This is the next Naruto game coming to the Xbox 360 this year. Namco Bandai have only released a few Naruto games to the Xbox 360 but from the preview this is shaping up to be a great release. It is based around the Japanese Anime called Naruto and is a fighting show that involves you having to defeat other ninja’s. This game looks to be decent advancing on the show Naruto which goes into a series called Shippuden and this is the game to come from it. Any Naruto fans should defiantly like this  and anyone who hasn’t seen the Anime yet I recommend you check it out because it can be quite enjoyable sometimes. In this game you will be going up against the best of the best in the Naruto universe and it looks like they have done a good job in that aspect.

Set to release mid October I plan on picking it up and seeing how it turns out. Overall I think this will turn out good based on the trailer I have seen, but I still can’t wait to play the actual game. Down below is the debut trailer  and I think it shows off a few good points about what’s to come.

Be Sure to try the playable demo available on Xbox Live for download at the moment.

What are your thoughts?

If you are finding that no matter what you do you just can’t rack up a decent amount of kills it might be your weapons letting you down. Custom classes allow you to go into a battle with any weapon you want (provided you have unlocked it) and save it for the next battle if you like it. Skill goes along way but if you have a shotgun in a sniper map you are not going to get far. Remember “you don’t bring a pistol to a machine gun fight!”

When creating a custom class ask yourself these questions:

1. Will it be appropriate for the maps I want to play on?
2. Will it be appropriate for the game type I want to play?
3. What attachments have I got and what do I need to unlock to make this loadout better?
4. What perks have I got and will they be appropriate for the weapons I have chosen?

The heartbeat sensor can give you the advantage on maps where there is lots of cover

Lets look at each question individually. Question one asks us what maps we want to play on. Think about the maps in MW2, are they all designed for the one type of fighting (sniper fights, CQB etc…) or are they all different? Some maps fall under more than one category. For example Highrise is a good sniper map but with the underground tunnels it is also good if you like to get up close and personal.

Question two ties in well here. If you are playing free for all sniping is no good because with out backup you can’t hunker down anywhere for a decent length of time. So in this instance using a Sub-machine gun would be better because it gives you mobility and a high rate of fire in short to medium range battles which are common for free for all matches. However in Team Deathmatch or domination sniping is a viable method of attack.

Red dot sights are good for guns that have ironsights that cant be used when the gun is firing

In MW2 weapons can be upgraded with attachments. However attachments need to be earned so if you are new to MW2 you will need to play a little more to unlock then but you can do it faster by playing one game type with the same weapon. Free for all is the best for all weapons except the sniper rifle where unless you can quick scope having some backup will be needed. Back to topic, if you’re playing on maps that combine close quarters with more long range fighting then you will want a red dot/holographic sight or if you like the iron sight then perhaps the grenade launcher would be better. Hang on a grenade launcher at close range? Yes, if you shoot the grenade at close range straight into your opponent it will kill then instantly. Think of it as a solid-shot shotgun. Otherwise firing it at a nearby wall will do the job too. For maps that focus on long range but require you to move about (e.g. wasteland on free for all) then the ACOG scope on any assault rifle will do. While increasing the accuracy of the weapon over a distance it will not increase the range of the gun so don’t bother putting it on a MP5 or something like that unless you are trying to unlock a challenge. Also the ACOG makes weapons difficult to fire accurately at close range. If you are trying for stealth the heartbeat sensor is great for seeing through walls and around corners and the silencer means that when you fire your weapon you don’t show up on the radar as a red dot making infiltration easy.

The ironsights on the M4A1 are great, you dont need to attach a sight to it

Perks are add-ons to a player’s performance. From running longer to adding more than one attachment to a weapon. Again many of these need to be unlocked but the best for new players are marathon, stopping power and steady aim. Bling allows you to have two attachments on your primary weapon. One attachment is all you need unless you are trying to unlock the bullet penetration challenge where having a heartbeat sensor with FMJ makes finding targets easier. For close quarters commando increases the range at which you can knife people. Good for if you have multiple enemies and little ammo in a small space. For Game types like domination, marathon gives you unlimited sprint so you can defend objectives with ease. For those who like to quick scope then invest your time in unlocking slight of hand pro, This makes aiming down the sight faster.

Finally name your classes appropriately. Don’t leave them custom class one, custom class two etc… It just takes longer to find the loadout you want. I name them the primary and secondary weapon in that slot (e.g. AK-47 / USP-45) or you can name them by game type or by fighting method (e.g. CQB).

And of course practice makes perfect. Find what weapons and attachments suit you and use those. The more comfortable you are with a weapon the better you’ll be. There is no perfect gun in MW2 just the right loadout for the right job.

A ton of Arcade gaming in the near future, with a lot of upcoming scheduling released for the Live Arcade.

Deal(s) Of The Week*:

• Week commencing 6/9/2010 – Select Resident Evil content
• Week commencing 12/9/2010 - 4 XBLA games:
          * Bust-A-Move Live - 400 MSpoints (save 50%)

A classic - Bust-A-Move, aka Puzzle Bobble

                     * Gyromancer – 800 MSPoints (save 33%)
                     * Tower Bloxx Deluxe – 400 MSpoints
                     * Puzzle Chronicles – 400 MSpoints

*Note: the “Deal of the Week” promotion is only available to profiles with a Gold Live Subscription.

 Xbox Live Arcade Weekly Releases (June 30th):

• 1/9/2010           Dead Rising 2: Case Zero – 400 MSpoints
• 8/9/2010          Dance! It’s Your Stage – 800 MSpoints
                        Plants vs Zombies - 1200 MSPoints

Plants Vs. Zombies - a PC and iPhone classic!!

•  15/9/2010        Sonic Adventure – 800 MSpoints
• 29/9/2010        Hydrophobia – 1200 MSpoints
• 6/10/2010        Comic Jumper - 1200 MSpoints
• 13/10/2010     Pinball FX 2 - fables purchased individually, free import from original Pinball FX
• 20/10/2010     Super Meat Boy - TBD

Game Add-On Releases:

• 2/9/2010: Crackdown 2′s “Toy Box” – free for add-on, 560 MSpoints for extra content on top of that.
• 7/9/2010: Mass Effect 2′s “Lair of the Shadow Broker” - 800 MS Points
                Dragon Age: Origins’ “Witch Hunt” – 560 Microsoft Points

Avatar Marketplace

• 2/9/2010        Rock Band 3

Mark sits down with Jack Scalici (Director of Creative Production) and Denby Grace (Senior Producer) to discuss MAFIA II. They talk about what we can look forward to in the sequel, why there is no multiplayer, share their thoughts on KINECT and the possibility of a “MAFIA: Down Under”. All this and more in this Xclusive Interview at E3 2010.

INTERVIEW WITH JACK SCALICI & DENBY GRACE

Fallout 3 is brought to us by Bethesda Game Studios and is the latest instalment of the Fallout series. It takes place in the year 2277, 36 years after the events of Fallout 2 and 200 years after the nuclear apocalypse. Released about two years ago, it’s still widely considered a must-play.

The games starts off as your mum is giving birth to you. At this stage you get to do a bit of character creation to see what you are going to look like in the years to come. After you have done this a few years pass and you are a toddler, and this is where you learn the basic movement controls in the game, as well as setting your attributes (S.P.E.C.I.A.L.). After going through this process, more time passes and it is your 10^th birthday – it is here that you get your Pip-Boy and continue learning how to play the game. Your Dad fixes up an old BB gun and gives it to you to have a play around with, which once you get it goes about teaching you how to aiming and using the VATS system. Also you can chose to play as a first person shooter view or third person, which is a pretty nice feature to be able to toggle between.

Thats one nasty looking toy you have there...

The game really takes off once the player is 19 years old and your father (James) breaks out of the Vault, tearing down everything you believed. You set out to find him, and the truth. Travelling through the Wastelands you may stumble across many nasty mutated folk, as well as the odd “normal” survivor of the ‘big bang’. The world itself is massive, walking around could end dangerously by being attacked by a bunch of Ghouls, Slavers or wild dogs. Karma determines a lot of the player’s interactions with the other people in the Wasteland, as well as the attributes you gain. Doing a good deed, for example saving a survivor from some wild dogs will earn you good karma, which will make other people look at you in a good way. Or doing an evil deed such as helping someone kill someone else or just going on a killing spree yourself and people will start to not like you as much. Depending on which way your karma is heading certain characters might offer you there services.

Although this game boasts massive amounts of hours that you can play it for, somewhere between 10 – 200 hours, ten hours would be if you only wanted to complete the main story quests. But with this impressive and rich in story who would!! It is a game that you most likely would only play once (if you complete all that is available), only because once you have done all of the stuff it is repetitive. But even then the game length in itself is longer than replaying your ‘average’ game several times anyway.

Over a hundred weapons are available for you to wreak havoc upon the Wasteland (if you’re that way inclined).  From baseball bats, to Gatling lasers and mini-nuke launcher all of which are there to help you survivor the radiated lands of the Wasteland. They all look pretty neat, especially the alien weapons and plasma rifles. The NPC are all different, they look and sound unlike any other of the characters in the game. And most of them are willing to stop and have a chat with you, whether it is just to share a bit of their life story with you or give you some information relating your latest quest. You may recognise a few of the voices in the game, this is because some of the voice actors are famous actors like Liam Neeson, Odette Yustman and Wes Johnson. This helps it feel as if some of these characters are familiar to you. The music throughout the Wasteland is made up by your normal post nuclear apocalypse tracks as well as a decent about of 1940’s to 1950’s titles. The only thing that I found annoying about the music in the game was how often the songs got repeated, but that’s to expect if you are playing over 60 hours of the game. The music really does help you feel as if it is you walking down the half-empty street with burnt out cars all around you being shot at by a bunch of slavers.

He just wants a hug right...

Fallout 3 is a strictly one player game. There is no co-op available which is a bit of a downer, because imagine how good would it be to be able to walk around with your mate through the Wasteland killing some Ghouls whilst sitting at home. But with that aside, the game does offer some extra downloadable content to lengthen the amount of time you are glued to your seat. Each of the five DLC stories cost 800 Microsoft Points, but are each well worth it. Here is a rundown of what each of the DLC are about:

Broken Steel – Broken Steel takes place after the events of the main story quests of the original game, you continue to work with the Brotherhood of Steel to get rid of the Enclave from the Wasteland. This expansion also has new weapons and armour, new locations to explore, and new creatures to test the new weapons out on.

The Pitt – Travel to Pittsburgh, now controlled by slavers. Do you choose to side with the slaves or the slavers – it’s all up to you. This expansion comes with new weapons such as the deadly AutoAxe and silenced assault rifles as well as new creatures such as the mutated Trogs. This add-on is playable anytime throughout the game.

Operation: Anchorage – Help the Outcasts get access to powerful new weapons and armour by entering the simulation pod and liberate Anchorage from its Chinese Communist invaders. The best part is you get to keep the new weapons and armour. This add-on is playable anytime throughout the game.

Point Lookout – You get the boat ride from the Capital Wasteland to the seas side town of Point Lookout and it has a whole different feel about the place. There are trees everywhere, a rarity in the Wasteland. What else is there at this strange new location? One of the biggest DLC for this game, you will spend hours at this location. This add-on is playable anytime throughout the game.

Mothership Zeta – Abducted by aliens, you have to try and find your way off the ship. Meet up with others who have been taken by the aliens including a samurai and a gun slinging cowboy. Use the powerful alien technology to help escape from the ship, and then use it back in the Wasteland to deliver powerful attacks to those who mess with you.  This add-on is playable anytime throughout the game.

You can get all of these expansions individually off the XBL market place, or you can buy the Game of the Year version of the game which has the DLC included.

Home sweet home

A good thing about this game is that you don’t need to have played first and second games to fully appreciate the third instalment. I hadn’t and still haven’t played them. If you haven’t played this game I highly recommend you go out right now and buy it, because this game is great – it never gets dull ans is always exciting. Also this game is one of the most addictive that I have played. But the good kind of addiction, so just make sure you have a chunk of time spare to play this game fully. This is really one of the main reasons why I loved this game so much and still do, that and the amount of story that gets revealed as you play through the hours. So after that if you’re not convinced about this game. Go out and buy this game now any ways, because it is amazing, but do it before Fallout New Vegas is released because you will want to get that one as well.

FALLOUT 3 – GAME DETAIL PAGE

Capcom are back with another installment in the Resident Evil series, promising that this action-packed game is the best yet in the series. This is the first Resident Evil game to come to the Xbox 360 and makes a great first impression to people who haven’t played it yet. It’s primarily an action game but also contains a lot of elements of the shoot-’em-up genre.

Resident Evil 5 takes place in 2009, 11 years after the events of the first Resident Evil. Chris Redfield is now an agent for an organisation called Bio-terrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA), and is sent to Africa to investigate a parasite that may start infecting the people in a town called Kijuju. Chris joins up with a woman called Sheva Alamor who is also hunting down the man who made this parasite. They witness a man turn into a Majini (your basic possessed/mutant/enemy over the course of the game) and before long people are being infected across the nation. You travel through the town finding remnants of fellow squads and experiencing ambushes by Majini – after all, they still are human remnants. Chris’ main objective/reason for joining this operation was to find out if Jill was still alive, and whilst on this mission Sheva was looking for her friend Josh.

Ahh... I guess these are our orders then/

In Resident Evil 5 the gameplay is very enjoyable, whether you’re blowing the heads off waves of Majini or beating them into submission, but there is one thing that does take some getting used to. The controller layout is very easy to understand and doesn’t take that long to master but what is the hard part is the shooting. You cannot just fire at will – you have to aim and then fire. but whilst you are aiming you cannot move so you are stuck there with enemies approaching whilst trying to get your gun sighted correctly. This can take a while to get the hang of – you may find yourself thinking you’re shooting a boss and it turns out you’ve been aiming at a barrel next to him all along. This can make the game very frustrating until you grasp the shooting style. After you get the hang of it I found there is nothing more fun than blowing the heads of your enemy and giving them payback for the times they hit you. There are 4 difficulty levels in this game: Amateur, Normal, Veteran and Professional. As in most games, Professional Mode can only be unlocked by completing the game on Veteran difficulty but it is vastly more challenging then Veteran.

Resident Evil 5’s graphics are very well done, Capcom have really done a good job when creating the game. When you look at the character you choose (either Chris or Sheva) the level of detail is quite impressive. Great care has also been taken with the enemies, especially those that mutate after you kill them. The way that is animated adds a really nice effect to the game and makes you pause in admiration. The bosses have also have some subtle touches done to make them stand out from the crowd – especially with the first axe boss.

Man... this axe is heavy.

The environment they get you to run around and play in is very nice to look at and they took the time to even add the small parts that you might not normally notice. They really went in depth with this I believe and their attention to detail especially the lighting in some areas makes it a lot more interesting and gives it a spooky vibe whilst playing.

The weapons in the game are nicely done – a personal favourite of mine is the rocket launcher. Even though you never get too close up a look a it they still put some very nice detail into the weapons, even the boss weapons like the chainsaw and axe. The sounds seem very realistic which makes everything overall more appealing. Capcom have added the right effects in the right spots and the general feel is nice even when there is nothing major happening. The games music was composed by lead designer Kota Suzuki, including 15 minutes of orchestral music, and the voice acting has been done pretty well – all the characters fit nicely with a great personal appeal. There are some very nice features in this game. One part is the co-op mode, which takes the game to a more enjoyable level being able to play with another friend . The Co-op can be done via Xbox live or split screen, so is great for playing with friends whilst you’re in the same room or just with people you meet over Xbox Live.

Mmmmm, Brainsss...

Resident Evil 5 has a number of downloadable content available to buy, including “Desperate Escape”, “Lost in Nightmares”, 2 Costume Packs and “Versus Mode”. Versus mode is very fun to play with friends and is a personal favourite amongst them all. All of this content (excluding Versus Mode) can be purchased in a pack called “The Untold Stories Bundle” for 960 Microsoft Points, or it comes included with the  ”Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition” of the game (this including the Versus Mode as well this time). The replayability in this game is quite deep, especially if you unlock professional mode (or you invest in the downloadable content) which is the hardest difficulty and adds a new level of fun to the game. Replaying the campaign in co-op is also a lot of fun and makes the game more enjoyable especially because if someone hasn’t played it before it could startle them when things just jump out and they will be getting used to the controls.

Overall this is a really well developed, very fun game to play. For those who enjoy the action genre and like a challenge in learning the shooting system they have in this game it can offer a wealth of gametime and immersion. If anything, don’t play this game during the day or at least make sure it’s dark when you’re playing as that will add to the experience immensely. The DLC is worth getting, especially “Versus Mode” which is very enjoyable to play against other people. This is definitely a good buy for people who like action genre game and I’d strongly recommend at least looking into it – you’ll be hooked.

RESIDENT EVIL 5 – GAME DETAIL PAGE

Mark bumps into Stuart White the Game Producer on Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and has a quick chat about the game, what “Future Soldier” means to him, the new 4-Player Co-Op Mode and the possibility of a Ghost Recon: Australia in this Xclusive Interview at E3 2010.

INTERVIEW WITH STUART WHITE

Mark sits down with Nikola Godin one of the Game Designers on Your Shape: Fitness Evolved exclusively on Xbox 360 with KINECT. He talks about making a game for the living room and the entire family, using the new KINECT technology, working with Australian Personal Trainer Michelle Bridges and how to make Exercise FUN in this Xclusive Interview at E3 2010.

INTERVIEW WITH NIKOLA GODIN

Mark sits down with Kriss Kross the Lead Single Player Designer from KAOS Studios to talk about Homefront and how to make a First Person Shooter that separates itself from the rest, he discussed using real life locations and personalities as well as the possibility of a Homefront: Australia. This and lots more in this Xclusive Interview at E3 2010.

INTERVIEW WITH KRISS KROSS

Ever wanted to live in the Wild West? This is as close as it’s going to get…

The year is 1911, you are a retired outlaw named John Marsten, and the government has taken a sudden interest in you. It seems that your former partners in crime are causing trouble, and they think you are the best bet to bring them down. To ensure you cooperate, they take your wife Abigail, and son Jack from you, and hold them while you do their dirty work. Needless to say, you are not happy about this, but you set off to find Bill Williamson, Javier Escuella and Dutch van der Linde.

"Come back - you forgot your lunch!!"

Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar’s 2010 spiritual successor to Red Dead Revolver, both hits and misses the mark. Whilst being vastly entertaining in its own rite, it lacks some of the capturing feel of their other sandbox games. The relationship with John Marston doesn’t quite match up to how we all felt when CJ was avenging his family, or when Niko Bellic beats the snot from Vlad Glebov. That’s not to say that it’s bad, it just doesn’t twist the heart strings like the developers wanted it to. Visually, Red Dead Redemption is stunning. Vast vistas of open planes give way to sparse forests and then snow drenched mountain passes, all with a clarity and flair that pulls you in. It’s the spectacular world design where Red Dead Redemption really shines.

The world is populated by a complete range of wildlife (there for the hunting should you so choose) that interact with not only yourself as the player, but other NPCs. Standing still and just watching can reveal scuttling armadillo running underfoot as a grand herd of colts spread out in the distance, and flocks of vultures circling in the distance. You can really feel part of the world. Even the NPCs feel like real people at times, and you will often find yourself feeling wary of every wayward traveller as they approach. You can imagine my excitement when at one point whilst travelling between towns, a man came riding flat chat towards me ­ I thought he was one of the many traps waiting for you in the wild, so before I knew it I had my pistol out and trained on him, only to see him vault from his horse and go running into the wilderness. Being inquisitive (and a little vengeful at the perceived threat) I followed, to find the man relieving himself behind a rock. I then watched, embarrassed, as he made his way back to his horse and set off again at a normal pace. It¹s that detail provided by the Euphoria game engine that makes Red Dead Redemption.

