Xbox 360 with Blu-Ray Drive in the Works?

Engadget believe so...

Two years and 1 month ago today we saw the kibosh come down on the Xbox 360 Blu-ray player rumor. This morning it returns with the prospect of a Microsoft player as early as May. According to Smarthouse, their "insiders at Microsoft" claim that a standalone Blu-ray player is already working in-house. With the appropriate approvals it could be on sale within 3 months. A 360 with built-in Blu-ray is also being worked on although the possibility of moving it out to retail is less clear with HD downloads on the horizon. Not that any of this is unexpected given the circumstances. We never expected Microsoft to go down with the HD DVD ship -- they're just passengers on this ill-fated voyage, not the captains.

Star Wars Next Gen Game Official

The Star Wars saga continues this November in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, a videogame developed by LucasArts, which casts players as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. The expansive story, created under direction from George Lucas, is set during the largely unexplored era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. In it, players will assist the iconic villain in his quest to rid the universe of Jedi - and face decisions that could change the course of their destiny.

Features

* During the period between Episodes III and IV, players hunt Jedi in the role of Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice.
* Unleash and upgrade the Secret Apprentice's four core Force powers - Force push, grip, repulse and lightning - throughout the course of the game, and combine them for ultra-destructive, never-before-seen combos.
* Examples of unleashing the Force in ways never thought possible:
o The Secret Apprentice won't just Force push enemies into walls - he'll Force push enemies through walls.
o The Secret Apprentice won't just Force grip foes to throw them aside - he'll Force grip them in midair, zap them with lightning, then drop them to the ground to explode like a bomb.
* In addition to new adversaries created just for the game, such as fugitive Jedi and Force-sensitive Felucians, players will also confront and associate with familiar faces from the Star Wars films, including Darth Vader.
* Visit locations such as Episode III's Wookiee homeworld

Halo 3 gets a Shhhhh Button

To those people who like to be loud and abusive on xbox live, Bungie says, "shut up." On its latest weekly update post, community liaison Frank O'Connor reveals that Halo 3 will have what one staff member calls "The A-Hole Button." The feature will let gamers instantly mute players of their choosing directly within game sessions.

Currently, the feature is locked onto the Back button of the 360 controller, but O'Connor suggests it may not remain mapped to that position.

One major complaint about Halo 2's online play has been the behavior of gamers over Xbox Live. While Bungie can't police every single person's actions, the company does say, "We're doing our best to come up with lots of smart solutions for stuff like this, but honestly, we can't be parents to some of these poltroons."

Xbox 360s investigated by Watchdog

BBC consumer affairs show looks into a number of complaints about hardware faults on Microsoft's console.

The show's presenters say that they have received 248 complaints about faulty Xbox 360s, and they believe they will receive more as further items come out of the warranty period.

Watchdog highlighted two cases in which consoles that had just come out of the one-year warranty period had shown the dreaded 'ring of death'--referring to the three red lights which appear on the console to indicate a fatal hardware fault. The two owners had to spend around £80 ($156) each to fix the fault--something they considered to be unreasonable not much more than a year after purchasing the systems.

The popular UK TV series, first aired in 1980, investigates consumer problems including faulty or dangerous goods.

A Microsoft representative did not appear on the show, although presenter Nicky Campbell read out the following statement that the company had sent to them: "Most people who have an Xbox 360 have an outstanding experience and there's no common fault. Each incident is unique, and looked at on a case by case basis."

10 New Xbox Live Arcade Games in Feb

“3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures,” from developer Wanako Games and publisher Sierra Online, allows gamers to putt their way through 36 fun-filled holes of manic minigolf action on wild courses that range from the Old West to outer space and feature a bevy of crazy hazards and obstacles.

“Alien Hominid HD” from The Behemoth features side-scrolling, hysterical cartoon action with a quirky twist and exclusive Xbox Live Arcade features.

“Band of Bugs” from NinjaBee is a fast-paced tactical strategy game that offers gameplay deep enough to satisfy tactical genre fans and friendly enough to appeal to casual gamers. Creative gamers can even design their own levels with the built-in level editor, then play them solo or over Xbox Live with friends.

“Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” from Konami is a faithful version of this legendary classic updated for Xbox Live Arcade and featuring the game’s full soundtrack and memorable side-scrolling vampire-hunting action.

“Catan,” from developer Big Huge Games Inc. and publisher Microsoft® Game Studios, is a faithful remake of the immensely popular strategy board game.

