360 owners greater choice and flexibility in their games and entertainment experience,” according to an official company statement.
Additional Xbox 360 Elite accessories, such as the black Xbox 360 Wireless Controller ($49.99), Xbox 360 Play & Charge kit ($19.99), and the Xbox 360 rechargeable battery ($11.99) will be available separately from the April 29th date onwards.
“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.”
Microsoft officials have also announced the support of a raft of new video content providers for Xbox Live, including Paramount, Warner Bros., A&E Network, ADV Films, National Geographic, and TotalVid.com.
Paramount Pictures will also offer content on Xbox Live for the first time, with move titles such as Braveheart, Team America: World Police, World Trade Center, and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will release direct-to-video movies exclusively in high definition on Xbox Live; Sublime and Babylon 5: The Lost Tales are confirmed.
A&E Network will offer “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” “King of Cars,” “Gene Simmons Family Jewels,” “Driving Force,” and “Criss Angel Mindfreak.” National Geographic will offer television series such as “Is It Real?,” “Taboo,” “21 Days to Baghdad,” and “Air Force One.”
Specific titles from ADV Films and TotalVid.com have not yet been announced, although the former is one of the major producers and distributors of Japanese anime in the West. TotalVid.com specializes in extreme sports such as skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, motocross, surfing and mountain biking.
Microsoft claim that the new partners will add more than 1,500 hours of downloadable content to that already available on Xbox Live. The downloading of movies and TV shows is currently limited to North America, with no specifically announced timetable for a similar service, which would require different licensing deals in other parts of the world.
Mario and Sonic Hit the Olympics
Nintendo and Sega icons Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog will reportedly appear in a new game to be developed by Sega Japan that is based around the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games will be released this Christmas on Wii and Nintendo DS, and will be published by Sega in the West and Nintendo in Japan, according to an official joint statement by the two companies.
The game uses an official International Sports Multimedia (ISM) license, the interactive entertainment software licensee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). ISM has previously overseen the video game adaptations of the recent Olympics and Winter Olympics games, starting with the Sydney 2000 Games.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games will feature various Olympic events including the 100m sprint, swimming, and table tennis. The game will feature both Mario and Sonic, as well as secondary characters from both franchises including Luigi, Knuckles, Yoshi, and Tails.
“Mario and Sonic have been respectful rivals since the early days of video games,” said Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto. “In fact, for a long time they have been discussing the possibility of one day competing against each other. Now that they have been given the perfect opportunity to meet at the Olympic Games, we may finally learn who is actually faster, Mario or Sonic?”
Xbox 360 Elite Details Leak
March 27, 2007
Even though an official announcement has not yet been made by Microsoft, plenty of print and internet sources are unofficially heralding the forthcoming Xbox 360 Elite system.
Dean Takahashi of the San Jose Mercury News recently chimed in with his sources, claiming that the Elite (or, more specifically, its comparably larger 120 GB hard drive) will be featured as an introductory platform for Microsoft’s new IPTV service. As a result, the Xbox 360 will double as an IPTV set-top box, allowing users the luxury of viewing television programming after it’s piped through their console systems.
Takahashi also writes that, given Microsoft’s track record of redesigning motherboards and reducing chip costs on a yearly basis, another major change is in store for the Xbox 360 starting this fall. According to his sources, the microprocessors that power the Xbox 360 will be reduced in size from 90 nanometers to 65 nanometers, which will benefit Microsoft in a number of ways, including reduced costs, increased production capacity, and more efficient hardware.
Meanwhile, news broke out in a rather unexpected place as a Microsoft employee, labeled as an “XNA Framework Developer,” may have inadvertently admitted to the Elite’s existence. In a forum thread on the Microsoft Developer Network, one inquiring poster asked whether the HDMI output on the “revised 360″ would require any code changes. The developer, known as “Shawn Hargreaves,” responded by saying, “No changes required,” thereby possibly confirming the system’s existence!
Lego Batman Confirmed for Multiple Platforms
Warner Bros and TT Games, the good folks behind Lego Star Wars, have officially confirmed Lego Batman for multiple platforms for a 2008 launch.
According to an official statement, Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment will serve as the game’s North American publisher, including all sales and distribution functions, and the game is being developed for “next-generation and current generation platforms and the PC.”
Traveller’s Tales development director Jonathan Smith explained that parent company TT Games itself owns the interactive entertainment rights for the Lego franchise, and it was TT who initially approached WB, owners of the DC Comics property. The deal is in the form of a publishing contract for North American territories, apparently leaving European publishing rights still unannounced, though UK-headquartered publisher Eidos has previously distributed Lego games in that territory.
Smith noted that Star Wars and Batman already exist as Lego toy sets, making both of them natural choices for Lego games. He also indicated that several other Lego-related game projects were under discussion. These projects would include both other licensed brands and original Lego products, though specifics have not yet been released.
Xbox Live Security Breach Identified as Pretexting
March 26, 2007
Xbox Live spokesman Major Nelson (real name Larry Hryb) has clarified reports last week of a security breach on Xbox Live after previously stating that there was no evidence of any compromise of security.
“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,” he explained.
Pre-texting is an increasingly common technique for obtaining secure personal details using publicly available details, such as a member of the public’s date of birth or social security number. It can also involve impersonating authority figures like the police or bank staff. The tactic of pre-texting occurs predominately over the telephone, and the Major indicates that Xbox Live call staff are being re-trained in order to avoid similar problems in the future. “There’s no other way to say it; this situation shouldn’t have happened. Our customers deserve better,” Nelson said.
Initial reports had suggested that Xbox Liveand another web site had been hacked, but the pre-texting explanation implies that the security breach was not of a technical nature, and that Microsoft has simply been the victim of a form of fraud common to many other businesses.
Nonetheless, Nelson seems confident that Microsoft will learn from this: “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.”
Wii Announces New “Party Package” Game and Internet Channel Delay
March 23, 2007
Boogie is a new Wii exclusive plans to karaoke, dance, and rhythm-based games to provide what developer EA calls “the ultimate videogame party package.”
The game will be headed by EA Montreal, and the development team hopes to fully utilize the special qualities of the Wii controller to provide a unique gaming experience.
Boogie plans to incorporate singing and dancing modes, as well as a mode in which players can create their own music videos. Not much else is known about the title so far, but EA promises that users will be able to choose from a roster of wild, customizable characters with a zany alien motif.
“We’re creating something new and different for gamers of all ages to enjoy; the complete party package where gamers can dance as well as sing,” said Alain Tascan, VP and General Manager of EA Montreal. “Nintendo’s Wii is an amazing console that really gives us a platform to be creative and to re-think traditional game development.”
EA hopes to release Boogie worldwide before the end of the 2007 calendar year.
According to a press release today from Opera Software, the release date for the final version of the Wii’s internet browser, or the Internet Channel, has been delayed from late March (which is now) to an undetermined date in April.
A beta version of the browser is currently available free of charge, but the final version will be downloadable for the price of 500 Wii Points. A DS version of the browser will become available in the American market on June 4th of this year.
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