"Camping" in multiplayer seems to hark back to Western times... apparently.

Audio design for Red Dead Redemption is spot on. The voice acting is believable and constant, and the ambience is both engrossing and successful. Most of it you won’t even notice, it seems so natural ­ the pounding of hooves in the distance, rickety coaches squeaking along beaten tracks, coyotes howling at the moon and eagles crying in the midday sun ­ but each sound serves to pull you down even further into the game world.

Whilst the dialog may not be as engrossing as one would hope, the voice actors have done an amazing job. From the gravelly, intention heavy John Marsten (Rob Wiethoff) and the drunken stupor of Irish (H.K. Sweeney), to the authority driven Marshal Leigh Johnson (Anthony De Longis) and the swindling Nigel West Dickens (Don Creech), each character sounds the part they play. No one voice actor outclasses another, which makes for a nice and even field. Unlike most gun heavy games, Red Dead Redemption manages to give the correct weight to the sounds of your rifles, pistols and shotguns. They satisfyingly explode into action when you pull the trigger, and there is something to be said for listening to the report of your chosen gun echo through a canyon as you shoot it out with bands of robbers and thieves. The sound of gunfire also serves as an excellent and fitting cue to alert you to impending trouble, whether it is outlaws riding in, or a stage coach being robbed nearby. Often you will find yourself noticing the echoes of distant gunfire just over the next rise and making a conscious decision whether or not to pursue and help, or ride on by.

Whoa, a li'l deja-vu. All we need is a DeLorean and Michael J Fox and we're set!!

A welcome addition to any modern sandbox game is multiplayer content, and Red Dead Redemption does not disappoint, allowing up to 16 players simultaneously in either a free for all or team basis. Each round begins with a Mexican Standoff that sets the scene for the match, allowing survivors to move about and prepare for their re-spawning opponents. There are two main types of matches: traditional death match called Shootout and capture the flag types revolving around differing objectives such as protecting gold.

Much like Grand Theft Auto IV, Red Dead Redemption allows for a free roam mode in multiplayer, which allows player controlled characters to form “posses” of up to 8 people and take on activities around the game world such as taking on NPC bandit gangs. An interesting addition is the ability for players to level up during combat, which gives them access to rewards such as new character models, golden weapons and new horse breeds. This is further bolstered by the ability to complete weapon challenges that give the players similar rewards.

In all, Red Dead Redemption is a good game, not great. Its true strengths lie in the quality of the game world and not the storyline. Whilst engrossing and entertaining at times, the pace of the story doesn’t seem to keep up to what you would expect, and certain parts of the game are definitely more enjoyable than others.

RED DEAD REDEMPTION – GAME DETAIL PAGE

A shadowy plot has emerged, your family threatened and violent actions brought to bear. It’s time to don your scabbard, pull down your hood and get to work – Assassin’s Creed 2 is here!!

For this sequel to the late 2007 hit by Ubisoft, the scenery has been shifted to Italy during the Renaissance period (late 1400’s). Venice, Florence and many other areas of the Italian countryside have been recreated for the gamer to run rampant in. Visually the game looks beautiful, water effects and after-effects (such as drip-drying clothes after an impromptu swimming lesson away from the scene of a crime) are stunningly done, and it’s the little graphical features that all add together to really immerse you in the game’s world.

"Sweep the leg!!"

Integral to this sort of game is the plot, and a heavily-laden one it is indeed. The story of Ezio and his escapades as an Assassin in the Late Middle Ages is detailed in full, with all the betrayals, plot twists and thrilling moments you’d expect. But it’s the fate of Desmond and his Assassin allies that hold the most interest, carrying on almost immediately from where we wound up in the previous game. Just like the original Assassin’s Creed, there’s all sorts of subtle references, hidden and double meanings to in-game references and even some hints that’ll require some external “homework” to grasp the full implications of. As a twisted tale of some of our most cherished and quoted beliefs, Ubisoft’s writing team has done an outstanding job of researching and integrating the story to what we know from real life. And as Act 2 in a planned trilogy of a storyline, there’s much more to come. The only downside is that the game’s story does take a while to build into, but all the initial missions do give you a familiarity and a sense of kinship with Ezio.

If you’re new to the series, the first thing you’ll notice is how literal the term “free-running atmosphere” is for the gameplay. In effect, if you can see a building, chances are you can scale it, use it to evade capture or leap off to (hopefully) an insulated landing on the other side. All the original tricks of the trade return and there’s a couple of nifty new ones to learn as well. The weapons arsenal has been expanded quite a bit – most are simply an adjustment of previous weapons used (like poisoned weapons or double hidden blades), but some truly add a new depth and strategy to an assassin’s style. The pistol is great for long-range accurate sniping, but is offset by being slow to bring to bear (and noisy to boot!!), but the smoke bombs help with a disguised escape (and make you feel like some sort of medieval magician).

All in all it’s a great action/adventure game, and a solid improvement of the already-established Assassin’s Creed gameplay. It may not be a game you’ll have stuck in the console for months on end, but it is a wholly enjoyable experience and one well worth playing (even if just as a rental if you’re wanting a more substantial long-term return for your purchase). A must for adventure fans.

Assassin’s Creed II – Game Detail Page

“It’s that time… of the season…”  

Microsoft have announced the line-up for their annual “Winter of Arcade” promotion, and as always, it’s a doozy. Plenty of variety in the titles, but each as enticing as the next.  

As a special promotion, if you buy all 5 you’ll get a full 1,200 MSpoint refund (that’s effectively one for free!!).  

Xbox Live Arcade Weekly Releases:  

• Limbo – 1,200 MSpoints
  A puzzle/platform hybrid with an eerie greyscale colour scheme that has already won several awards. Think of an ominous version of Braid, another award-winning game. 

Hydro Thunder Hurricane

• 28/7/2010     Hydro Thunder Hurricane – 1,200 MSPoints
  The revamped sequel to the arcade (and Dreamcast, N64 and PS1) smash hit game. Jetboats with grunt!!
• 4/8/2010        Castlevania: Harmony of Despair - 1,200 MSPoints
  Dracula’s back!! The next installment in a classic series.
• 11/8/2010      Monday Night Combat - 1,200 MSPoints
  A third-person shooter in the style of Team Fortress 2. Many “classes” to influence gameplay and a heavy emphasis on multiplayer.

  

• 18/8/2010      Lara Croft & The Guardian Of Light - 1,200 MSPoints
  A new installment in the Lara Croft franchise, with a twist – for the first time it supports co-op.

  

Deal(s) Of The Week*:   

      Week Commencing 19/7/2010:
             - Assassin’s Creed 2 content  

• “Sequence 12: Battle of Forli” DLC - 240 MSpoints (saving 25%)
• “Sequence 13: Bonfire of the Vanities” DLC - 240 MSpoints (saving 25%)
• “Sequence 13: Bonfire of the Vanities + Secret Locations” DLC - 400 MSpoints (saving 29%)
  (*Note: these are the 3 tombs from the Black Edition of the game, which also is the 1 tomb included in the White Edition)
• “Da Vinci’s Flying Machine” Avatar item - 160 MSpoints (saving 33%)
• “Guard Armor” Avatar item - 240 MSpoints (saving 40%)

      Week Comencing 26/7/2010:
             - Borderlands content  

• “Secret Armory” DLC - 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• “Zombie Island” DLC - 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• “The Underdome” DLC - 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)

      Week Comencing 26/7/2010:
             - Forza 3 content  

• “Autoweek Car Show Pack” DLC - 240 MSpoints (saving 40%)
• “Hot Holidays Car Pack” DLC - 240 MSpoints (saving 40%)
• “Jalopnik Car Pack” DLC - 240 MSpoints (saving 40%)
• “Nürburgring GP Track Pack” DLC - 240 MSpoints (saving 40%)
• “The Road & Track Car Pack” DLC - 240 MSpoints (saving 40%)

*Note: the “Deal of the Week” promotion is only available to profiles with a Gold Live Subscription. 

 

Games On Demand Releases**:  

• 20/7/2010           Stuntman: Ignition
• 20/7/2010           NFL Tour
• 20/7/2010           Facebreaker (not in Aussie region)
• 27/7/2010           The Lord of the Rings: Conquest
• 27/7/2010           WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2008
• 27/7/2010           WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2009

**Note: “Games on Demand” releases vary from region to region, as well as having different prices locally. Prices and scheduling availability will be edited (or removed) as these details are released and whether or not they relate to the Australian Marketplace. 

  

Avatar Marketplace  

• 22/7/2010        Dragon Age: Origins
• 23/7/2010        Halo: Reach

The time is near, the second annual XperienceXpo game night and fundraiser is primed and ready to go off tomorrow. With  plenty of consoles and a plethora of titles to try out, system-linked challenges and the ultimate bonus – pretty much every game there on the night is winnable!! – it’s gonna be one hell of a party!! And also showing will be gaming-related media such as Halo Legends in a mini-theatre set-up…

If you haven’t booked your tickets yet, get in fast – bookings close at 3pm Friday 16th July. The event is hosted at the State Library of Victoria, who’s “Experimedia” room has an awesome layout for this. Entry is FREE, but for organisational purposes you need to book a spot. It’s shaping up to be a great night, we’ve got a few surprises floating around for you all, and there’s massive raffle bundles all up for grabs on the night.

Best of all, all proceeds from the night are going to the Royal Children’s Hospital, so you’re gaming for a good cause!!

For more details, check out the full details here. Hope to see you all there tomorrow night!!

The hosts of SYN FM’s GET CEREAL interviewed Mark from OzBoxLive today about the upcoming XperienceXpo event at the State Library of Victoria this Friday. After doing a Live TV interview he arrived at the GET CEREAL Radio office in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD and met with Luke, Charles and Meg and discussed the event, E3 and thoughts on KINECT.

GC INTERVIEW WITH MARK LIBMAN FROM OZBOXLIVE

Get Cereal is a breakfast radio program broadcast on SYN 90.7FM in Melbourne. It runs on weekdays from 6-9AM and features the very latest in news, music and general chit chat. For more info check out the official website HERE.

XperienceXpo SYN FM Radio Promo

Well the Computer Games Boot Camp 2010 has come to an end for another year and so we take this time to reflect and get some much needed sleep. Previously I spoke about what I thought CGBC 2010 would bring and what I said was a gross understatement. It was far better than what anyone could have predicted. I attended this year’s event and I must say it is one of the biggest gaming events in Australia.

Andrew Owen the creator of CGBC strived to make this year better than the last with great success. The room had more Xbox’s than you could poke a stick at, a grand total of three PS3 consoles, a whole bunch of computers in a LAN together and even a couple of pinball machines. There were games representing all genres from the popular FPS with Halo and Call of Duty  to Racing games like Forza Motorsport 3 and even strategy games with Starcraft.

A little bit of Halo 4-Play

Game tournaments ran throughout the week and OzBoxLive was at the heart of the action running tournaments with some of the most popular games like BLUR and Sonic Sega All Stars Racing along with some of the lesser known titles like Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. OzBoxLive also held their very own game night with great success. They had 4v4 Halo, COD and Gears of War 2 along with Alan Wake, Assassins Creed 2, X-men Origins: Wolverine, DJ Hero, Super Street Fighter IV , Beautiful Katamari and many other of the best titles. It was an awesome night celebrating all things Xbox with 100+ of our mates. Everyone there had a great time just playing games and celebrating the awesomeness of the Xbox 360.

Besides gaming CGBC is also about the games industry and during the day there were speakers from all aspects. From Damian Scott of Primal Clarity giving his perspective as an independent games developer to Brian Chau from Adobe talking about how easy it is to program in flash, even our very own Mark Libman took to the stage and spoke about how easy it is to get into games journalism and where it can take you.

120+ Gamers join OzBoxLive in Halo 3 on the HD Projector

The people who attended this year are some of the nicest, friendliest and caring people you will ever meet. I reckon Australian gamers are the best gamers on the planet and I don’t mean skill wise (though we are pretty awesome) I mean the Australian gaming culture has grown to be accepting of who you are as a person not by how you play (however there are times when the two intertwine such is the case with noob-tubers) and it means that anyone can come along and just have fun. Also because everyone is there for the same reason you can talk about gaming in great detail for hours and nobody gets bored.

This week is one of the top events of the year and I highly recommend that people sign up for CGBC 2011. You can check out the CGBC website HERE.

The guys at MADMAN have kindly donated 5 copies of HALO LEGENDS (DVD) valued at $34.95 AUD each. They have also included other cool prizes that you will get to see at the event and will be part of the major raffle. We will also be playing one episode of Halo Legends in the Library Cinema throughout the night. So if you have not seen this amazing anime experience before then this will be a great opportunity to enjoy it with a bunch of Halo fans.

All you have to do is Book a FREE ticket to the event HERE. Show up on the 16th of JULY and purchase one raffle ticket (or more) for only $5 each. Then at the end of the night see if you are one of the lucky winners. Remember that this is part of the Major Raffle so we are giving away an Xbox 360 along with ALL the games played during the night and that all the money raised will be going to the Royal Childrens Hospital.

Click here for more details on Halo Legends from MADMAN

Actually, calling this game a Flight action combat game would be like calling Crazy Taxi a driving sim. It’s an arcade shooter, you just happen to be controlling a jet.

The story is quite involved, and an integral part of the game….nah, who am I kidding? I’ll give you the story in a nutshell, since it could probably fit in one.

"Your mission, should you choose to accept it..."

The nation is on the verge of war with someone or another, in this case the ubiquitous Z-whatevers. You’re tasked with stopping them, and how successful you are at it determines whether you subdue them completely or just stop them ‘for now’. If you’re playing this game for the story, you need to re-evaluate your life. There are no major surprises here – if you’ve played any of the afterburner games before you know what to expect.

For those of you who’ve been living under a rock (Or maybe you’re too young to remember), you control a fighter jet with completely (and yet satisfyingly) unrealistic turning capabilities.

You fly into the level which is almost on rails (there’s a small amount of left/right level movement) shooting at enemies coming at you from in front, or occasionally from behind, while avoiding enemy fire. This can be achieved by just flying around, or performing a vomit inducting barrel roll – a move which can seem ineffective until you get the hang of the timing. Your arsenal is the standard unlimited machine gun – which satisfyingly requires you to lead the target rather than the bullets instantly hitting whatever you’re aiming at, as well as the ability to lock on to a group of enemies and fire homing missiles; this will be your bread and butter attack really – they’re finite but they recharge. The machine gun almost feels like it’s there for decoration. It does work for very close-up slower enemies, but beyond that forget it. Later on you can unlock auto-fire mode for the gun, you might as well leave it on.

Climax time - it's like "Bullet Time" for jets. Apparently.

You also get a “Bullet-time” mechanic that slows time and lets you tag a whole mess of enemies. It can get you out of a tight spot but you’ll start to recognise the points in the level where the game expects you to use it if you want to maximise your score.

Control is fluid and responsive for the most part, with the occasional unintentional barrel-roll spoiling an otherwise fun arcade shooter. It’s no walk in the park though.

The Afterburner game-play was devised back in the days of arcade machine glory, where the aim of the game designer was to make you put more money in and keep playing, and not a lot has changed over the years. The game is hard and you get the defeated feeling often – the same feeling that makes a lot of people stop returning to an arcade game, the idea that you’re being cheated out of your credit by a deliberately difficult game.

For the home market, if the developers left the game this difficult they’d be shooting themselves in the foot, but then if they made it super easy it wouldn’t feel like After Burner. Rather than make the game easier, they have game-changing mods that will gradually unlock as you play – anything from completing the game a certain number of times, or shooting a certain number of enemies in a combo etc. These mods will give you extra credits, more lives per credit, bigger aiming window, etc. One of my personal favourites removes the smoke trails from enemy fire, which is a godsend when the screen gets super-busy. It’s enough to keep you playing beyond where you normally would in an arcade setting, because you don’t have that hopeless sense that you won’t get to see everything the game has to offer. And the levels are short, a couple of minutes each at most, with enough variation and branching to make each game a different experience.

It's a pretty game, not that you'll have much time to notice.

This makes it the perfect home version of an Arcade game. It retains all of the challenge of the original, but it gives you options without penalising you for it.

It’s a single-player game – the most interactivity you’ll get is a leader board to compare your score to your friends. Not that it matters, Afterburner doesn’t lend itself well to multiplayer. You’re playing against the game, and the rewards for better scores will have you playing against yourself as well.

Graphically, it feels like an AM2 game, if you’ve ever played their games, they all have a similar feel; Crazy Taxi, Daytona, Sega Rally, etc – they’re known for smooth polygons, clean lines, no nonsense levels, but super smooth and

Fly. Dodge. Aim. Shoot. Repeat.

fast moving. They’re crisp, colourful, and futuristic. Quite pretty too, nice reflections, and light effects, but most of the eye candy that you’ll notice is in the enemies, and the explosions, missiles, cloud, smoke, and fire.

At any rate you’ll be so busy trying to avoid enemy fire that the most attention you’ll give the level design itself will be a fleeting moment to admire the scenery as you crash into it.

The music is great – it’s not the star of the show, but it has high energy and makes you feel like you’re in the middle of a high-adrenaline situation – for those who want more of that Kenny Loggins feeling, you can choose the old Afterburner II soundtrack, which will have you riding into the Danger Zone, and brings back that old arcade feeling.

To sum it all up – it’s a perfect ‘in between’ game, for little snatches of game-play goodness in between getting home and having dinner, or having dinner and doing homework. It has a great reward mechanic that ensures that you’ll keep returning to it, but it is still an Arcade game at heart, and that’s why you won’t spend hours at a time playing it. Ultimately, it’ll kill a half hour or an hour no problem. Any more than that and you probably start to get tired of it. Sega still have that old-school magic though. It’s not for everyone, but if you love fast, twitchy game play, and especially if you’re a fan of the originals, you’ll be tripping down memory lane with your first barrel roll.

AFTER BURNER CLIMAX – GAME DETAIL PAGE

Mark from OzBoxLive was invited to speak at the Computer Games Boot Camp at Monash University Clayton about OzBoxLive and his experiences at this years Electronic Entertainment Expo which was also streamed LIVE around the world thanks to USTREAM. He did this by using an Xbox 360 console and having his photos and a range of Xbox Game related music saved on a USB drive. The approximately 1000+ students loved everything he was talking about as the majority of young students are attending the camp to learn about the games industry in one form or another whether that is as a Games Journalist, Developer, Artist, Musician, Writer etc.

Mark picks up the two most important badges for E3

One of the new things that was discussed was the Xbox MVP program that Mark is now apart of and the Summit that he attended earlier in the year at the Microsoft Head Office in Seattle. He shared his experiences and several photos of interesting people that he had the chance to meet. In regards to E3 2010 he discussed the Xbox 360 Booth in detail, some of the things he got up to and gave a warning to everyone about what a Jalapeno actually is.

Finally he showed his favorite game trailers from E3 which got the entire crowd very excited. This included trailers from Halo: Reach, Gears of War 3, Fable 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops and several Kinect Titles. He even managed to show some world exclusive footage of him playing several Kinect titles such as Kinect Sports, Kinectimals and Your Shape: Fitness Evolved and even inserted some interesting footage of him at one of the after parties.

The biggest highlight for a lot of the students was when he spoke about the New Xbox 360 console and actually brought his in to show the crowd. Even though it was released in Australia on the 1st of July the majority of students had never seen one before and were all very curious to learn about the new features and design choices.

Mark managed to stay at the Camp for the entire week to represent OzBoxLive and help answer any Microsoft related questions. He supplied all the games to run on the 50 Xbox 360 consoles and helped students with short bios on each game as well as gave tips.