“Eets: Chowdown” from Klei Entertainment Inc. is a completely revamped version of the popular PC title of the same name. It offers new items, 120 new levels and the exclusive debut of Marsho Madness, a high-adrenaline action game in which players must keep the impending evil marshmallows at bay.

“LUXOR 2,” from developer MumboJumbo LLC, sets a new standard for action puzzlers as players match and shoot their way through the land of ancient Egypt.

“Paperboy,” from developer Digital Eclipse and publisher Midway, is a classic coin-op hit, specially enhanced for Xbox Live Arcade.

“Root Beer Tapper,” also from developer Digital Eclipse and publisher Midway, features fast-paced reflex action as players scramble to keep thirsty patrons happy without dropping root beer mugs in the scramble to earn the biggest tips.

“Worms” from developer Team 17 Software Ltd. features armies of adorable weapon-toting worms locked in tactical combat.

Europe Gets PS3 Launch FINALLY!

Sony have announced the much delayed European PS3 launch as being the 23rd of March 2007, i believe they will sell well but not as well as they could have doone, i believe allot of people have spent their money on the excellent Wii and may decide to leave the PS3 for the time being.

The cost is what really offends me, £425 is a hefty cost for a console, bearing in mind the 360 cost £279.

Admittedly it does come with a 60gig hard drive which is better than the 360, but the 360 has a 100 gig on the way...

The ps3 does have free online access which is something i think Microsoft will need to address.

There will also be 30 titles available for launch, with the 20 gig cheaper version following later in the year.

Xbox 360 Price Drop Soon?

Analysts--Michael Goodman and Colin Sebastian talk 360 cash! "At CES, Microsoft is introducing several new services and updates for the Xbox 360 aimed at broadening the content available over the platform beyond video games...specifically, Microsoft is now positioning the Xbox 360 as a media hub and set-top box for the living room, linking broadband connectivity and the Xbox Live service with providers of traditional media content through Internet protocol television (IPTV)."

Goodman put a few more chips on the table, telling GameSpot he was looking at the March-June time frame as fertile ground for a price drop--and that if Microsoft really wanted to disrupt the console playing field, it would slash the price by $100.

"It's a market share battle," Goodman said. The $100 cut in price is what Microsoft would do "if [it] wants to be super competitive--put Sony against the wall and put competitive pressure on the Wii."

Read More over at Gamespot

Oblivion Gets Bigger!

British gaming mags PC Gamer and PC Zone have spilled the beans on a new Oblivion expansion titled The Shivering Isles. The new content will let players explore The Isles, which are divided into northern/southern areas titled (not too invitingly) Mania and Dementia, respectively. Players will be able to reach the Shivering Isles through a door on an island that appears in Niben Bay near Bravil.

The expansion will extend Oblivion's gameplay for another 30+ hours, and includes new quests, creatures, and dungeons. One new quest involves solving a mystery in a town on the Mania/Dementia border, where every citizen has a look-a-like. Among the new monsters are the Gatekeeper, a collection of bodyparts that have been stitched together, and the Knights of the Order, made up of tree roots.

Oblivion's first expansion, Knights of the Nine, was released November 22, 2006 for PC and Xbox 360. So far, The Shivering Isles has only been announced for PC, but with a little fairy magic the 360 and upcoming PlayStation 3 versions will get to vacation in the Isles, as well. The expansion is currently set for a Q2 2007 release.

Brutes Playable in Halo 3?

According to a post on a few blogs out of Europe, a new Halo 3 video will be headed to Xbox Live Marketplace on December 20 showing Brutes as playable characters. The alleged seven-minute video will also feature two and a half minutes of gameplay, which would make it the first time the public has gotten a look at the game in action.

These blogs belong to members of Belgium's Xbox Elite Team, a group of Xbox 360 gamers who are regional ambassadors for the system. Xbox Ambassadors are sanctioned by Microsoft but aren't actually employed by the company. Typically, Ambassadors are active community members willing to go the extra mile to help out others.

Gamespot.com can not confirm this but believe it to be Bogus until prove correct. we will have to wait and see.

Halo Lead Multiplayer Designer Leaves Bungie

For everyone who raves about Halo’s multiplayer, an announcement today from Bungie could potentially affect Halo 3’s multiplayer functionality...

Max Oberman who was the lead developer on Halo 2 and Halo 3’s multiplayer engine has chosen to leave Bungie after 10 years. Oberman has decided to form a new company called Certain Affinity based out of Austin, TX. His company will, no doubt, be one to watch in the future for amazing multiplayer console games. Their first Xbox 360 game will be announced sometime next year.