For more info on the Computer Games Boot Camp at Monash University click HERE. This is a once a year event that is the biggest of its kind in Australia and Free for young students to attend.

Mark Libman – Presentation at CGBC 2010

Last night was an absolute blast! For the better part of two and a half hours Monash University and the people of CGBC 2010 let us have their room and their 50 Xbox’s (All system linked I might add) for a night of gaming delight. The major games running for our 100+ party was 4v4 Halo 3 across four screens, Modern Warfare 2 four player free for all on two screens and Gears of war 2 across four screens. By far these were the most popular title with the majority of attendees huddled around for most of the night.

The other games available to play were Blur, Alan Wake, Alien Vs Predator, DJ Hero, Super Street Fighter IV (with Arcade sticks) and Beautiful Katamari to name a few. Everything was packed and there was never a dull moment. One of the CGBC helpers wowed the crowd by playing DJ hero on expert almost flawlessly and more watched SSFIV rather than play it. The people were a very friendly and helpful crowd, even the wild bunch playing Viva Pinata: Party Animals all night.  You would think that with 100+ people and only 50 Xbox’s that there would be chaos, surprisingly this is not the case. Everyone was as happy to watch as they were to play.

Everyone had a great time and it was a shame the night had to come to and end but there is more to come with OzBoxLive running events throughout CGBC 2010.

To check out more photos from the night click HERE to view the official OzBoxLive FaceBook Gallery.

Mark sits down with Cameron Suey the Assistant Producer from LucasArts to talk about Star Wars: Force Unleashed II and how the storyline plays out, what improvements have been made graphically, what new Force Powers we will get to see and more in this Xclusive Interview at E3 2010.

INTERVIEW WITH CAMERON SUEY

The Computer Games Boot Camp (or CGBC) is the brainchild of Andrew Owen, who wanted to create an educational environment for high school students to learn about the games industry. Students would not only get to play games but also hear from people in all aspects of the games industry, from programming to games journalism.

With the help of Monash University, that idea became a reality in 2009 when the first CGBC was held. The interest in this forum was vastly underestimated - it was predicted that 200 students from across Melbourne would show up ,when actually 500 students from across Australia and the world arrived that cold July mourning. I was there and for a crowd of 500 people one would imagine there would be trouble, but no, there was total harmony within the crowd. Everyone was just excited to be there.

The 2010 Computer Games Boot Camp has learned from last year, making sure that the venue is adequate for the expected 1500+ people to be in attendance across the now seven day event. It will be bigger and better than before with more games, more consoles and speakers from all across the games industry. Sponsors from all over have joined the bandwagon, from the big console companies such as Microsoft to 3d modeling software creators Autodesk. I of course will be attending and I look forward to what CGBC 2010 has to offer.

If you can’t attend this year you can follow the action everyday on the OzBoxLive facebook page. To find out more about this year’s event and see more photos from last year’s event, go to the CGBC website.

The guys at The Official Australian Xbox Magazine will be giving away 5 ONE YEAR Subscriptions valued at $135 AUD. All you have to do is Book a FREE ticket to the event HERE. Show up on the 16th of JULY and purchase one raffle ticket (or more) for only $5 each. Then at the end of the night see if you are one of the lucky winners. Remember that this is part of the Major Raffle so we are giving away an Xbox 360 along with ALL the games played during the night.

Click here for more details on The Official Australian Xbox Magazine

]]> http://ozboxlive.com/2010/07/win-official-australian-xbox-magazine-xperiencexpo/feed/ 0 http://ozboxlive.com/2010/06/ozboxlive-e3-2010-%e2%80%93-de-blob-2-the-underground/ http://ozboxlive.com/2010/06/ozboxlive-e3-2010-%e2%80%93-de-blob-2-the-underground/#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:29:56 +0000 Mark Libman http://ozboxlive.com/?p=1343 OzBoxLive @ E3 2010 – de Blob 2: The Underground

Mark sits down with Nick Hagger the Creative Director from Blue Tongue to talk about de Blob 2: The Underground and bringing a Wii title to the Xbox 360, What he thinks of KINECT and de Blob, using 3D TV’s without Glasses and how on earth the game got made in Melbourne, Australia and more in this Xclusive Interview at E3 2010.

INTERVIEW WITH NICK HAGGER

Mark sits down with Jim Boone the Producer from Volition Inc. on Red Faction: Armageddon about the latest installment in this hit franchise, how the story starts, what new weapons we will get to see in the game and more in this Xclusive Interview at E3 2010.

INTERVIEW WITH JIM BOONE

Bargain time, and this week it’s “critic’s choice”. Some great must-haves on special for sweet prices…

Deal(s) Of The Week*: 

• Defense Grid - 400 Points (saving 50%)
• PB Winterbottom – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Rocket Riot - 400 Points (saving 50%)
• Darwinia+ - 800 Points (saving 33%)
• Chime - 240 Points (saving 40%)
• Poker Smash - 400 Points (saving 50%)

*Note: the “Deal of the Week” promotion is only available to profiles with a Gold Live Subscription.

 Xbox Live Arcade Weekly Releases (June 30th):

• Puzzle Quest 2 – 800 MSpoints

• Ancients Of Ooga – 800 MSpoints

Games On Demand Releases**:

• 21/6/2010           Tomb Raider Underworld
• 21/6/2010           Command & Conquer 3

**Note: “Games on Demand” releases vary from region to region, as well as having different prices locally. Prices and scheduling availability will be edited (or removed) as these details are released and whether or not they relate to the Australian Marketplace.Avatar Marketplace

• 1/7/2010        Crackdown 2

(Courtesy of Major Nelson)

It is finally here!!! OzBoxLive are putting together a fun night of gaming on the Xbox 360 with some of the best games available on the console at the State Library of Victoria. Featuring First Person Shooters, Racers, Sports, Adventure, RPG and lots more. Entry is FREE but booking is required HERE. There will be an enormous raffle with an Xbox 360 up for grabs along with all the games featured on the night. All tickets are only $5 with all proceeds going towards the Royal Childrens Hospital. So if you and your friends are free on Friday the 16th of JULY and live in Melbourne then come over and say hi to the OzBoxLive team and help raise money for this great charity and even make some new friends for Xbox Live.

BOOK HERE FOR YOUR FREE TICKET!!!

Mark sits down with Hank Kiersey the Military Advisor on the Call Of Duty franchise about how he got started as an Advisor, how realistic the games actually are and the educational side of War Games and more in this Xclusive Interview at E3 2010.

Interview with Hank Kiersey

Mark sits down with Josh Olin (Community Manager) at Treyarch to discuss Call Of Duty: Black Ops game features, why Black Ops, the new weapons and just how realistic this is to previous titles and much more in this Xclusive Interview at E3 2010.

Interview with Josh Olin

Mark sits down with Stephen Van Der Mescht (Executive Producer) at United Front Games to discuss True Crime: Hong Kong, the game features, why Hong Kong, how the fighting system works and how this is different to similar games in the industry and much more in this Xclusive Interview at E3 2010.

XCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Stephen Van Der Mescht

Mark sits down with Brian Bright (Project Director) of NEVERSOFT to discuss Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock and some of the new gameplay features, tracks, design choices, thoughts on KINECT and much more in this Xclusive Interview at E3 2010.

INTERVIEW with Brian Bright

Mark Libman of OzBoxLive heads down to the JW Marriott just after the Xbox 360 Keynote Presentation on 14/06/10 to talk with David McLean the Regional Director of Microsoft Australia and New Zealand, Entertainment & Devices Division about the Presentation, Kinect, The New Xbox 360 and much more…

Mark Libman with David McLean and his New Xbox 360

INTERVIEW – PART 1

INTERVIEW – PART 2

So both the Cirque du Soleil performance and Xbox Media Briefing are done and dusted, and Microsoft has fully-detailed and demonstrated their Kinect peripheral. But what does that mean for both Xbox 360 owners and gaming in general?

Kinect Volleyball - "First serve..."

‘Casual’ gaming has such a significant marketshare at the moment that Microsoft would’ve been extremely foolish to not try to tap into this potential user base. I enjoy an immersive, long session of the latest action/adventure game or a shoot-‘em-up as much as the next gamer, but the most fun I’ve had with local multiplayer has always come with casual-style gaming with mates. Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Lips and the like are great ways to cap off a night in with friends, and to add to that sense of silly, friendly (and sometimes a little inebriated) fun with a session of Kinect will be a great success.

For a better analysis, I think it’s important to look at all three consoles’ movement-based control systems. Most people may have written off the Wii as a ‘kiddie’ console for the combination of this ‘gimmicky’ feature and a lack of a jump to higher-resolution graphics with the console generational change. But Nintendo has always been about focusing on the experience rather than the hardware, and their first-party titles have (by and large) used the features of the console rather well. But that motion capture method has become rather dated, and a plethora of shovelware games have diluted the appeal of using remotes somewhat.

Another recent announcement at E3 was Sony’s PlayStation Move system. Sure, it has a pretty balloon at the top of the remote to help with detection, and it uses the PlayStation Eye camera to detect the remotes for the console (also probably allowing for photo/camera possibilities during gameplay), but it’s essentially another version of the Wii’s system – albeit 3 years further down the track. To my mind, it’s a middle-ground – trending towards the Wii’s end of the spectrum – and a ‘safe’ way of enticing the ‘casual’ demographic of gamers. A little improvement over a competitor with little risk to the initiative… but as a result, a lot less to gain from the minor improvements as well.

Running the river rapids in Kinect Adventures.

Now, to Microsoft’s Kinect… To start with, the jury’s still out in my mind for the name. It’s a fitting collaboration of “kinetic” and “connect” (which says what it does quite directly), but the name itself seems a little… strange. But I suppose the Wii seemed weird to begin with and now it’s a fact of life for gamers (as Microsoft are probably hoping for the Kinect).

I have to admit that the Xbox Kinect is ambitious. Not simply relying on remotes but mapping skeletal structures – they really are taking the hi-tech road to appealing to the casual gaming market share. Demonstrations seem entertaining and jam-packed with features, the hardware itself doubles up as a video camera for the communications network Xbox Live promotes so heavily (plus in-game action snapshots to come back to haunt yourself at the conclusion of the game!!), and there’s a ton of other exciting features too. Voice-recognition is a great touch, and the extent of integration with Xbox Live’s other non-gaming features is very impressive.

Forza Motorsport 4 - complete with free virtual car tours!!

Having played the occasional game on a Wii, I do enjoy some of the ‘casual’ titles that can make use of these systems. Ultimately, though, I think the games themselves will dictate how well these new peripherals succeed, and that won’t be reliant on extending the control method into established series and genres. First-person shooters won’t benefit that much, RPG and fighting games will most likely use it gimmickly at best. No, it’s the sports, arcade, racing and platform games where this technology will shine. Games like JoyRide, Forza Motorsports, the sports collection, the possibilities opened up in Fable III, and a Star Wars game (who can resist using the Force and wielding a lightsaber… if only virtually) will make it great for me personally, though I’m sure others will look eagerly and longingly towards Kinectimals or at the possibilities of controller-free workouts via various titles.

Provided that Microsoft’s Kinect does all it boasts (and that’s a heck of a lot!!), and does it with barely-discernable to no lag, I think it will ‘win’ this so-called kinetic control ‘battle’. And this is not coming from me writing for an Xbox 360 site. No, I honestly think that their peripheral shows the most promise and the best jump in technology to lead this sort of gaming into the next console generation and beyond. And some of the features touted are positively droolworthy…

Regardless, this is a very exciting time for gamers, and I for one will be standing in line to purchase a Kinect as soon as I can!!

It’s that time of the week again, and it’s all good news for the sports nuts.

Deal(s) Of The Week*: This week it’s a sporting collection to coincide with the FIFA World Cup currently playing out in South Africa:

• FIFA 10 “Ulitmate Game Mode” DLC - 240 Points (saving 40%)
• Madden NFL Arcade - 800 Points (saving 33%)
• NBA 2K10 “Draft Combine” - 240 Points (saving 40%) (not available on Australian Marketplace)
• Football Genius - 400 Points (saving 50%)
• Sensible World Of Soccer - 400 Points (saving 50%)
• “Soccer Ball” Avatar prop - 80 Points (saving 50%)
• MLB Stickball - 400 Points (saving 50%) (not available on Australian Marketplace)

Plus those special “clearance” offers from last week are still available ’til Tursday June 22nd (US time, as per usual):

• A Kingdom For Keflings – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Alien Hominid HD – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Banjo-Tooie – 800 MSpoints (saving 33%)
• Bionic Commando Rearmed – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Bomberman Live – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Braid – 800 MSpoints (saving 33%)
• Castle Crashers – 800 MSpoints (saving 33%)
• Castlevania: Symphony of the Night – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Contra – 240 MSpoints (saving 40%)
• Crystal Defenders – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Magic: The Gathering – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• N+ – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Panzer General – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Portal – 800 MSpoints (saving 33%)
• TMNT: 1989 Arcade – 240 MSpoints (saving 40%)
• Uno Rush – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgement – 800 MSpoints (saving 33%)
• Zombie Apocalypse – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)

*Note: the “Deal of the Week” promotion is only available to profiles with a Gold Live Subscription.

Xbox Live Arcade Weekly Releases (June 21st):

• Risk: Factions – 800 MSpoints

Duke Nukem - "It's time to kick ass and chew bubble gum. And I'm all out of gum..."

• Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project – 800 MSpoints

Games On Demand Releases**:

• 21/6/2010           Mirror’s Edge
• 21/6/2010           Bee Movie Game

**Note: “Games on Demand” releases vary from region to region, as well as having different prices locally. Prices and scheduling availability will be edited (or removed) as these details are released and whether or not they relate to the Australian Marketplace.

Avatar Marketplace

• 21/6/2010        Lego Harry Potter

(Courtesy of Major Nelson)

WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES

GAME PARTY™: IN MOTION

GET THE PARTY STARTED ONLY ON KINECT™FOR XBOX 360®
ACTIVE AND ENGAGING ARCADE, SPORTS AND PARTY GAMES FOR ALL AGES

SYDNEY, Australia. – June 15th, 2010 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announces Game Party: In Motion exclusively for the revolutionary new way to play using Kinect™ for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Game Party: In Motion offers players full-body motion control of in-game or Xbox 360 Avatar characters, using the motion-sensing technology of ”Kinect for Xbox 360 in a collection of 16 games.

Game Party: In Motion lets players engage in true-to-life motions with games appealing to people of all ability levels, ranging from sports like Hoop Shoot and Darts to arcade and party games including Rootbeer Tapper, Table Hockey and more. Players mimic the actions and gestures of real-life activities allowing them to move their arms, legs or full bodies in natural motions to control the game.

“Game Party: In Motion is a great fit with Kinect for Xbox 360, offering interactivity, full body motion and intuitive gameplay to players in a completely new way,” said Samantha Ryan, senior vice president, production and development, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “We’re bringing one of the most popular party game series to a platform that is tailor-made for the game’s universal appeal and pickup-and-play style.”

Game Party: In Motion offers a variety of fun activities, ensuring that anyone is able to jump in and play using the sensor to track body movements and gestures available on Kinect for Xbox 360. The list of games includes a total of 16 classics and new favourites, including Darts, Hoop Shoot, Table Hockey, Rootbeer Tapper, and more.

Game Party: In Motion also offers several first time features for the series. Players will be able to challenge friends head-to-head online over Xbox LIVE. In addition to online gameplay, Game Party: In Motion offers integration with Facebook®, including the ability to post in-game Achievements onto the player’s Facebook Wall and set automatic notifications to Facebook friends when they have started a game. With full Xbox 360 Avatar support, players can get even closer to the game by using their own likenesses. Whether in person or online, Game Party: In Motionallows family and friends to connect, play and get the party started!

Game Party: In Motion is under development at FarSight Studios, LLP

Last night the world was introduced to the next evolution in gaming by Microsoft, now known as KINECT. This new sensor will plug into any Xbox 360 console and allow gamers to truly interact in a unique way never seen before. Kinect has a mix of amazing technology that features voice recognition, face detection and, most importantly motion detection. But we will find out a lot more at Microsoft’s press conference in just a few hours time. Last night’s performance was a world premiere featuring Cirque du Soleil.

Mark (right) with Alex Kipman (left) - Director of Incubation for Xbox, i.e. the man behind Kinect

Before the show even started I managed to have a quick chat with Alex Kipman, the creator of Kinect. He looked just as excited as the thousands of the people in line, and was looking forward to the show and the name finally being revealed. Whilst we were waiting there was some performers doing fancy yoga positions and a collection of ominous drum music.

Once the doors opened at the Galen Centre, we were treated to interactive ponchos that we all were happy to put on, especially when the shoulders lit up at the end of the show.

The arena was truly amazing to be inside of as there was a mix of colours and sounds all around you. As the crowd were getting to their seats, and some were escorted to the stage floor, we were entertained by several solo acts by the performers that was very impressive and focused on the concept of “connecting” people with each other.

This was a show that can’t be described and is not even worth trying to as it must be seen and experienced. The entire presentation for Kinect demonstrated quickly and easily just how versatile this new accessory will be and how anything is possible.

Avatars feel the need for speed too...

A young boy was showing us Kinect by playing several launch titles with his older sister and parents. “JoyRide” (announced at E3 2009) looked a lot better than what has been seen and has had a major shift in that 4 players can play and enjoy the game even with one driver, as you can jump in out out of the racing seat. “River Rush” is best described as JoyRide but on water as players stand up on a raft and control it going down a fast stream by leaning left and right and even jumping and ducking. Surprisingly the game looks like a lot of fun and will be a workout just to play for a few minutes. Finally Microsoft showed off a mix of several sports titles such as hurdles, javelin, soccer, beach volleyball, bowling, running and I’m sure there will be many more in this collection of games that will hopefully be bundled with the accessory.

One of the biggest surprises was when we saw a Jedi Knight appear on screen , showing how you could whip out your lightsaber with an army of Stormtroopers charging at you. By simply waving your arms appropriately you could easily and accurately control your lightsaber and, more importantly, use the Force push, pull and grab them. This as-yet unannounced Star Wars title already looks to be one of the biggest hits for the hardcore gamer as well as casual gamers as it easily got the best reception.

Finally, to end the show they demonstrated a replica of Just Dance for the Wii that actually used your entire body for controls. What was interesting is that it seems to have indicated that up to 8 players could be on-screen at once, looking to be a huge leap forward for dancing games in general.

Overall this was an amazing way to announce Kinect and I’m sure all those that attended will be talking about this event for years to come. This was the most impressive premiere I have ever seen at E3 (and my entire life!) and it really shows Microsoft’s commitment, dedication and passion for the Xbox brand and, most importantly, that this is not just a toy but rather a peripheral for all ages to enjoy.

(For an official rundown of the event – and for all new information released by Microsoft – don’t forget to check out the official Kinect page at Xbox.com.)

DABURA911 DETAILS HIS HOPES AND DREAMS FOR THIS YEAR’S E3 CONFERENCE

Only coming around once a year, E3 throws up a ton of news in a short space of time. So here’s is a list of some of the things I’d love to be announced this year -  some of them may be public knowledge, but when it comes to gaming, you can never have enough info on upcoming games…

* Condemned 3 Announcement

I thought Condemned 1 was spooky and lived up to what it wanted to be. Condemned 2 took it up a notch, adding more scary scenes and having online play. Unfortunatey, there’s been no news (that I know of) that there is going to be a Condemned 3, but anything is possible. I’d really love to get that chill down my spine when I play the Condemned series one last time.

* Team Fortress 2 Downloadable Content

"Hey... you gonna eat that?"

Both myself and a friend of mine have noticed that computer gamers have been getting far more content for Team Fortress 2 than 360 gamers. Logistics aside, I think this is a little unfair to their solid 360 fanbase and I don’t see why they shouldn’t release this stuff onto the Xbox Live Marketplace. Sure it may cost a bit for all of the content, but that doesn’t stop them from maybe selling a special edition in-store with all of the downloads. Even if you did have to pay for them all on Xbox Live it would be money well spent.

* Alan Wake Surprise DLC

If you pre-ordered Alan Wake then you would know that you got a little surprise download, but we cannot access it till the 28^th of June. I have an idea of what it is but I’d like some definite clues (or even an outright statement). I’m just eager for some more Alan Wake action – aren’t you?

* Overlord 3 Announcement

The original Overlord game (one I’ve personally reviewed) was one of the best games I’ve ever played. It was funny, had good gameplay and was just a thrill to see the story unfold. The sequel, however, was a bit disappointing - whilst it was entertaining in it’s own way, it just wasn’t as good as its predecessor. There is room for a 3rd game in the franchise and I know there are a lot of Overlord fans out there, so I’m sure they could squeeze out another game for us. But I really hope they take lessons from their 1st game and not the 2nd or else I fear it may only go downhill from here on out.

* Will Gears Of War 3  Be The Last Of The Franchise?

There’s been plenty of hype and promise, but I want to know if Epic have anything up their sleeves for the countless fans they have post-Gears. I’m almost certain that they won’t stop here  – they have to do something with it, whether it’s a prequel, an arcade game, anything!! But I really just want to know will this next game be the last of the franchise, I certainly doubt it and hope not.

* Further Details On Natal

Project Natal is not the product’s real name, just a project name they gave it, so I’m surious how it’s going to be named and promoted. Not only that but I’m not really buying into the product to be honest. All I’ve really seen is the basics – you know, your average move around, smash and hit stuff games. But I want to see what other games coming out that will be compatible with this product. If there’s some interesting interpretations then I will definitely consider giving this thing a try.

Italy helped form an Empire spanning centuries. They were central in the Renaissance period of intense intellectual and cultural growth. And now, they’re the source of final speculation in the future of the gaming format!!

An ad developed for Italian markets shows off not only the Natal hardware box, but the name Kinect and a slimmer black 250GB console. Apparently the name “Kinect” was trademarked back in April for “computer software, computer hardware, and computer peripherals”. Throw in the ad - first posted by an Italian website that itself sourced back to the official Italian Xbox.com page, and was suspiciously pulled down almost immediately after the post!! – and you’ve got a pretty convincing theory.

Just as interesting is the Xbox “slim” -rumours of which have been floating around for months on end. Not too keen on the straight-edged look myself, but with a console revision hopefully Microsoft have been able to fix some of the high-profile problems that the 360 can experience.

Whilst this is all speculation still (despite the evidence supporting the theory), all will be confirmed in the very near future. Keep one eye on E3 – something is bound to be mentioned in Microsoft’s Cirque de Soleil performance.

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Edit:  Microsoft’s Cirque de Soleil has finished, and Mark can confirm that Kinect is the project name. Apparently it was a great experience, so make sure you check it out on Foxtel on the 26th June.

In just a few days time the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles will begin, with the entire world watching to see what Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft will do next. This is the best time of the entire year to be an video game fan – and more specifically an Xbox fan! - as for the first time ever Australian’s will be able to watch the Xbox Presentation streamed live thanks to Foxtel and the Fox8 channel.

Last year I had the opportunity to attend E3 and be on the show floor, play games that were months away from being released and interview game developers. It was absolutely insane and was nothing that I expected. Before the event had even started I had met Tony Hawk, seen the original Ghostbusters car, had photos with stunning Booth Babes and been to the Xbox Presentation. And what a presentation it was! I remember quite vividly starting off with The Beatles – Rock Band then moving on to Tony Hawk, Call of Duty, Forza 3 and other big announcements and games. Then when you think it’s all over out comes Steven Spielberg with the bombshell of announcements – Project Natal.

The atmosphere in the room was incredible as the crowd witnessed a glimpse of the future  of gaming. No longer is there a controller in your hands but you are the controller. Since that time nearly a year ago little has been revealed about the Natal technology to the world. We still don’t know the official name, pricing, release date and more importantly the games that it will support.

Well E3 2010 should change all that and to start things off Microsoft are hosting a special Project Natal event just before E3 even begins. At the event we will have a special performance from Cirque De Soleil showing off movement and controller free gaming to the world.

One thing I am looking forward to finding out is what else the camera can do other than gaming. Watching movies should be an entirely new experience as you wave your hand to make a selection and use the voice recognition to control the settings. Even HD Video chat will be different simply because the quality will be that much more immersive when talking to family and friends via Xbox Live. What about building things like using CAD for architects, Photoshop for graphic designers or even video editing like in “Minority Report”? The possibilities are endless.

At the end of the day it’s all about the games first and foremost, and as such the developers have more freedom than ever before to create games with no boundaries or restrictions. Regardless of the genre it is possible to create some truly spectacular gaming experiences and that is exactly what I hope to see over the next week.

This is it -  the watershed moment of video game conferences. Sure, concerts and bands, as well as the movie industry, have long been associated with helping to grab the attention of the world media for video game publishers. But this time it’s different – now Microsoft move beyond the realms of simple co-advertisement to a fully-fledged artistic (and practical!!) demonstration of their wares…

The story goes that Michel Laprise, a big part of the success of Cirque du Soleil’s shows for the better part of a decade, made a strange-yet-appealing presentation to senior Microsoft executives. He dazzled them with an hour-long tale of “a boy on a quest to locate meteors that have fallen from the sky and uncover their meaning” - illustrated with a bucket of sand, “three rocks, a small wooden elephant and a flashlight”.

“It’s a story about humanity, about a quest and about overcoming obstacles,” Laprise told the LA Times.

“In history, there have been discoveries that have made us leap forward as a civilisation. But those technologies demanded that we master their language, the language of machines.”

“This time, it’s the machine that’s adapting. The human is at the center, doing what comes naturally. Moving, jumping, talking. And it’s up to the machine to interpret what that means.”

But why did Microsoft choose such a… well, untraditional, method of officially launching their product line and its capabilities? Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg has described the event as “a massive investment for Microsoft. For us, it wasn’t about the money. It was about creating an experience that would be remembered forever.” And that it will do, in spades…

Security has been ultra-tight on this one, and to top it off, it’s an “electronics-free event”. No cameras, no video, nothing. That will supress any hint of what to expect right up ’til showtime, so the impact will be staggering for those lucky enough to get a ticket to the performance. But, more importantly for us not able to fly to LA – and beside the impressions being brought to you by our own man on the ground, Mark – there will also be a special event shown of it on Foxtel here in Australia, showing on Saturday 26th June at 7:30pm AEST. That’s definitely one to write into the diaries (or at least set the recorder for…).

Regardless of what you think of the as-yet-unnamed “Project Natal”, this is certainly a massive event that shouldn’t be missed. Years from now, this will be one of those moments people look back on and ask “do you remember when…”, so make sure you catch the presentation in one form or another.

Let the Electronic Entertainment Expo for 2010 begin!!

Treyarch are trying their hand at making a Call of Duty this year and surprisingly there hasn’t been a lot of hype surrounding it as far as I have seen. From what I can find the game will be set towards the end of the Cold War, which was from 1985-1991. Of course, all will be revealed at E3 but I thought I might get in my two cents about what I want to see in this new installment to the COD franchise.

1. Custom Classes in Campaign

"Imagine doing this with a minigun"

Custom classes have been a huge success in multiplayer part of previous COD games. In Rainbow Six: Vegas 1 and 2, the campaign allowed you to take whatever weapon you wanted and it meant that you could get comfortable with a particular weapon – making the learning curve for the game a lot less steep and a lot more enjoyable. So there is no reason for COD not to follow suit. If I want to sneak into a enemy base with a minigun then I should be able to.

2. Emblem Explanations

In Modern warfare 2 you had an emblem over your gamertag and whenever you did something like complete a challenge or level up you would unlock a new one. At the time you would know what you got it for, but a week, a month, or even a year later you look at the emblem and say, “how did I get that?” My idea is once inside the emblem selection screen that underneath the emblem selected or at the bottom of the screen should be a sentence on how you unlocked it – like when you get achievements there is an explanation on how you obtained it.

3. Prestige Mode

"I love the smell of napalm in the mornin'..."

This seriously needs to be fixed or scrapped in its current form. It was improved in MW2 but not perfect and there is still a lot of work to be done on it. For those not in the know, when you reach level 70 you are given the opportunity to enter “Prestige mode”. What happens is that all weapon attachments you’ve unlocked are relocked, and in order to unlock them again you need to complete the challenges again. Doesn’t seem too bad right? You’ve done it before, you could do it again - well the requirements to complete challenges double and there are no new attachments to gain just the ones you had before. So what’s the trade off? What does one get for having to unlock their hard-earned attachments all over again? Some shiny new emblems and an extra custom class slot. Seriously not worth it in my opinion. Either make prestige mode more worth my time or set it as a separate lobby, kind of like social and ranked game lobby’s in Halo 3. That way all the hardcore players are in one lobby and those of us who just want to have a good time can be in another one.

4. Golden Guns

In the first Modern Warfare game once you had completed all the challenges for a particular weapon type (e.g. completed all challenges for the all assault rifles), you would unlock the golden skin for one of the weapons in that category. It was scrapped in MW2, much to my anger, and it needs to come back in Black Ops but with a few changes. Instead of unlocking it for one weapon by completing the challenges of all the other weapons as well, make it a reward for completing all the challenges for that particular weapon. It would be easier to get (which I think is why it was scrapped for MW2, it was too hard and very few bothered) and it looks super cool. Also have the golden skin for all the weapons and not just one per category. There are those out there who will say that it does nothing for the weapon like unlocking a red dot sight would. This is true but unlocking the other skins did nothing for the weapons performance-wise either yet there are those who spend hours trying to obtain them. Aesthetically it looks good and that’s all there is to it.

5. Character Customization

I suppose this links back to custom classes. If you have a cool weapon you want a cool looking guy to wield it. This may be a bit difficult in multiplayer but in the campaign there is no excuse. You don’t need to change the character’s face or how he expresses himself but you could change his armor and tattoos, like how the Rainbow Six: Vegas series or the upcoming “Alpha Protocol” game handle it. It’s not a new thing to have in a game, and it makes the experience more enjoyable. In fact you could unlock stuff and put it on just for bragging rights like Recon armor in Halo 3. Having armor that changes the performance of how a character moves and how much damage one could take would add a whole extra level of strategy to the game. Having to think about what armor the opponent has and how much ammo you have to defeat them would increase the learning curve but that just means you spend more time practicing then before and ultimately it is not a huge step.

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As always, E3 will reveal all and until then all we can do is just sit back and play MW2. Not a bad way to pass the time if I do say so myself…

OzBoxLive has sent Mark Libman, the head of OzBoxLive over to E3 to see the event himself firsthand. He’ll be tweeting from the OzBoxLive Twitter account through the entire week up there, so if you want to see exaxtly what’s going on from his eyes make sure to follow the account. As Mark’s attended previous E3 conventions, he’s experienced in moving around from booth to booth so status updates should be swift and frequent. Mark is attending all major Microsoft events as well as a majority of the third-party demonstations throughout his stay.

All us folk back home wish we could be there too. Have fun Mark!

Don’t forget the team back here in Australia will be constantly providing articles and predictions in the coming days, so keep your browser set to the website as well our Twitter page for all the information you could possibly want.

OzBoxLive Twitter Account

With E3 just around the corner, all the big companies are announcing a few of their games that will be on show or have news about them in order to build hype for the big event. Capcom so far have announced there will be five games on show for the Xbox 360 so far.

-Bionic Commando Rearmed 2

-Dead Rising 2

-Dead Rising: Case Zero (Xbox 360 Exclusive)

-Marvel VS Capcom 3

-Moto GP 09/10

With new announcements during E3 itself, here’s what I’d like to see announced from Capcom as well as a few more out there franchises. Note some of these have already been announced but I’d still like to see some extra information on them.

Monster Hunter Frontier – Monster Hunter Frontier was released on the PC quite some time ago and there’s been more details about the Xbox 360 port in the last few weeks. Seeing a much larger announcement on this at E3 would be promising. Given the major success of Monster Hunter Tri as well, this wouldn’t be too suprising. Combine this with Peace Walker floating around and it would be the perfect time to cross-promote the two. Given Snake has his own Monster Hunter mode in PSP, they could possibly do the same thing with Lost Planet characters in Frontier and I’d love to see this. They already fight Akrid, why not a Gobul, Rathian, Barroth or Jhen Mohran?

Devil May Cry 5 – I’m a big fan of the harder combo-style games, Bayonetta (bar the odd story) was a fun twitch response action game. Give us the difficulty back of some of the earlier titles and stick with Dante as a playable character, then I’d be happy. Given the first title is now a little aged, seeing a remake or an extension of it would be very pleasing as it’s the one I’ve enjoyed the most over the years. Or maybe they could remake Devil May Cry 2 and just make it well…good.

Resident Evil 6 – There’s been rumours and all kinds of little tidbits to do with this franchise floating around the Internet. Some are saying it’ll be related to the movies, previous statements have been made to say it will be a complete franchise reboot. Let’s see some more information! It’s a little difficult to speculate exactly how they’ll do things right now, they may even decide to remake an older Resident Evil. 2 and 3 are still my favourites and given the craze over remaking recently this actually wouldn’t be all that suprising.

God Hand 2 – Now this was a Playstation 2 title but this announcement would be my favourite of the Expo were it to happen. Given Clover Studio is gone it’s rather unlikely but with Okamiden currently in the works, you never know. Even a decent remake of the first one with 60 frames per second and some extra content would please me, but God Hand isn’t quite old enough to justify that.

Rival Schools 3 – There’s been so many rumours about Rival Schools being revived it does my head in. Although it’s most likely going to stay a dead franchise with Tatsunoko VS Capcom having Batsu as a playable character it does show there was popularity for the series. On the Dreamcast and originally the Playstaion this was quite a popular fighter and one of the earlier to really have the 3D characters fighting on a 2D plain. With the processing power of the Xbox360 Team Up and Party Up attacks would look devestating! Plus with the much larger disk space there would be potential for countless more minigames like the older Japanese versions had.

Who knows what Capcom'll bring out these days?

Power Stone 3 – Power Stone 1 and 2 are cult hits for many people out there. It’s another franchise a restoration is doubtful to but to see Power Stone be brought to the next-gens would be a smart move, especially given the 4 controller support. Even through these are next-gen consoles this is a game that has always been somewhat kiddy in its approach and if it’s made I do hope it stays that way. If this was to be released though it would seem more like an XBLA release due to the way it’s presented. Even Power Stone 2 on XBLA would be great and given the recent announcement by SEGA of Dreamcast titles being shipped to XBLA this wouldn’t suprise me at all.

Street Fighter III: 4th <attacking move> – Now this’ll never happen but I much prefer 3rd Strike over Street Fighter IV. XBLA release, chuck a couple of the SFIV characters in there for kicks, a stack of damage fixes and give Sean back his Shoryuken from Double Impact. Then I’d be able to use my Makoto again without her being so nerfed… 3rd Strike on the other hand I could see being re-released over XBLA with the Dreamcast announcement so I might just have to be happy with that one.

Street Fighter: Sky Stage – If SNK can make a vertical shoot’em up using their King of Fighters franchise characters as playable characters, I don’t see for a moment why Capcom can’t emulate the same thing. Bullet Hells are still popular and relatively easy to make. If we take the City Hunter version of Ken for example, clearly he can fire Hadoukens at the rate that a bullet hell would require. Give him C. Viper flying boots and you’re set! Or just had Bison with Psycho Balls. Alternatively, just had random characters firing giat beams without explanation, whatever works really.

A Lost Planet sports title – Considering other franchises have done weirder, why not a Lost Planet one also? Could be VS Racing, Winteror Summer Olympics given Lost Planet 2 has a more tropical approach. They’re already half way there with the trial system on Lost Planet 2, just flesh that out with some more depth and you have a standard track and field event. Ice Hockey would be a whole new ball game if you could anchor to obstacles, have the Disc Grenade as the ball and attack eachother. It’d be very much a Deathrow 2.

Duck Tales HD – If SEGA are rebooting Sonic with the old 2D approach with 3D graphics, why can’t Capcom do the same with a game that ate up most of my childhood – Duck Tales.

Namco X Capcom (in English) – One can dream, can’t he?

Apparently, Rockstar will be a no show at this year’s E3. Disappointing? For me, very much! Does this mean that we’re going to have to keep speculating on a new Grand Theft Auto? Will there be no gritty bullet-riddled screenings of that grizzled veteran Max Payne? Could it be that we’ll get no new titular sneak-peek reels for murder-mystery L.A. Noire?

What are we going to do!

Sure, they may be resting on their laurels with their latest and greatest, Red Dead Redemption, but surely this doesn’t excuse the studios we know and love from giving us something new and shiny? Perhaps it’s all a ploy – perhaps they will be there! And we’ll get something special… like Max Payne visiting the world of Grand Theft Auto, or maybe a wild west Manhunt? Who knows?

Despite all of that, I find it very interesting that they are a supposed no show to this year’s expo. For a studio who has never really managed a great deal of variety in their offerings, maybe this is a sign of the decline of the mainstay of Rockstar? There are only so many sandbox go-from-point-A-to-point-B-to-find-the-next-mission style games that we can take, and there have been some real show-stoppers in recent times. I’d hate to see oversaturation. Could it be that despite the popularity of the series, Grand Theft Auto is about to die (at least in its current format)? I, for one, am afraid that the tried and true formula may no longer be the bread winner that Rockstar has lived on for so long. The RAGE engine is starting to come into its own now with two major titles under the belt (the bustling GTA IV and the gritty Red Dead Redemption), and I secretly hope that Rockstar are tucked away somewhere with no time to come out to E3 – because they’re too busy thinking up something epic and intense to throw at us that we haven’t seen yet from these masters of open world design.

Of course, this is all my own speculation, and I really have no doubt that the next Grand Theft Auto will blow me away like every one before.

…Realistically, I just want them to do something with Science Fiction!

Come on GTA: Lunar Base Stories!

When Microsoft have something to say about their plans for the future in the gaming industry, they do it with style and in such a way that you are just left if sheer shock. Last year they announced several titles that would be exclusive to the Xbox 360, some amazing new Xbox Live features such as FaceBook and Twitter connectivity, and of course Project Natal. So based on my experience last year I would like to share my own personal “wishful thinking” of announcements that could be made by Microsoft… You just never know what to expect.

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1. Xbox Live Friends List

One issue I have had since the day of the original Xbox is the restriction of having only 100 Friends on your Xbox Live Friends List. Whilst this may sound like a fairly large number the reality is that with well over 20 million Xbox Live players out there this is a real limitation and needs to be resolved. But, more importantly, it must be implemented in such a way that make it easy to organise, group and find your friends. Now that Xbox Live support for the original Xbox has ended perhaps this means that we could see a rather large step forwards in how we communicate and add new friends.

2. Even More FaceBook and Twitter Features

I absolutely love FaceBook and Twitter but one thing the Xbox doesn’t do just that well is sharing with my friends all the things I am doing on the console. Sure, telling them about new Achievements or a New Game I am playing is nice, but I what I really want is to be able to gloat about a win I just had and upload an instant replay, or create screenshots in all my games not just a select few that already offer this. Also it would be nice if the game offered a global FaceBook/Twitter feature similar to the Xbox Live Scoreboards. That way you will be able to find fans of specific games very quickly, communicate with them and add them to your Friends List.