In an official statement, Oberman said “What we've accomplished with Halo 3 is extraordinary," Hoberman said. "Halo 2 turned the online world on its head, but Halo 3 is going to rip its head right off. I am proud of my contribution to the Halo series and have learned a lot from my friends at Bungie."

Thanks to 2old2play

Xbox 360 Backwards Compatibility Update

Microsoft's latest backwards compatibility update now updates the following original xbox games for use on the 360. 31 new titles in total:

New Games:

* Buffy the Vampire Slayer
* Dead Or Alive Ultimate
* Destroy All Humans!
* Dynasty Warriors 4 / Shin Sangokumuso3
* Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick
* Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy
* Family Guy
* Far Cry: Instincts
* Incredibles/ Mr. Incredible (J)
* I-Ninja
* Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude
* Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
* MotoGP
* Open Season
* Pariah
* Psychonauts
* Rainbow Six: Lockdown
* Rapala Pro Fishing
* Scarface
* Shark Tale
* Shenmue II
* Splinter Cell: Double Agent
* The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
* Ultimate Spider-Man
* Wakeboarding Unleashed: Featuring Sean Murray
* Whacked!
* Winback 2: Project Poseidon
* Xiaolin Showdown

Updated Games:

* Burnout 3: Takedown

Halo 3 Advert right here!

£1 Million Xbox 360's stolen

Two consignments of Xbox 360s has been stolen in the UK this week, reports regional newspaper the Express and Star.

The first occurred after a lorry was flagged down travelling south on the A38 at Hillards Cross. The driver, who thought he was being waved down to inform him of a problem with his vehicle, pulled over. The men then threatened him and dragged him out of the cab, they then made off with the lorry and £750,000 (approx $1.5 million) worth of consoles. The driver suffered minor injuries, and the lorry was later found--empty--further down the A38.

The second theft occurred in the Hellmann Worldwide Logistics depot on the morning of November 23, when a trailer containing £250,000 ($483,000) worth of Microsoft's next-gen consoles was taken.

Staffordshire police spokesman Peter Stevens said, "We are appealing for information from anyone offered [the consoles] in suspicious circumstances, such as in a pub, at a car boot sale, or off the back of a lorry, to help us track down those responsible."

Connect a PS2 Controller to your 360

I'm not sure why you would do such a thing, but this is very cool from Engadget

EA Announce Next Harry Potter Game

Electronic Arts and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced that the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix videogame is in development. The game is scheduled for a July 2007 release to coincide with the Warner Bros. Pictures film based on J.K. Rowling's fifth book of the same title.

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the first in the franchise that we have developed for the next generation consoles," said Harvey Elliott, Executive Producer at EA UK. "Together with current generation versions, we are creating an immersive and, above all, faithful Harry Potter experience that will both accurately reflect the world showcased in the film and also delight fans of all ages."

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is scheduled for release for the Nintendo Wii, PlayStation3, Xbox 360, PlayStation2, PSP, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance and Windows PC.

Read the full article here

Halo 3 screenshots galore!

AWESOME.

C&C 3: Tiberium Wars heading to the 360

Actiontrip reports that EA Games have recently announced Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars for the Xbox 360 platform. In addition to the multiplayer game there will be additional downloadable content on Marketplace. They estimate a vague 2007 release date.

Superman Returns Demo Hits Xbox Live

You heard it, download at will! a lovely 905.42 MB file.

Halo Wars Images

Check these images out from halowars.com

Bungie's Halo Announcements

Bungie promised they would make some special announcements to coincide with Halo's 5th Anniversary and so here they are - and, frankly, they are a little... disappointing.

Maybe you were expecting in-game footage of Halo 3, or the launch of Bungie's Marathon on Xbox Live Arcade, or possibly even a playable demo of Halo 3. Don't hold your breath.

The first announcement is of the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta Test. Next Spring, Bungie opens the Halo 3 multiplayer beta to Xbox 360 gamers, allowing fans to try out an unspecified number of maps and game modes and to help Bungie make the strongest online game possible.

The second announcement is of a new Map Pack for Halo 2 on Xbox 360. These maps will be released exclusively on the Live Marketplace in the Spring.

And finally, there will be a new 60-second teaser of Halo 3 shown during an American Football game (ESPN's Monday Night Football game featuring the Panthers against the Eagles, to be precise) on December 4.

And, er, that's it.