3. Xbox Mobile

Nearly everyone I speak with over Xbox Live likes the idea of having a portable Xbox console. Considering Sony have the PlayStation Portable and Nintendo the DS, this years E3 would be the perfect time to introduce a new way of Xbox gaming other than Natal. The great thing is that we know it’s coming thanks to “Windows Mobile 7″ as there have been screenshots and even YouTube clips of the Xbox Live logo on the main screen. What I want to know is what will I be able to do with this? Seeing my Friends List, Avatar, the Marketplace, etc. would be awesome but thats just not good enough in 2010. All I want is the ability to play ‘Bomberman Live’ on my mobile against my friends on their Xbox… is that really too much to ask for?

4. PC and Xbox Cross-Compatability

When the Xbox 360 was first introduced one of the key selling points was that you could play against your friends regardless of them being on a PC or Xbox console. This was first seen in the game “Shadowrun” – a First Person Shooter designed for the gaming controller as well as mouse-and-keyboard. But since then we have not seen that many titles that offer this kind of support which is a real shame. Hopefully Microsoft will announce several new titles that offer this kind of support and will be available for Xbox and PC upon release.

5. Halo – The Movie

With film directors such as Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and Peter Jackson having actually attended and presented at E3 in the past, it is just a matter of time ’til any one of these guys walk out on stage an officially announce that Halo – The Movie is being made. Only thing is that Spielberg is rumoured to be doing another Jurassic Park, Jimmy C is making Avatar 2 and 3, and finally Mr Jackson will be working on The Hobbit. So that only leaves us with Uwe Bolle… well, we hope not. Either way 2010 could be a very big year for the Halo franchise – and not just because of Halo: Reach.

6. RARE XBLA Games

Microsoft have one of the best game studios in the industry today working for them. RARE Studios have a plethora of game franchise under their belt, yet we have only seen a select few such as the Banjo-Kazooie and Perfect Dark franchises get a new version made. So what about some other titles such as Killer Instinct, Battletoads and of course GoldenEye 007? If these were simply released as XBLA titles with the HD treatment they would sell millions.

7. More 3D Support

Whether you like it or not, 3D gaming is here and it’s making a very big impact. Sony are sure to be pushing a lot of new games like Gran Turismo to be 3D compatible, and Nintendo will be apparently introducing a new 3DS handheld without the user needing to even wear special glasses. So far only “Avatar: The Game” offers a true 3D gaming experience with the new screens and glasses. Even “Batman: Arkham Asylum” (the “Game of the Year” edition) has a 3D mode that will work on any screen you are using. So there obviously is a market for it. The question is: do you really want to play the next Halo, Gears of War, Crackdown, Alan Wake, Forza etc in 3D and have to wear those glasses as well?

8. XNA Games for Aussies

One of the best things about the Xbox 360 if you are a developer is that the console is also a Debug Unit, allowing anyone that is tech savvy enough to actually design a game using XNA Game Studio on a PC, and then sending it to the console to “test”. Once happy with the results they can be sold via the Xbox Live Marketplace, allowing young developers to get noticed and more importantly make real dollars. Unfortunately this service is not available for Australians at all even though there are plenty of Aussie XNA developers, mainly due to classification issues.

9. More Free Games

As the video games industry turns towards digital distribution with games, movies and music all available at the tap of a button, there needs to be a shift in the way consumers purchase there content. One of the most exciting opportunities out there is offering full versions of the product for free… then if you want to add to that experience you can do so digitally. This would be a win-win situation for everyone. Developers/publishers get their content out to much more people than before, and if customers enjoy the title and want to expand on that experience they then purchase extra content. Either way getting something that lasts longer than the usual “demo” would be nice, especially if you are a Gold Member.

10. More Family Friendly

Whilst Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo already develop games for the family market, none of them focus on a very real and fantastic genre… “Edutainment”. These educational games exist usually for the PC and are even used at schools today. Well imagine if the Xbox had real educational games where your children could learn a language, mathematics, history, science etc. Not only would this completely change the perception from parents that gaming “rots your brains” or is a “waste of time”, but it would mean that developers could easily make fun and exciting games that are educational based on their leading franchise characters. I know I would pay more attention if Lara Croft was teaching me about history, Sonic the Hedgehog about geography, or even the Pinátas about mathematics.

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So there you have it… my list of ten things that will most likely never happen at E3 2010. But I will say that I will be pretty happy if I am correct about just one of these things. So what would you like to see announced by Microsoft this year at E3?

Some great specials cropping up next week, listed below. Personal recommendations are Bionic Commando Rearmed, Banjo-Tooie, Geometry Wars 2, and of course Bomberman Live (our beloved CardShark 360′s must-have game!!). Plus all of the “Winter of Arcade” games were included in that special promotion for a reason – they’re damn good!!

Remember – all Xbox Live Arcade games have free demos available, so at the bare minimum they’re worth trying out to see if they’re up your alley.

Deal(s) Of The Week*: (These are all the games that were released as part of the “Winter of Arcade” promotion last August)

• Marvel Vs Capcom 2 – 800 MSpoints (saving 33%)
• Shadow Complex – 800 MSpoints (saving 33%)
• ‘Splosion Man – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• TMNT Turtles In Time HD – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Trials HD – 800 MSpoints (saving 33%)

Plus, as a special offer, from June 16th ’til June 22nd (US time, as per usual) there’s a further 19 games going on sale for ridiculous prices:

• A Kingdom For Keflings – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Alien Hominid HD – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Banjo-Tooie – 800 MSpoints (saving 33%)
• Bionic Commando Rearmed – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Bomberman Live – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Braid – 800 MSpoints (saving 33%)
• Castle Crashers – 800 MSpoints (saving 33%)
• Castlevania: Symphony of the Night – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Contra – 240 MSpoints (saving 40%)
• Crystal Defenders – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Magic: The Gathering – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• N+ – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Panzer General – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Portal – 800 MSpoints (saving 33%)
• TMNT: 1989 Arcade – 240 MSpoints (saving 40%)
• Uno Rush – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgement – 800 MSpoints (saving 33%)
• Zombie Apocalypse – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)

*Note: the “Deal of the Week” promotion is only available to profiles with a Gold Live Subscription.

Games On Demand Releases**:

• 15/6/2010           Lego Batman: The VideoGame
• 15/6/2010           Mercenaries 2: World In Flames

**Note: “Games on Demand” releases vary from region to region, as well as having different prices locally. Prices and scheduling availability will be edited (or removed) as these details are released and whether or not they relate to the Australian Marketplace.

Avatar Marketplace

• 17/6/2010         Adidas, “Soccer Shop” and Mass Effect 2 gear.

(Courtesy of Major Nelson)

Plus, a demo of the multiplayer section of “Transformers: War For Cybertron” is available now for Gold profiles (comes in at 790MB size-wise). Retro-fans rejoice!! I’ll be seein’ you all online…

SEGA has recently announced their plans to begin re-releasing classics from the Dreamcast console onto Xbox Live Arcade later in 2010.

The first two titles announced by SEGA are Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi, with Sonic scheduled to be released this Spring. All titles are expected to have a higher resolution, which is common with most ports as well as surround sound support, leaderboards and achievements. Presumably they’ll be the standard 200 Gamerscore affair but as this is a major announcement it’s certainly possible they may allow a different GamerScore limit, although doubtful.

During E3 there may be a larger release schedule announced so keep an eye on SEGA and what they have to say over the coming weeks.

As it was the Vice President of Digital Business from SEGA America and Europe giving these statements it’s expected these titles will hit the Australian marketplace. No Microsoft Point fee per game has been announced as of yet.

25 cents for this crazy drifting? Learn to tip better!

As an avid Dreamcast fan myself (my favourite console) I’m incredibly excited by this news. Having had my Dreamcast long perish it will be good to play all the classics I came to love on the system such as Rival Schools 2, Sonic Adventure 2, Power Stone 2, Shenmue 1 and 2 as well as the lesser knows like Frame Gride and other bullet hell games. It’s evident now why there hasn’t been Dreamcast collection discs where there have been games like the SEGA Ultimate Mega Drive Collection. Bar the obvious size difference in games it would seem like this is something that has been in the works for quite some time. With luck we may even see some games that weren’t released in PAL territories suddenly appearing in our Marketplace for purchase.

Given the first two announcements it seems it may only be first-party releases for a while. Hopefully with time we’ll begin to see the inclusion of more third-party releases to the schedule.

Source – IGN

Today, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announces Mortal Kombat and unleashes the first Mortal Kombat trailer which showcases the return of 2D gameplay, intense fatalities and legendary warriors.

Please find the press release below along with a link to view the trailer here.

WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES

MORTAL KOMBAT

Brutal Fighting Game Created By Original Game Developer With New Name – NetherRealm Studios
For PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft

Sydney, Australia – June 11, 2010 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announces Mortal Kombat, the most brutal instalment of the landmark fighting game to date for release on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in 2011. Mortal Kombat is being developed by the newly re-named NetherRealm Studios, led by Mortal Kombat creator and creative director Ed Boon.

The newest chapter of the iconic fight franchise marks a triumphant return to the series’ mature presentation and a reinvention of its classic 2D fighting mechanic. Driven by an all new graphics engine, the fan favourite Fatality is back and presented in more gory detail than ever before. In addition, Mortal Kombat introduces a number of new game-play features including tag team and the deepest story mode of any fighting game. Players can choose from an extensive lineup of the game’s iconic warriors and challenge their friends in traditional 1 vs. 1 matches, or take on several new game modes.

“We are bringing the Mortal Kombat franchise back to gamers with the talented NetherRealm Studios team creating the game fans long to play,” said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “Re-establishing the brand with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Mortal Kombat innovates on past games while staying true to the brand’s legendary characters and fighting style.”

“We can’t wait for players to get their hands on Mortal Kombat,” said Ed Boon, Creative Director, NetherRealm Studios. “This game really is a response to what players have been demanding: mature presentation, reinvented 2D fighting mechanic and the best, most gruesome fatalities ever!”

Mortal Kombat introduces a number of new game modes as well as the most extensive online experience ever seen in a fighting game. Up to 4 players can battle “tag-team”- 2 players can team up in the new “Co-op Arcade Mode” or compete against another team online.

For more information about Mortal Kombat, please visit www.themortalkombat.com.

ALL ABOVE INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS FROM A PRESS RELEASE SENT OUT BY WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT AUSTRALIA

Exciting news out of Xbox Australia HQ – Foxtel will be broadcasting Microsoft’s E3 media briefing and a Project Natal special feature via their FOX8 channel. The programs will air live from the press conferences at 3:30am AEST on Tuesday, 15th  June 2010, and then repeated again at 3:30pm AEST for those who missed it first time around. Great for those not wanting to stream the entire thing, so get your Foxtel IQ settings ready for a 3am recording!!

Plus, as an added bonus, the much-touted Cirque de Soleil’s Project Natal demonstration/performance piece will be shown as a Foxtel-exclusive on Saturday, 26th June 2010 at 7:30pm AEST. Another show worth setting the clock for!!

There you go – an instant benefit of the Xbox/Foxtel partnership.

The full press release is below:

Sydney, Australia – June 10^th, 2010 – Xbox Australia today announced the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2010, the world’s largest video game industry trade show, will be delivered LIVE to Australian audiences for the first time on FOXTEL’s FOX8 channel.

Be a part of entertainment history as FOX8 and Microsoft bring you the world premiere of Xbox 360?s future in a special programming event – Xbox 360: The Future Revealed. The program will be delivered live from the Xbox 360 Media Briefing at E3 2010 and includes key game announcements and breaking news from the industry event.

FOX8 will also exclusively take viewers inside the World Premiere of Project Natal for Xbox 360 featuring a customised performance by Cirque du Soleil to discover gaming without the need for a controller. Singer Kelly Rowland will host this special event.

“FOX8 is the perfect partner to exclusively break Xbox 360’s latest news and share Cirque du Soleil’s amazing Project Natal performance,” said David McLean, Head of Entertainment, Entertainment & Devices Division, Microsoft Australia. “We’re really excited about our announcements at E3 2010 and extremely pleased we can share them directly with Australian audiences.”

Xbox 360: The Future Revealed

The Xbox 360 Media Briefing will air live and commercial-free on FOX8 Tuesday, June 15 at 3:30am EST with encore programming on Tuesday, June 15 at 3:30pm EST. Xbox 360: The Future Revealed will bring all the latest news on Project Natal, Xbox LIVE and new game announcements to Australian fans in real time. This will include world premiere demos of upcoming Xbox 360 exclusive games, such as “Halo®: Reach”, “Gears of War® 3” and “Fable® III” revealed to eagerly awaiting fans worldwide.

World Premiere of Project Natal featuring Cirque du Soleil’s exclusive performance hosted by Kelly Rowland

Project Natal is set to change the way entertainment is experienced and to celebrate, Cirque du Soleil has created a tailored production that brings the idea of controller-free gaming to life. The special performance will be available exclusively to FOX8 viewers on Saturday, June 26, at 7:30pm EST.

Source – InsiderX

Deal(s) Of The Week*:

• Worms 2: Armageddon – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Serious Sam HD – 800 MSpoints (saving 33%)
• Peggle – 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Duke Nukem 3D - 400 MSpoints (saving 50%)
• Battlefield 1943 – 800 MSpoints (saving 33%)
• Call Of Duty Classic – 800 MSpoints (saving 33%)

*Note: the “Deal of the Week” promotion is only available to profiles with a Gold Live Subscription.

Xbox Live Arcade Releases:

• 9/6/10           Earthworm Jim HD – 800 MSpoints

Games On Demand Releases**:

• 8/6/10           Red Faction Guerrilla – $29.95
• 8/6/10           Need For Speed Undercover – $49.95

**Note: “Games on Demand” releases vary from region to region, as well as having different prices locally. Prices and scheduling availability will be edited (or removed) as these details are released and whether or not they relate to the Australian Marketplace.

Hey all.

To celebrate the launch of our newly-revamped website, OzBoxLive are holding another Xbox official Community Playdate!!

This time around we’re playing the new release “Blur”, a fast-paced racing game with a frantic, weapons-based twist. The multiplayer is tons of fun and a barrel of laughs, with up to 20 racers playing together in one massive on-road skirmish.

The event starts at 8pm AEST on Friday 25th June, so look out for the following OzBoxLive gamertags on the night:

• CardShark 360
• Linkwick
• Ohverture
• Liddle D Loopy
• Dimorphic

Also, please add the gamertag OzBoxLive – this is only a Silver profile, but we’ll be using it to organise everybody into games on the night. (If that profile’s friends list fills up, feel free to add one of the OzBoxLive team so you can join in on all the action on the night still.)

For more information on our official Xbox Playdate, head either to our website or the Xbox.com Community Playdate page.

Hope to see you all online on the night, and don’t forget to check out our site and social pages for all the latest Aussie Xbox news, reviews and discussions.

OzBoxLive – Australia’s Xbox Waypoint.

Also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) and TT Games are bringing the magic of LEGO® HARRY POTTER™: YEARS 1-4 to consumers with a demo scheduled to be available June 8th for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.  The demo will also be available for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC in late June.  The full game will hit store shelves beginning June 30th in Australia.

Consumers will able to download the demo from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®Network for the PlayStation 3.

The LEGO® HARRY POTTER™: YEARS 1-4 demo will give kids, parents and fans a glimpse into the magic that awaits them with gameplay that allows them to learn and cast spells, as well as explore the Forbidden Forest, one of the many iconic settings in the game.

LEGO® HARRY POTTER™: YEARS 1-4 will give gamers the chance to experience the magic and adventure of the first four Harry Potter stories in a brand new way. Playing as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley™ and Hermione Granger™, as well as more than 150 other favourite characters, fans will have the opportunity to attend lessons, cast spells, mix potions, fly on broomsticks and complete tasks to earn rewards.  Throughout the game, players will also have the freedom to explore iconic settings from the wizarding world including Hogwarts™ castle, Diagon Alley, the Forbidden Forest and the village of Hogsmeade.

For more information, please check out the official LEGO® HARRY POTTER™: YEARS 1-4 website at www.magicisbuilding.com.

ALL ABOVE INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS FROM A PRESS RELEASE SENT OUT BY WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT AUSTRALIA

Fallout: New Vegas – Collector’s Edition Officially confirmed for Australia and New Zealand

June 3, 2010 – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, has confirmed the Fallout®: New Vegas™ collector’s edition (CE) for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and Games for Windows for Australia and New Zealand.

In addition to including the highly anticipated game, this premium version of Fallout: New Vegas also includes the game-inspired items below:

• “Lucky 7” poker chips. Each of the seven poker chips was designed to represent chips from the major casinos found on the New Vegas strip and throughout the Mojave Wasteland.

• A fully customised Fallout: New Vegas deck of cards. Each card in the pack has been uniquely illustrated to depict characters and factions found within the game. Use the cards to play poker, blackjack or Caravan, an original card game that was created by Obsidian especially for Fallout: New Vegas!

• A recreation of the game’s highly coveted “Lucky 38” platinum chip.

• A hardcover graphic novel “All Roads”, that tells the story of some of the characters and events that lead up to Fallout: New Vegas. “All Roads” was written by Chris Avellone, the game’s creative director, and created in conjunction with Dark Horse Comics.

• ‘The Making of Fallout: New Vegas’ DVD. This documentary DVD will contain exclusive video content, including interviews with the developers in which they take you from concept to creation and discuss topics such as story, setting, legacy of the Fallout franchise and more.

“We’re offering this very cool collector’s edition to give fans the opportunity to own some of the items that they’ll discover while playing Fallout: New Vegas,” said Pete Hines, vice president of PR and marketing.  “We are also expanding their experience with the game by including a top-notch graphic novel worthy of the Fallout name and a DVD that gives them a behind-the-scenes look at how the game was created.”

Fallout: New Vegas, the follow-up to Fallout® 3 – the 2008 Game of the Year – brings this beloved franchise locatio to an only Fallout could do justice: Vegas. Fallout: New Vegas takes all the action, humour, and post-apocalyptic grime and grit of this legendary series, and raises the stakes. Published by Bethesda Softworks, Fallout: New Vegas is currently under development at Obsidian Entertainment and is slated for a autumn 2010 release.

The limited collector’s edition is now available for pre-order at participating retailers throughout Australia and New Zealand in the weeks to come.  For more information on Fallout: New Vegas, visit http://fallout.bethsoft.com

ALL ABOVE INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS FROM A PRESS RELEASE SENT OUT BY BETHESDA

The rise of Catalina Thorne revealed in episode 2 of the “Crackdown 2” animated mini series

Sydney, Australia – June 2nd 2010 – The riveting five-part animated miniseries for “Crackdown 2” continues today with the second episode, titled “Evil Seed”. In “Evil Seed”, fans will uncover the mystery that surrounds Catalina Thorne, the origins of the dangerous Freak virus, and how the Cell crippled the Agency to take control of Pacific City. Now’s your chance to peer beneath the surface and discover the secrets of Pacific City and the evil plot to take down the Agency before “Crackdown 2” launches on July 8th, 2010 in Australia.

Written by Ruffian Games Senior Designer Ed Campbell and animated by seasoned comic artist and illustrator Alex Ronald, the vibrant and perilous world of “Crackdown 2” comes to life in this telling miniseries that chronicles the events that have transpired between the Xbox 360 smash hit “Crackdown” and the highly anticipated sequel, “Crackdown 2”.

The first “Crackdown” took place in Pacific City, where the Agency and its genetically enhanced soldiers known as Agents were contracted to rid the city of three powerful crime syndicates. The saga continues 10 years later in “Crackdown 2”, with new enemies called the Cell, led by Catalina Thorne, and the Freaks, who are genetically mutated civilians ravaging the city. Players return as Agents in “Crackdown 2” to once again bring peace to Pacific City by any means necessary.

The animated miniseries will be viewable in five parts, with the conclusion of the series airing on June 21st, 2010. Stay tuned for each episode of the “Crackdown 2” miniseries at YouTube.com/machinima <http://www.youtube.com/user/machinima> :

Episode                                                                                                           Airing Start Date

Episode 2                                                                                                        May 28, 2010

Episode 3                                                                                                        June 4, 2010

Episode 4                                                                                                        June 11, 2010

Episode 5                                                                                                        June 21, 2010

“Crackdown 2” is available exclusively on Xbox 360 on July 8th in Australia, but fans can prepare for the action early by pre-ordering now.

ALL ABOVE INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS FROM A PRESS RELEASE SENT OUT BY MICROSOFT

CALL OF DUTY®: MODERN WARFARE® 2 SOUNDTRACK NOW AVAILABLE

Sydney, AUSTRALIA. June 2nd 2010 – Starting today fans can get their hands on the soundtrack to Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 featuring the music of legendary, Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer.  The 17-track score from the mega blockbuster, which has become the biggest entertainment launch in history, includes an original score by Lorne Balfe with the main theme and executive music production by Zimmer.

The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 soundtrack, which is part of a larger overall digital distribution deal between Activision Publishing, Inc. <http://www.activision.com/>  (Nasdaq: ATVI) and Fontana, the award-winning independent sales, marketing and distribution division of Universal Music Group, will be the first among many others to be made available online.  The entire soundtrack can be purchased for a retail price of $20.99 or $1.69 per track.

Hans Zimmer, one of the most respected film composers, has won numerous awards and honours for his scores in such films as Gladiator, Rain Man, The Dark Knight, The Last Samurai and The Thin Red Line among others.  With over 100 film scores to his credit, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 represents Zimmer’s video game debut.

ALL ABOVE INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS FROM A PRESS RELEASE SENT OUT BY ACTIVISION

It has been a long road and a lot of hard work but OzBoxLive is officially LIVE! As of June 1st, 2010 we will be dedicated to bringing you the latest gaming news, previews, reviews and more with an Aussie twist! What you will find is the news you need to hear, the latest on the games you want to play and the competitions that you want to win all rolled into one easy to use website run by some of the most dedicated gamers down under.

In the coming weeks and months there will be a bucket load of new content ranging from the aforementioned competitions to forums, community Xbox Live playdates (both official Microsoft ones and purely OzBoxLive run ones) as well as the rich feature articles that tackle gaming issues in ways you haven’t seen before on a gaming site.

Not only that but we will have a 100% Australian Xbox 360 dedicated podcast up and running very soon, picking up where we left off at the end of 2007. Interviews with local gamers, industry insiders, developers, publishers and more. And if you ever have any suggestions we take every piece of correspondence we get, good or bad on board. We are striving to make this website a place for gamers, shape the site in the way you want it and deliver to you the content you are interested in.

We are glad to have everyone aboard and hope to make this journey a special one, OzBoxLive is a go and a change in online gaming journalism is a foot!

It’s that exciting time again and four years have passed since our last visit to Germany in 2006 for the last World Cup. The largest sporting event is back now set in South Africa which has 199 national soccer teams competing all for glory. With 10 official Fifa World Cup stadiums to play on, this authentic game will give you the choice to start from the beginning of qualifier’s  right to the end of  World Cup Final’s. This exclusive title by EA gives you the chance to rewrite your own history and make your dreams of World Cup success as close to reality with exciting and fun to play soccer.

Goalies use special helium shoes to reach up high

The game itself is smooth flowing and quite a treat to play. Whilst playing in a match it feel’s very much as you are placed under the same conditions as your soccer heroes, as you face the same conditions as they will in real time action. Your journey begins in the group stage then through to the knockout round’s as you will compete right to the end for the Golden Cup. You have the choice of playing in two main modes, tournament mode or going into qualifying mode in which the games will be updated according to the same match’s played during the tournament. Another addition to the gameplay is ‘Captain Your Nation’ mode as you are placed as a professional player chosen out of the many or created into a nation of your choice. You are then sent out to play friendly games as your player gains experience leading towards the upcoming months for the World Cup. With every win come reward’s in which you can earn individual and team points to prove your nation is the best in the world.

The Visual quality within the game is another gold mine you will appreciate with full high definition graphics and cinematic cut scenes. From even the beginning as you access the games unique style menu, which glistens in your eyes. The visual detail whilst playing the game reward’s you with more eye candy as your team runs out in front of thousands of screaming fans all wearing their nations jerseys. Streamers are also falling in mid air as the players run onto the field adding to the atmosphere coming from the highly detailed stadiums, which are modeled to look like the exact same ones standing in South Africa. The detail of players has improved vastly as each of your players seem to come to life in your very own television sets with highly detailed faces added to your player as there is a close up shot of him as he celebrates scoring a goal in front of screaming fans.

It’s a shame all that toilet paper was wasted

Hearing the roar of the crowd as they chant to your countries anthem is nothing more than clarity you can only find sitting in the stadium next to thousands of fans. The commentary has never sounded so precise with possibly an update from the actual real life tournament. The sounds on the field are just as crisp with sound effects added to even the smallest detail as the ball skims across the back of the net and the thud you can hear as the ball hits the goal posts.

If you’ve mastered playing in the highest difficulty you can then take it up playing with or against your buddies. You also have the option of playing in co-op set for 1-4 players. With a new addition of playing the new 2010 Fifa World Cup Online tournament you get to compete with one of your chosen nations as you experience playing through the group stages followed by the knockout rounds right to the World Cup Final’s. This extra feature can also earn you individual and team points as you prove to everybody on the Xbox Live leader boards that your nation is the best. Training can also help you gain that bit of extra experience you may be lacking in the beginning, with numerous practice modes such as penalty shootout’s, setting up set pieces and practice match’s. Team management is also an extra addition to the game with the choice of editing your formations, custom tactics, quick tactics and even player roles. The game sets you right up in world cup fever with story of qualifying which will update you on events that actually take place in June that you get to play. Another nice feature is story of the finals with the commencement of the tournament new scenarios based on matches are created and downloadable for you to play and enjoy.

Player’s get to strut their stuff

2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa is a title worth buying for not only soccer fans but for all looking to relive the experience of soccer fever to come in June. This game definitely stands on its own even with Electronic Art’s having released Fifa 2010 earlier during the year. The extra detail focused on setting you up in the atmosphere of the World Cup with high definition graphics, sound and extra features have you constantly reminded that you are competing for the best tournament in the world. A few set backs though do happen to rarely bring you frustrated with lag time by player’s on your side along with some slow loading times. Extra customization would have been the cherry on the cake but overall this game is absolutely brilliant and definitely earns its spot as one of the best sport titles released this year.

2010 Fifa World Cup: South Africa – Game Detail Page

Perfect Dark. It’s been a long time coming, almost 10 years in fact since the game was first released to a salivating public in mid-2000. And for those coming to the realization that Rare’s other gem GoldenEye won’t be seen on a Marketplace any time soon (if at all… *sob*) this is the next best thing. Throw in a great price tag of the “standard” Arcade game price of 800 MSpoints and it’s certainly well worth the trip down Nostalgia Lane.

For those who’ve played through the original, you’ll know what to expect. But for the uninitiated, Perfect Dark’s a first-person shooter set in the not-to-distant future. In a case of capitalism gone extreme, mega corporations are able to act outside the law and some even raise private armies. As an agent of one of those companies, Joanna Dark is tasked with investigating a distress call originating from a rival corporation, dataDyne.

The plot is certainly in-depth and captivating, and full of plot twists too. A vast range of environments are explored, and depending on the difficulty you play at determines how much more of the interlaced activities you come across. In that moreso than anything else, this game is a spiritual successor of the classic GoldenEye, ramping up the difficulty isn’t just about increasing enemies‚ health or dropping your own, there’s actually a number of extra objectives and areas that you’ll encounter that aren’t on the “easy” difficulty. Each degree is almost a new campaign in itself.

Joanna Dark = Very Nice... and she has a sister!

Having said all that, the game does translate quite well to the Xbox 360. The controls are just as tight and responsive as they ever were, and despite the extra joystick and slight layout change from the N64 controller the assignment of controls still feels natural. Not content with a straight port, 4J Studios (who did the port on Rare’s behalf) have given the graphics a vigorous recoat. The blockiness of 5th generation console graphics (the 360 is the 7th generation) has been smoothed out a great deal and a lot of extra detail worked in. Lighting effects (quite a big deal back in the day) still looks good on the modern machine and in some parts are quite impressive, despite being a standard area dwelled upon in most games these days. At times the sound effects can be a little bit muffled or sound dated, but for the most part it stands the test of time capably, even the vocal soundtrack for the characters.

There’s a mass of content included in this title. Beside the campaign (available as single, co-op and the highly-inventive counter-op modes (one person plays as the enemies and tries to stop the other player completing the level), there’s also a multiplayer side with all the usual modes that‚Äôs playable with a mixture of gamers locally and via Xbox Live. Also add to that extra side-missions of Challenges (multiplayer gaming solo or with others against pre-set objectives and opponents), and a shooting range to conquer and you’ll have invested hours of playtime before you know it.

Anyone recognize this level... that's right!

The best aspect of the multiplayer mode? Beside the sheer level of customization is the feature of Bots remaining intact!! That’s right – no need to abandon multiplayer simply ‘cos you’re on your own anymore. Any number of the 7 extra slots available in multiplayer games can be filled by Bots, and for them not only their “difficulty” can be changed, but also their “Attitude‚” Pacifist, suicidal, run-and-gun, hand-to-hand combatant and many more. There’s an absolute abundance of ways of tweaking them to your heart’s desire. And due to the integrated Live functionality, now all 8 of the multiplayer slots can be taken up by actual players too!! Obviously at least half will have to be via online, but it does still support up to 4 player local gameplay as an option when playing that too.

For those that played the original on the N64, it’s a great trip down memory lane without the “hangover” of comparing what was a great-looking game back then to the sorts of things available now. All aspects of it hold up well. But those that have never played it may well end up asking what all the fuss is about? yes, it‚’s a solid game but is hardly a massive stand-out from the plethora of shoot-em ups available now.

The downfalls are few and far between, but a couple have still crept in. For whatever reason, the multiplayer side of things does need a better online set-up. You can hop into the equivalent of a “ranked” (i.e. random) match easily enough, but in order to play with friends you pretty much need to create a full party yourself by mixing a combination of local players and/or inviting friends purely off your friends list over Live, frustrating if you just want only to play with a couple of people you know but want the rest of the spots to fill up with random gamers. And the other point, strangely enough, is that a lack of lip-syncing for the real-time cutscenes can seem a little odd compared to the technology employed of late. It’s a little off-putting to see a couple of people bobble their heads in full conversation with no facial change whatsoever, but that’s just something that us as gamers have been spoilt with expecting of late.

Look at the Serenity... Love the Serenity

All in all, for ex-N64 gamers it’s a must-buy. If you don’t fall into that category, it is well worth a look by all shapes and measures, but the reminiscing factor that will sell a lot of copies will be missing. But in terms of longevity, value and sheer fun, you’ll find all of these in spades. Highly recommended to all, regardless of your experience (or lack of) with the original iteration!!

Perfect Dark XBLA – Game Detail Page

Last week was the Freestyle: Masters of hiphop national finals which was the concluding event for national youth week 2010. It was held at Shed 4 in the Docklands, Melbourne. If you don’t know where Shed 4 is you are not alone. Because that part of Docklands is mostly still under construction it can get very confusing, however the locals are a friendly bunch and were happy to give directions.

So after wandering the concrete tundra I found Shed 4, it’s massive! The whole place is an old warehouse that with some work had been converted into two rooms. The first room you see is the main stage which later on in the night was booming with DJs and Hip-hoppers (Hip-hoppers? Is that a word?) along with a large mat in front of the stage for people to spin on their heads… breakdancing.

In the second room was where the main action was. Us folk at OzBoxLive understand that loud music and head spinning can take its toll, so why not relax to the blast of an assault rifle. It was all about Halo 3: ODST FireFight with a huge blow-up projector screen and speakers that could only be described as loud. Plus if you saw the DJs and said “How hard could it be?” you could come down and get into some DJ Hero. Just a quick side note: I only started playing DJ Hero that day for the first time and was able to play on medium quite well by the end of the night it’s that easy to get into and awesome. Along with OzBoxLive there was a very impressive food court. The only food outlet there worth mentioning was the Argentinean BBQ. The difference between a Argentinean BBQ and any other is the way the meat is cut which is then put on a slow cook and served in a hot dog roll with a sauce of garlic, oregano, parsley and some other yummy stuff, It was simply divine. Of course if you got bored of Halo 3: ODST (I don’t know how) directly behind was these martial arts guys (I’m using technical terms of course) with what looked like bamboo sticks and so much armor they could give an ODST a run for his money! The guys where a blur of armor and bamboo as they attacked each other and I didn’t know who was winning and who was losing but what I do know is that it was cool.

The hiphop guys were really good with the hipping and the hopping as well as lots of head spinning and leg-kicking. The music played was one would presume to be hiphop music, Of course if you haven’t noticed by now I don’t know the first thing about hip hop. I did recognize one of the songs which was the Gorillaz only hit, Feel Good inc. There was a hiphop competition but I couldn’t get a hold of the winners to find out their names but do I know they were the guys in big baggy t-shirts, jean shorts and basketball shoes so congratulations to those guys!

Overall the event was really good and I can’t wait for next years one. The OzBoxLive team had a blast playing Halo, DJ Hero and watching Halo Legends. Maybe I’ll hit the books and brush up on hiphop music for next year!

Check out the official Freestyle Masters site HERE

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Sam Fisher may have grown older but that is just one of many things that are new and improved about our faithful hero in Splinter Cell: Conviction. The law is no longer compulsory in our quest for revenge and that makes the experience all the more rich. Splinter Cell: Conviction is bloody awesome.

This game is not like the previous games in the series, it is an entirely new kind of beast. One that feeds Fishers anger, his obsession with revenge and in turns allows us to do everything we always wanted to in previous Splinter Cell titles but couldn’t due to Third Echelon and their “rules”. You see, Sam has lost everything. His daughter is dead, his country has turned its back on him, his best friend killed by his own very hands in the name of the mission and the organisation he dedicated his life too has betrayed him. It is this very capitulation of his life that has led Sam to his current path of revenge. What else is there to focus on if everything has been torn away from you?

Projective Text is Amazing

Upon booting up Conviction the first thing I noticed is how sleek the interface is. After more than one delay and a massive shift in gameplay focus, the game has come out the other end with shining colours. Everything is stylish, from the way the objectives are painted across the in game scenery to the vicious takedowns Fisher implements on his many victims, Splinter Cell: Conviction is all about the style points. It is a good thing then that the actual gameplay developed around the ideal fits perfectly. Conviction implements a very new kind of stealth action, one that revolves less around hiding bodies, covering tracks and moving slowly to all-out guerrilla tactics, popping out of the shadows for the split second to takedown the patrolling guard with a neck snap or silenced shot to the face.

All of this is aided by the new mark and execute system and the last known position indicator. See this time around we don’t have to be silent, just deadly and we can use that aspect to our advantage. Give away your position to the guards and a silhouette of Fisher will appear where you were seen allowing you to see the guards focal point and allowing you to flank them and take them out while their backs are turned. It’s a fundamental gameplay element and it changes up the everything. It opens up new ways to approach any given situation and works so well. Mark and execute created a bit of a stir when it was announced. Essentially a button allowing you to perform an insta-kill sounded a bit (well more than a bit) over-powered but when it comes to the actual implementation I am surprised to say that it works. To actually gain the ability to mark and execute you must first perform a takedown move, by sneaking up on an unsuspecting enemy and pressing “B”. After which you are awarded a mark and execute move. Mark targets by painting them with “RB” and then press “Y” to take them out in a display showing off Fishers prowess and years on the job.

97... 98... 99.... 100. Now can I please use the dunny?

These new elements are a fantastic addition to the series and help make Conviction feel all the more refreshing. The regular light shooting, wall scaling antics of course are here as well, and spatial awareness helps in most situations but knowing that you are more of a predator this time around is an awesome feeling. As I said before, everything about Conviction is stylish. And brutal. Oh so brutal. Nothing more so than the interrogation scenes. It is in these scenes that the anger that is Sam Fisher is unleashed. The areas are damage specific and you will be smashing heads through walls, toilets, pianos, desks and anything else around in an effort to “extract” the information needed. They are so much fun, and helps pull you into the story and Ubisoft are crafting.

Speaking of that story, I personally love it. It isn’t that in-depth and a lot of the new characters aren’t fleshed out as well as they could be, but this is Sam’s story and in that regard it’s excellent. I was drawn in the entire time, and what starts out purely as revenge soon evolves into something more, which I won’t spoil for you here. That being said I do have some problems with the way the story is told. The flashback mechanic feels a bit all over the place and on more than one occasion had me a little confused as to what was exactly happening. And there is an Iraqi run and gun mission thrown in at the start of the game that is just so stupidly out of place it had me crying for it to end.

The campaign will take around 8-10 hours depending on player skill and after that there is a plethora of multiplayer options to partake in. Unfortunately no Spies vs. Mercs mode, but what is here is an excellent offering. First off the block is the co-op campaign. Set as a prequel story to Conviction it sees you taking control of one of two Splinter Cell agents. The co-op mode is more based around traditional stealth elements like the earlier games in the series and is a nice break up to the more action focus of the main storyline. The story itself is good but nothing I can really talk about here. I don’t want to spoil anything and it is hard not too when talking about it. After co-op is done with (and it’ll take around six hours) you’ve got the “Deniable Ops” mode which sees two players work together in a variety of game types. Working together to execute enemies, create distractions, and draw enemy fire is amazing fun, and should help bolster the somewhat short campaign and provide as much replayability as gamers need. There are a number of game modes, including a versus stage where players do battle amidst waves of enemies ala Firefight and Horde.

When it comes down to it I loved Splinter Cell: Conviction. I have always been a massive fan of the series and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the rather big gameplay shift has paid off. Everything about the game screams for me to love it, and love it I do. The game has a very modernised, stylistic feel too it and is the first game I’ve played for a while that fully feels next-generation. Not that it couldn’t have been made on previous consoles (but with all the hits it would take from the inferior hardware) but there is next-gen thinking here. Multiple ways to approach a situation, a complete reinvention of a formula, a new way to look at in game direction and presentation. I really loved Conviction and I implore you all to pick it up. It’s been a while since I’ve been so thoroughly impressed with a game in all aspects.

Splinter Cell: Conviction – Game Detail Page

It seems these days, the J in JRPG stands for Jaded. Well, 2010 is a good year for you – Squeenix have been tinkering with the traditional Final Fantasy formula to appeal to a wider audience, and now Tri-Ace have taken their turn and the result is an amazing achievement that deserves your attention, no matter how jaded you are.

Yeah ok, the premise is familiar. Thanks to environmental havoc on earth, it’s no longer inhabitable, and humanity is at the brink of extinction. Shame on you! You should have used rechargeable batteries in your controller. Meanwhile, those that survived have built a huge clockwork tower called Basel, capable of housing the remaining humans, purifying the conditions for the inhabitants, and also cleaning up the earth. Pretty efficient really, except that of course it’s all falling apart. Things are breaking down, energy sources are dwindling and entire sections of the tower are unusable. Add to that a top-heavy hierarchy (literally, in this case), and the evolution of monsters, and you have a setting worthy of almost any RPG.

The Tower of Basel

Life is reasonably simple. You have the upper class at the top of the tower, pontificating and ruling, the lower class at the bottom, suffering. The middle class has given rise to hunter groups, who do all the running around for pretty much everyone. Your team, as members of the middle class, do all the work (naturally). You control a trio of characters who seem to be standard RPG fare on first glance: Vashyron – the macho confident leader with a mild chauvinist bent, Zephyr – the younger man with a sometimes angst-y view of the world, and Leanne (Reanbell in the Japanese version) – the kooky female character with deep secrets that you just KNOW are going to be responsible for destroying something major during the game. You’ll find though that your team are anything but the stereotypes they first appear to be. They’re actually quite likeable from the start, and as an oddball group you can really feel the chemistry and interaction between them, and it’s quite believable and charming. The people in your world all have their own interesting quirks too.

So this is your lot – running around doing seemingly unconnected jobs for the residents of Basel to make ends meet. It’s the usual “Go here, find this, kill that, deliver this” quest structure, but the missions are eclectic and varied, so it rarely gets boring.

Even the world map is a Puzzle.

Only a small section of the tower is accessible to begin with – the tower’s 12 floors are each laid out in a hex-grid pattern, and you have to unlock them in a puzzle-cum-Tetris mechanic by finding or earning correct shapes and colours of energy hexes. It’s their way of stopping you from reaching areas of the game ahead of schedule, and it’s more fun and effective than just an invisible wall or a broken bridge, instead turning it into a game mechanic. However much fun it is, the setting, the characters, and even the story, all take a back seat to the real star of this game – the combat.

I’ll try and explain it as best I can – it’s ridiculously complicated to think about, but it works very intuitively when you’re actually playing. Firstly, everything is guns and grenades – this game is serious gun porn, and the number of upgrades and customisations you can find and purchase for your weapons are insane. You control your three heroes in real time, but can also queue up waypoint-runs (charges) through the battlefield, during which you can pick your targets, and attack or perform “hero moves”. Using these charge moves will cost you a hero point, shown as gems at the bottom of the screen.

There is strategy in these Charges – staying low will enable you to target specific parts of the enemy, or launch them into the air, which gives you a chance to trigger a “bonus shot” mechanic, or even jump over them in mid-air and “smack down” the enemy back to the ground, which earns you more items. Jumping over them on the ground will let you attack all parts of their body at once, which can get past some of their defenses. This is a must with one enemy that has an explosive barrel on its back – blow up the barrel early with a well-timed jump and it becomes much less of a threat, as well as causing splash damage to the enemies around it. However, item boxes or a badly placed hero nearby will also cop the explosion – there’s even an achievement for accidentally causing an explosion that hurts one of your group!

The blue bar (top left) is scratch damage, not permanent, but one shot from a direct weapon will finish him off.

Your damage can either be grenade-based, scratch damage (machine guns) or direct damage (handguns). Scratch damage is only temporary damage, it recovers, but it also weakens the enemy. Follow it with direct damage to make the scratch-damage permanent – if you’ve witnessed the Final Fantasy 13 combat mechanic of using spells for fast damage, and commando attacks for lasting damage, it’s just like that. But where FF13 uses that and role-changing to completely define battle tactics, in Resonance of Fate it’s merely the starting point.

If your waypoint run passes between your comrades, you earn a resonance point – cue up 3 or more of these in a row and you can launch a “Tri-attack”, running in a triangle formed by your characters. Plan this well, with a few enemies inside the triangle, and use the scratch-then-direct mechanic to your advantage and you‚Äôll create a sliding, whirling, jumping dance of death around you. And it will look GOOD. The scratch damage mechanic affects you too, and if your character loses all their scratch damage, you lose a hero gem. These recharge in a few ways, including damaging or defeating enemies. Lose all of them though, and you enter a critical condition where you do less damage, and are so scared you can barely run. If you end up in this mode and you have more than one enemy left with full health, you can just about kiss any chance of victory goodbye.

You win your battles by defeating all the enemies, although some groups will have one or more “Leaders” who, if you defeat them, defeats everyone. They can be harder to kill though, so it becomes another consideration for your tactics. Losing is easy – there no such thing as resurrection in this game. If one of your three characters dies during battle, it’s game over. No “phoenix down” here. Add environmental concerns such as explosive barrels, and walls and platforms you can use for cover and elevation, and elemental weaknesses and resistances for all your enemies, and you have a massive toolset of strategy and a deeply complex combat system.

Two hero points left - do I use one to charge or save them for finishing enemies?

And you will need all of these tools, and a great deal of cunning to get past this game. The battles are punishing – there’s no easy way to win in any case, no cheesy tactics. The game never cheats either, but you will lose, and lose often. The tutorial, which isn’t forced on you but you have to go and discover, only scratches the bare mechanics of battle – it would have been good to see it fleshed out with some basic tactics. At least you can retry any battle for a small amount of your hard earned Rubies (the game’s currency), so you can retry with new tactics as often as you can afford, which is probably the best way to learn in this game, alongside a gaming arena which lets you practice your battle tactics without fear of a Game Over, and will help you level your characters and earn you money and items. Don’t worry; I haven’t spoiled the combat for you. Knowing all of this is the only way to begin truly playing the game; I just wish I’d had all this more clearly explained to ME before I’d started.

Overall, the combat is spectacularly stylish – your characters will run and jump, flip, perform multiple mid-air attacks with ease, and land like cats; it’s a rush to play, and feels like being in The Matrix, but directed by John Woo. Anyway, let’s move on. Graphically, I’m going to be controversial – I’ve seen lots of negative press on the graphics, but I loved the way it looked and felt. When I started, I thought they’d used 3-D models on pre-rendered screens… until I moved my character and the entire world moved with the camera. Most impressive – there is a “grainy” feel to the textures that, combined with newer graphics techniques, makes the world feel more believable – things are moving, people are going about their day. It’s technological, industrial and clockwork, but it still feels alive. It reminds me of the game Anachronox – if you don’t remember it go and check it out, it’s one of the best games no-one played.

The audio, to my ears, is perfect because I didn’t notice it. The background sounds of the various locations around Basel are subtle and beautifully integrated; they really help bring the world to life. The music doesn’t get in the way but accentuates the action perfectly, especially when you want to feel like a badass, and I have to admit I’ve been listening to the soundtrack on my PMP a fair bit. They’ve also seen fit to include both English and Japanese dialogue, with optional subtitles – I wish more Japanese games would do this. Oh, one other point of interest – I’ve never seen an RPG offer so much customisation of your character – you can change their clothes their hair colour, even the colour of their eyes through dye kits and so on that you can either purchase, or randomly find by defeating what I assume are the more fashion-conscious enemies. It all affects the in-game models, and some of the outfits are beautifully detailed.

"How Cool am I"

The combat is fantastic and deep and never gets old, the characters are fun and believable thanks to stellar voice acting, and the audio is seamlessly integrated and complimentary. That said it has a steep learning curve. The tutorials will help you with basic functions, but really should have been fleshed-out more. Also, the “dungeons” rarely stray from the same linear setup, a few deviations for treasure but mostly a straight run.

Tri-Ace have done something interesting here – created a JRPG that feels decidedly less “J”, with generous helpings of style, humour and emotion. Sure, there is Japanese sensibility to the design and the story, but the grind, which is still in there sometimes, just doesn’t get old – it’s seriously fun. You will feel like a badass in a Hong Kong Gun-Fu movie. And every time you beat a particularly tricky group of enemies, you’ll feel like you’ve earned it. Okay, so the battle environments and dungeons get a bit “samey” but you’ll be having so much fun, you just won’t care.

Resonance Of Fate – Game Detail Page

Hey all.

We’ve got a Playdate organised to celebrate the long-awaited release of the Rare classic – Perfect Dark. This is running on Friday 30th April from 8pm (AEST). To join in on the action it’s as simple as adding at least one of the following OzBoxLive members as a Live friend:

• CardShark 360
• Dabura911
• DarkYoshii
• Dimorphic
• Vegemite 98

As Perfect Dark’s matchmaking system is a little different from your “usual” ones (Halo, Call Of Duty and the like), you’ll need to make sure you add one of these OzBox members to make sure you’re invited into our game rooms. It also may be a good idea to shoot off a brief message as well to remind the member(s) that you’re looking to join in the Playdate.

For more information have a look at the official Xbox.com Community page, or at our Facebook event page.

Hope to see you all there!!

This is kinda like Mighty Morphin Power Rangers only with more Awesomeness

One thing’s for sure, last thing Dynasty Warriors really needed was superpowers of a sort. That said, given the fact you KO thousands of troops in anyone level by yourself though it’s not all that unrealistic.

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce was released by Omega Force and published by Koei over a year ago on the PSP. Since it’s port to the Xbox 360 it really has given a nice reboot to the franchise in many areas. The story as it’s Dynasty Warriors really remains much the same, adding a few other touches towards the end with cameo characters. The story element however has been removed even further for place of things such as side missions.

The game itself has many new welcome features, the main one being you now have a central hub where you can increase weapon strength, buy in-battle items to use, exchange components and most importantly obtain quests. Sub quests give you the change to earn other items or perhaps have a little fun unrelated to the storyline, much like Dream Mode in other Dynasty Warriors games. Prime examples are leveling characters up in weapon experience and actual stats themselves, giving a sort of grind element to the game. You can equip each limb with a ‘Chi’ as well granting additional resistances or skills to match your playing style as well as change the style of your weapon to focus on damage or speed.

The Fish was thiiiiiiis big... Honest.

Additionally, being able to craft weapons using spoils and components you found on the battlefield is a really nice touch as it makes you revisit certain stages if you want to obtain specific parts or if you want to upgrade the stores to buy the parts from. Also, as there are challenges to the many quests you’ll get it gives you more to actually accomplish in the levels to obtain those few extra items. Sub weapons are another new feature, allowing you to change move sets in the middle of combos of to suit a situation, which I found perfect for juggling enemies. Bosses are a lot harder too, requiring you to fight them multiple times or very large monsters depending on the mission. That said the game itself really has lost that KO’ing mob mentality on favour of these single one-on-one boss fights. With ‘Awakenings’ you basically become superhuman and power-up, giving you the ability to jump and dash further and multiple times. This seems like fun however as you’re able to lock onto specific enemies it removes a lot of the challenge and simply becomes a officer assassination fest where you juggle them in the air for a minute. It really feels like Omega Force added so much to the game yet changed the core gameplay that people buy it for.

How did James Cameron's IKRAN's get into this Game?

Graphically the game is much the same. Looks better than the PSP version of course but nothing spectacular stands out. Characters have had decent work on them done, especially in their Awakening forms. Level design feels a little flawed, especially as it’s in small blocks. Naturally as the PSP version wanted people to play in small timeframes this isn’t too surprising, but the fact slowdown occurs even in these small areas is concerning. Doesn’t really detract from the game experience though. The usual clean, wailing guitars return to the Dynasty Warriors franchise, honestly a game wouldn’t be complete without them as well as the tacky voice acting to go with it. It’s improved over the years however it’ll most likely always stay the same, near amateur level.

Multiplayer is a very welcome feature to this game, allowing you to play with three others to take on missions. In single player you can have three AI fight with you and in a lot of missions the extra helpers really are required however playing online was a brilliant experience, simply as human players know what to attack and what to do. AI can be issued simple commands but can still get in the way. Having the Xbox Live feature is extremely welcomed, and certainly gives the game a lot more replayability. DLC in forms of quests are also available to lengthen the gameplay.

So this is where Lady Gaga comes up with her Fashion wardrobe

Ultimately, Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce is a very big reboot to the franchise. Old players will welcome all the new features yet should be warned it is very different to other Warriors games, perhaps too different. New players to the franchise would be advised to perhaps try a different game in the series, such as “Warriors Orochi 2″ or “Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2″ to get a feel for the franchise before perhaps purchasing this title.

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce adds so many new and wonderful features to the franchise, however with the core gameplay changing too much also it really falls short of some of the other, more solid Warriors games out there. Definitely worth trying though. Here’s hoping Strikeforce 2 (Which has been announced) fixes a few core gameplay issues.

DW : Strikeforce – Game Detail Page

Well you’re in luck fella cause it’s here finally on the sweet year of 2010 18th of march and your story will be told. Because this game was made not too long ago by the all known Publisher THQ and Developer 4A Games there is some expectations on this game and the game practically delivers on almost everything without trouble but there is some small minor things wrong with it.

The story pretty much runs like this… In Moscow Antyom and 40 thousand other people are survivors of a nuclear war above the surface, the land has become so damaged from it no NORMAL form of life can live above the surface so the survivors took shelter in the Moscow Metro stations which has been there home for 20 years. Eventually though a good friend known as Hunter returns from exploring the outside world and both of you find out that there is a new threat on the loose, Hunter asks you “If I don’t make it back it is up to you to make it to Polis station, Don’t let me down.” And from here the story starts to unfold but I won’t say anymore in risk of saying spoilers.

The attention to detail is fantastic

The type of Genre this game definitely fits into is a Horror FPS sort of like Bioshock. I played most of the game with the lights off because that’s how this type of game works. A lot of this game is played in dark dank places too so this helps set the mood as well (I did find the small cramped places annoying from time to time but meh it won’t ruin the experience). I also played it on hard and well it can be VERY hard sometimes or pretty half half from time to time. The main thing you will be doing is Killing Mutants and enemy soldiers but you will also find yourself scrounging for Ammo, Air Cans to be able to walk round the surface, guns even throwing knifes! The game also has different ways of playing too, you can either go in guns blazing or just take your time killing them off bit by bit. This is probably not a game you could just pick up and play, I was very confused and died because of really silly things like forgetting which button does what, but don’t worry you just need a little practice and yes you will be able to just pop it in and play whenever you want with no trouble.

I think I'm gonna need some help

The way the game looks stands out from normal games, you are usually shrouded by darkness so everything is very dark and creepy but now and again when you can see things in the light it looks pretty decent. Even when you are damaged or your Gasmask is cracked it looks awesome. The way they can make things look all realistic in the light and dark makes it pretty good in the graphics area. I have seen this done before but I think Metro does it the best. There isn’t really that much music in the actual game, you may walk past some stereo players which play quiet but catchy music and you may sometimes here some stuff creep in but not all of the time, this is understandable because if there is music playing it is harder to make it more realistic and therefore harder to scare you. However it makes up for this for having some really nice menu and ending music, it’s so good I want the songs on my mobile no joke. The actual sounds though are pretty good it scares and makes me jump now and again when I hear bullets flying or some ugly mutants munching on me.

Are you talkin to me? I says are you talkin to me?

here were a few key features lacking in this game. For one there is no multiplayer but it is acceptable given the type of game it is. You also can’t hold many weapons so you will be trying to figure out which to drop and which to keep, that said this does help set the mood for a realistic game. From Many weapons come many ammo types and this game sorta confused me with this but I learned eventually. One nice feature is that the guns you have are made from scraps. I know that sounds like they suck but they don’t they are just as effective as any other gun if not sometimes better. With some mutants they will tackle you to the floor but luckily this game has a feature where you can get out of being eaten if your quick enough, which was very useful. The load times are no longer a bother in this game because they are quite fast on the 360 and you are even treated to some interesting diary entries and if you don’t like reading don’t worry they are read to you.

I have talked for soooo long about this game and I could still go on but you’ll just have to play it to find that out. I would really recommend this to people who love games like DOOM and Bioshock and if that don’t convince you perhaps my score will. I thought it was a great game and think it will certainly be remembered in the year 2033.

Metro 2033 – Game Detail Page

Ask any Xbox 360 fan what they are looking forward to in 2010, especially me, and invariably the answer will involve the words Halo: Reach. Bungie’s seminal first person shooter series has evolved a lot over the years and had many highs and lows, but the one thing that has remained at a constantly high level has been the level of interaction between the game, Bungie themselves and the games community.

Bungie recently released a boatload of information regarding the potential matchmaking and social interaction capabilities that we can expect to find come May 3rd with the beta, and then later in Q4 with the retail release.

Get to the Chuuuuuppppah!

The new features that we will find in Halo: Reach include an active roster, queue-joining, an improved voting system, arena playlists, ranked and social combined playlists, a streamlined party-up system, matchmaking connection options and social settings. But what does all that mean? Shack News has broken it all down for us;

Active Roster – This is a throwback to Halo 2. When you boot up Reach, right at the main menu or lobby, you’ll see a list of what your Xbox Live friends are doing within Reach. You’ll get detailed information about any friends playing Reach including who they are partied with, what game they are in (plus score and remaining time), and more.
Basically, Bungie wants to make it so that you do not have to utilize the Xbox Live Guide to find out what your buddies are doing in Reach.

Queue-Joining – In Halo 3, it was difficult to join friends that were already playing in a match. You had to wait until they were finished. If you started a game while you waited, they would then have to wait for you. Instead of going back and forth, Reach will support queue-joining. Simply put, Reach will automatically join up as soon as your friends are joinable.

Improved Voting System – Halo: Reach will utilize a new voting system, which Bungie described as “Veto 2.0″. Each playlist will provide players with four options. The first will be a combination of map and gametype, much like you would see in Halo 3. The other three options will offer players additional choices to vote on. Thankfully, you’ll know up front what your four options are so you no longer have to risk voting down a favored map, but unfavored gametype and getting an unfavored combination.

Behind-the-scenes, a lot of work has been done to give more flexibility to the playlist designers. A designer could, for example, ensure that the first choice is always Team Slayer on a set of 3 popular maps, but offer different gametypes in the additional choices.

Thats one helluva Gun

Arena Playlists – Possibly the largest change coming in Halo: Reach is the Arena. This is a Slayer and Team Slayer set of playlists entirely geared toward the hardcore. If that wasn’t enough, players will be rated and placed into skill divisions in month-long seasons.
The rating system is smart enough to realize that kills aren’t the only determining factor behind skill. This is especially true for team games where assists play a huge roll. Similarly, players that have a greater kill/death ratio (had more kills than deaths) will rank higher than players that die as much as they kill.

The divisions are Onyx, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Steel. It is possible to move up or down within a single season. To qualify for ranking, players will have to play a certain number of games a day to gain a “Daily Ranking”, which will be an average of a player’s best games from the day. To get a divisional ranking and compete in a season, players will need a certain number of Daily Rankings.

Casual gametypes will not appear in Arena playlists. You won’t be seeing Rocket Race or Fiesta here.

Even though Arena is geared toward top-level players, it should help less skilled players avoid being matched up against people they have no chance of winning against.

Multiplayer is going to be intense

Ranked and Social Combined – Since the hardcore will be in the Arena, Bungie doesn’t want to further splinter the community. In Halo 3, Ranked and Social playlists served two different purposes. Ranked games were generally of a higher quality, while social games were more casual.

In Reach, the playlists will be smart enough to put you and your party in the proper match based upon how many players you have. Say you’re looking for a game in a four-on-four playlist. If you bring four people, Reach will attempt to match your team against another group of four at a similar skill level. If you go in with more than four, it will properly split your party across the teams and fill in the blanks with additional players.

Streamlined Party-Up – After a Halo 3 match, players were presented with the option to “Party Up” and merge lobbies with all willing players. In Reach, it will be an opt-out system. After a match, players will be kept together and it will automatically roll into looking for the next match. The system is flexible enough to allow Bungie to determine, per playlist, whether to keep a team together and find a new set of opponents or keep an entire game together and move onto the next map.

Matchmaking Connection Options – The options for finding games in matchmaking will be more open to the player, if they so choose. If you only ever want to play in games with a good connection, that can be set in the options. If you only ever want to play against players of a similar skill, that can be set. The same goes for finding players that speak to same language.

Welcome to the planet Reach

Social Settings – In addition to these connection options, players can rate themselves along four axes to add another layer of criteria to the matchmaking. These won’t trump anything else, but it will help Bungie build better teams. Players will define their playstyle in the following four categories:

• Teamwork – Team Player vs. Lone Wolf
• Motivation – Winning vs. Having Fun
• Chattiness – Chatty vs. Quiet
• Tone – Polite vs. Rowdy

Halo: Reach is shaping up to be a fantastic title. There probably wasn’t a worry about it considering Bungie release nothing but elite games, but with Reach it seems they are going above and beyond what we have come to expect from a Halo game.

Along with the new campaign and graphics engine Halo: Reach may become not only the definitive Halo game, but the definitive online FPS on the 360. The beta drops on May 3rd 2010 and I will be playing it non stop. Hope to see you online as well.

Halo Reach – Game Detail Page

The gameplay is terrifically done especially seeing it’s a lot more different to other games, it’s a little more strategic. It’s an action fantasy game and you play as an Overlord obviously smashing peasants like a good old fashion slash em up game, but the real big thing this game has going for it is your army known as “minions”. You can also move and control them to loot, pillage, kill and do a variety of things. I love just playing around with the minions, it’s so much fun just to look around with them, smash stuff, kill things and even some other things that just add that extra finesse to the game. This is probably not a game you could just pick up and play at the beginning but once you’ve gotten the hang of handling the minions and yourself then you’re pretty much set, it’s an easy game to learn but it has all sorts of ways to play.

I Am Iron Man... Dah Dah Dee Dee Doo Dah IRON MAN!!!

Overlord was made by Triumph Studios and Code Masters and it was released in stores around 2007, so it’s pretty much 3 years old. In saying this I still think the graphics are really good. There isn’t really any blood but I wasn’t even concentrating on blood I was too blown away by all the other things. At the time and still now I loved the scenery, the buildings and just everything obviously it’s not as brilliant now because it’s an old game. I’m sure that you wouldn’t be disappointed with the graphics. One of the big things I love is the sound in-game and this beauty delivers tenfold. It has really awesome catchy music that is set for the time it’s in, it makes me just wanna sing to it as I explore this wonderful game. I also like the sound effects especially with the minions. They don’t just sit there and take orders they all speak now and then saying sometimes funny things and even make some funny sounds too, things like explosions and weapons clashing together it was pretty good. Once again a definite pass for sounds, this game I think is unmatched in the music part.

Look at the Serenity... Love the Serenity

One cool key feature was that it offered downloadable content like wallpapers, gamer pics all that good stuff, but it also had a download to the game called “Raising Hell”. I have played this and it is FANTASTIC! There is also multiplayer which I found fun to play but to be honest I found it more fun playing alone, I got allot of laughs out of online though. There were also some maps you could download for online play too, I played these and they are worth the Microsoft Points. So what do I think of Overlord? I THINK IT’S TERRIFIC! I want to say it’s perfect but I know there are some minor problems here and there, I haven’t even gone into detail on how good this game is I’ve just said the basics. If you don’t have the game I REALLY recommend you buy it because I still love it even today. I hope you consider at least renting the game… even though it’s a must buy, play the demo at least. Thank you Triumph Studios and Code Masters you truly made a masterpiece.

Overlord – Game Detail Page

When I first heard about this game at E3 2009 my first reaction was what on earth were they thinking. Unfortunately there were so many games at E3 to look at that I simply did not give “Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing” the time of day and simply ignored it. Now that the game has recently been released I can say that I regret not playing it at E3 simply because this is one of the best Kart-Racing Games I have ever played on any console… ever!

Developer SUMO Digital have taken the best parts of games like Mario Kart, Diddy Kong Racing and even Viva Pinata – Party Animals and thrown in all the classic SEGA characters we all love and grew up with like Sonic, Tails, AiAi, Amigo, Billy Hatcher and exclusively on the Xbox 360 are Banjo & Kazooie and even your Xbox Live Avatar. Each character has their own pimped out ride being a car, monster truck, bike, aeroplane and more. To top this all off they each have a specific All Star Move that they can pull off during each race.

Nice Car. Is it a Holden or a Ford?

If you have played any racing game before you will be right at home. It’s pretty simple and we have seen it many times before. But what makes All-Star Racing unique is the presentation, sound, easy controls and that it is surprisingly a lot of FUN. During each race there will be several Items and Weapons that you collect throughout the course. There’s the High Speed Shoe, Rocket, Mine, Shield and my favourite the Pocket Rainbow. Some weapons can even be launched backwards which requires some skill to master. The “All-Star Items” are actually very useful and always rewarding when activated. For example Banjo & Kazooie will wave Mumbo’s magical Wrench, which will cause Golden Jiggies to crash down from the sky. The most technical thing to learn about the game is mastering the drift, as this is the best way to get extra boosts and make your way through some very tight turns. Finally you can gain extra boosts by performing mid air ticks which requires the right timing to pull off correctly.

Xbox 360 Avatar All-Stars Move = I have absolutely no idea. BUT who cares if I win.

The graphics in All-Star Racing are absolutely outstanding and all running in High Definition. There are some amazing tracks based on games like House of the Dead, Samba De Amigo and obviously Sonic the Hedgehog. All have lot of variety and never get boring and even have some very well placed shortcuts. This is a perfect example of what a fun kart-racing game should look like as everything has so much depth and detail to it. Even the character animations are fantastic to watch and feel very real. The only negative would be that every now and then there are framerate issues. This does not ruin the overall gameplay experience but it is noticeable and possibly could be fixed with an update.

The sound is also top notch with the vehicles, weapons, characters and music all very well put together. If you have a good surround sound system then you will appreciate the amount of work that has been put into everything. Even the Commentary is done very well and reacts to the way that you play during each race. Personally I would have like to have had even more music tracks to choose from and unlock. That being said the collection that is available will not get old or repetitive and you can always enjoy the game with your own MP3 collection.

The best key features are the inclusion of Banjo & Kazooie and of course your Xbox Live Avatars making this game the closest thing we have to the not yet released “Joy Ride” for XBLA. Surprisingly both fit really well in this game and look fantastic. The fact that there are so many familiar and some not so familiar characters (22 in total) from Sega’s entire history is great to see in the one game.

Look at all that Serenity... Love the Serenity.

The “Missions” Campaign has a lot of depth with each of the many missions having very specific goals in mind. You are then ranked from E to AAA after completion. The Multiplayer is very well thought out and offers everything that you would expect from any big budget racing title. You can play via Xbox Live with up to 7 players from around the globe. For those of you not connected to Xbox Live you will be happy to know that the game supports 4 Player Split-Screen.

At the end of the day SONIC & SEGA All-Stars Racing is an absolute pleasure to play with its simple controls, awesome track designs and hours of replayability. This game can be enjoyed by all ages whether you enjoy using the Xbox 360 controller or the Steering Wheel. Since the release of the Xbox 360 console there has not been a game like this at all that offers so much fun and variety and addictive gameplay. If you are a fan of Kart Racing then you must buy this game.

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing – Game Detail Page

The boys are back in town for Battlefield: Bad Company 2, but this time instead of searching for gold they are working hand-in-hand with the US army, trying to stop a madman and a super weapon. Sounds run of the mill? Think again.

BC2 opens with something of an odd move, throwing you back into WWII in a squad tasked with a secret mission to rescue an enemy defecting to the west. Of course it isn’t as simple as that and the infiltration of the enemy base goes south, requiring you to fight your way into the stronghold. This introduction mission allows you to come to grips with Battlefield’s slower and more deliberate control scheme as well as take in the scope of the games oncoming story, it really set’s up the game well. Fast forward to current day and you jump back into the shoes of Preston Marlowe of B-Company. Though it seems that now your platoon is a little more respected than in the previous game. After all accidentally or not, stopping an enemy of the US government is going to get you some kudos.

Smile for the Camera

The campaign is around 15 hours long and spans 13 missions that will take you from the tropical jungles of South America to the snow covered mountain tops of Russia in a globetrotting extravaganza that not only varies the combat but also shows off DICE’s beautiful graphics and outstanding Frostbite engine.¬† Frostbite once again allows you to destroy as much of the playing environment as you want. Blowing up houses, demolishing walls for tactical advantages or just destroying trees and power lines for the hell of it, the game world is a playground of destruction.

Combat is largely the same as the original Bad Company however this time around the insta-health syringe has been done away with for the now common-place regenerative health system which, let’s face it, allows for a more streamlined experience. The script is once again solid, with the one liners and back and forth between teammates just as funny as the first game. DICE also manage to take a few light hearted shots at some competitors as well. However the story is more of a military theme this time around and does away with the Three Kings theme seen in the first game. It is by no means bad, but considering the ragtag bunch these guys were in the first game the sudden transformation into elite military unit is a little jarring. Nonetheless the campaign is a fun ride while it lasts, but the reason everyone comes to a Battlefield party isn’t for the single player, but of course the online.

Look at all that Serenity... Love the Serenity.

Almost needless to say the multiplayer in BC2 is excellent. Offering both the Rush and Conquest gametypes. It delivers an explosive and ridiculously addictive multiplayer offering. Rush see’s you either attacking or defending M-Comm stations (which is a glorified name for crates). The attackers have a set ticket amount (team lives, around 75) while the defenders have unlimited. The attackers win by blowing up the stations at each part of the map. The map pushes back as the defenders retreat each time an area is captured by the attackers. The defenders win by killing all the attackers… Simple. Conquest is your normal King of the Hill type mode. Three or four flags are placed on the map and each team battles for them. When you have possession of more flags than your opposition their tickets drop faster. First team to eliminate the others ticket count wins.

The beauty of Battlefield is that while there are a large number of people (24 on the 360) on the map at a time you can be a part of a squad, which allows you to work with a smaller group of people to the entire team’s advantage. It also allows you to spawn on a teammate which is very useful for dropping back right into the action. The leveling system is similar to Modern Warfare 2. You get experience points for kills which in turn allows you to level up and unlock new weapons and gadgets for the four kits you can choose from. The kits are basic assault, engineer, recon and medic and each have a role to play in a battle. The online is very balanced and just fun to play and can easily hold it’s own against the big hitters of the genre.

Check out my NERF Super Soaker

As an overall package Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is very polished. The graphics are fantastic as is the audio component. From shells dropping in front of you to the pitterpatter of far off assault rifle bursts the game does a fantastic job of setting the mood. BC2 is the entire package. Great looks, intelligent and funny as well as damn fun to play with. It’s going to take quite a bit to pry gamers away from Modern Warfare 2 but Bad Company 2 has exactly what it takes.

Battlefield Bad Company 2 Game Detail Page

Robbie Bach - President of Entertainment & Devices

“I love computer science. It is the only science that is bounded solely by our imagination… nothing else.” These are the words Robbie Bach (President of Entertainment & Devices) said at the press conference on February 9th in Sydney that made me feel sort of happy inside, he seems like a very inspiring person.

The first thing was he said that he is aiming to make EVERYTHING compatible with each other or in other words make everything multi screen (TV’s, mobiles and laptop’s). Right now though they said they are just showing us three things.

Number one was the Microsoft Surface. Because this is not Xbox 360 related ill be quick and just tell you the main things. It’s like a table and when you put things on it or touch it, it will react straight away. You can look up things, play games or just have it as a table ? It’s also very durable I know this cause the man stood up on it himself.

Alright now the main thing number two was Project Natal. This is mainly all the info I have on the device as it was the first time I have ever heard about it before and have not looked up anything so I’m just telling you EXACTLY what he has told me. Well he didn’t tell us this but the thing kind of looks like a big fancy camera you see at huge stores like Kmart. it’s quite a decent sized camera so it can see practically from your head to your toes. I was very impressed with this especially when I heard it is a 3D camera! That is just amazing it makes the EyeToy and the Nintendo Wii look like a joke to be honest. It’s got Voice Command as well so say you wanted to turn it off you could just say “goodnight” to turn it off apparently (This was demonstrated in a trailer).

There is absolutely no control for this thing you are the control you act it understands, I’m sort of worried about this though. Because it sounds wicked but what happens if say the lens get a bit of dust on it or someone bumps it? It could be very sensitive especially seeing its just a camera so we might have another huge problem like the Red Ring of Death. If your laughing I’m serious this could really happen. But I am sure Robbie is smarter than that, anyway back to the description. It has facial recognition as well. We all also saw an exclusive trailer apparently but I’m sure it’s made it’s way to YouTube somehow. It’s mainly just a family trying out the game, one persons fighting by kicking his legs, another is racing with moving there hands, another smashing buildings by moving there hands you know all that typical stuff. It sort of makes me think maybe they can only do stuff that’s really typical with Natal, but that’s mainly all the games on it they showed. There was also this girl customizing her Avatar with cloths by scanning herself and a boy scanning his skateboard so he can use it in a game. So that’s what is mainly in the trailer and that’s pretty much all he gave us, he didn’t give us an exact release date but he said it will be sometime after Fall.

One more thing about it was that he was saying that they are going to make games specifically for it, games that are compatible with Natal and just the controller and some that just don’t use it all together. So if people thought it was the end of COD or Halo think again. They gave us no price but I will say this. If it is more than $200 AUD there is no way on this earth I am purchasing it. I don’t think Natal should cost that much maybe $150, But $200 is pushing it for me. It’s an accessory you have to remember that it’s not a console I’m not going to pay over $200 just for one accessory besides I’m sure other people will agree with me if you do or don’t tell me please.

He also said some very small things about us being able to play arcade games with our friends all at once but not much after that and yes this is number three. I’m pretty sure they don’t really care if this new arcade thing works out well or not I think there more concerned with project Natal more than anything which of course isn’t a bad thing.

There was some questions answered but I didn’t get a chance and the other questions were of no importance what so ever and I don’t seem to recall them. After the conference we all were treated with beadles and orange juice ? along with some time to play with allot of games on the 360, use some laptops and even try out Microsoft Surface. I myself didn’t get a chance but I took a picture of some people playing with it at one time they seemed to be having allot of fun with it. The 360 games I remember that were there were games we already know like Pacman, Avatar, The Beatles etc. after a while we were all escorted out and of course that was the end of that.

After all this the only thing I’m looking forward to is Project Natal, really want to see if this little experiment from Microsoft will skyrocket or crash and burn. My advice don’t get it the second it’s out, be patient wait to get feedback and reviews first just to be sure I will probably do this too.

Project Natal Xbox.com Page

Darksiders gets inspiration from a few different games, the major two being God of War and Zelda. The main fighting system is a lot like God of War, beat your enemies down using a handful of weapons and equipment then hit a hot key if you want to see a shiny finishing move. You also need to complete puzzles in order to advance throughout the story line; these range in difficulty from hitting some buttons within a certain amount of time, to throwing a “Sticky Grenade Plant” clear across a room through a portal to hopefully blow up an obstacle in your path. Although some fights seem much harder than others, the difficulty curve progresses nicely. There isn’t much in terms of loading times, but if you move from one area to another too quickly or between some rooms the game can sometimes pause for up to a few seconds to load; this only happened to me about five time during my entire play through.

Look at my shiny Metal Glove. It makes me look Strong.

Darksiders is a very beautiful game; Joe Madureira (comic artist) seems to have had a good effect on the entire visual style of the game. Unlike most post-apocalyptic games which seem to focus on greys and browns; Darksiders avoids this and uses a lot of colours which seem to help the look of the game. The characters themselves look great, it is easy to tell the differences between enemies you can fight hordes of and others you would prefer to fight one-on-one, if the game lets you. Although you can sometimes see some screen tearing, the majority of the time the game runs perfectly.

Have you ever heard of Mentos?

The sound matches the look and feel of the game, all ambient noise helps pull the player into the game and the voice acting fits the characters nicely. Although it can get annoying if one of the characters keeps repeating the same line over and over again as you are trying to complete a puzzle to move on.

Darksiders will give you a decent amount of gameplay, there are a few different weapons, all of which level up and become stronger as you use them. You can also buy different attacks for the different weapons and even equip “Enhancements” to these weapons in order to make them more powerful or to give them extra abilities. There are also quite a few collectibles hidden throughout the game and you can also increase your Health and “Wrath” by collecting shards of each. There is also an Armour set which you can collect which can carry over to a new game if you so wish.

The Watcher is voiced by The Joker/Luke Skywalker/Mark Hamill

If you have played and enjoyed any God of War or Zelda game I think it’s probably safe to say that you would enjoy Darksiders. Unfortunately there isn’t much in terms of replayability, other than if you want to collect everything or if you want to beat the game on a different difficulty or if you just want some more hack-and-slashy goodness. There isn’t really anything ground-breaking about Darksiders, it has all basically been done before, but it is a good game, definitely check it out if you are looking for a new game.

Darksiders – Game Detail Page

Gamertag: gamefreak431

Website: www.OzBoxLive.com

Started Gaming: 1994

Occupation: Games Night Coordinator

Hobbies: Gaming, writing, designing video games

Top 5 Xbox 360 games:

1. Halo 3 ODST
2. Rainbow Six Vegas 2
3. Call of Duty 4 Modern warfare
4. FarCry 2
5. Halo 3

Top 5 XBLA games:

1. Wolfenstien 3D
2. Doom
3. Perfect Dark
4. Hexic HD
5. Call of Duty

Top 5 Original Xbox games:

1. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
2. Halo
3. Just Cause
4. Rainbow Six 3
5. Black

Favourite Xbox Accessory:

The Messenger kit. With MSN along with Facebook and twitter it saves lots of time and embarrassment (with accidentally hitting ‘post’ when I wanted ‘space’) by being able to type whole words like I was on the computer.

What does being a part of the Xbox Community mean to you?

It means a lot to me. Being apart of the community is to connect oneself with not just a group of diehards for a particular game but with all games and to not be judged by your experience points but by yourself as an individual.

Who are some of your main Xbox Live mates who you game with often?

I mostly play with my mates from school because then when I or one of them do a fantastic kill we can talk about it and overview it the next day at school. Usually we play Halo 3 Team Slayer but sometimes we will get in a game or two of Modern warfare 2 Team Deathmatch.

What is your favourite feature of the Xbox 360 and why?

Definitely the Voice chat. It is so easy to use and the sound quality is so clear even when you have an assault rifle firing next to your ear. It is also very kind to your ear, when someone is screaming into his or her mic it doesn’t send you deaf.

What is a game you really enjoy but aren’t very good at?

Halo 3, but I am improving. Most of my friends play it and some of those play semi-professionally. I’ve been given the nickname “free headshot guy” whenever we all play Team snipers because I cant use a sniper rifle to save my life.

What has been your favourite gaming moment on the Xbox 360 thus far?

Playing the Multiplayer beta of Blur. Knowing that by playing I am taking part in the creation of a Video Game is very special to me. Not only do you get to play a new video game for free but you can have your say to the developers on how to make the game the best it can be. If you have never tried it I highly recommend you do.

What are a few of the games you’re looking forward to in 2010?

There are only two: Halo Reach, well who isn’t! It looks like it is shaping up to be the best FPS of 2010. Everyone who calls themselves halo fans must try the beta and help bungie make it the best FPS of the decade. And finally Blur. It looks like Mario Kart for grownups. Unlike other racing games Blur makes you think about what tricks your opponent may have up their sleeve and what you’ve got to counter it.

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This is the number one website for you if you are into your Xbox and live in Australia. OzBoxLive is about all things Xbox from the Original Xbox days, Xbox Live Arcade, Indie Games, Xbox Mobile, Kinect and of course Xbox 360. Our goal is to provide you with the latest News, Release Dates, Prices, Events and Issues relating to Australia. We also have Interviews, Special Features and both local and online Events. Coming soon to the site will be our very own Forums where you will be able to communicate with the team and other fans as well as win Prizes. Finally later this year our new “Show” will return… but more on that later.

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