XBOX LIVE activity for the week of 2/26

Major Nelson has posted the top 10 games on XBOX LIVE for the week of 2/26.

Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (UU’s)
1 Gears of War
2 Crackdown
3 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
4 Call Of Duty 3
5 GRAW 2 MP Demo
6 Madden NFL 07
7 Crackdown Demo
8 Lost Planet
9 Oblivion
10 GRAW

Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions)
1 Alien Hominid HD
2 Paperboy
3 UNO
4 Texas Hold 'em
5 Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting
6 Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
7 Contra
8 Heavy Weapon
9 Geometry Wars Evolved
10 DOOM

Original Xbox Top Live Games
1 Halo 2
2 Battlefield 2: MC
3 Madden NFL 07
4 Star Wars: Battlfrnt 2
5 Counter-Strike
6 Forza Motorsport
7 Call of Duty 3
8 Ghost Recon 2
9 PGR 2
10 Rainbow Six 3

Halo has never looked so good!

In Frankie's latest weeky update he talks alot about the graphics and physics that Bungie hopes will be in the final build of the game like the water effects that they are playing with:

The programmers and artists are playing around with the properties of our water as it applies to objects in the game. So here’s an example I watched this morning, which may or may not make it into the final game, but it’s there right now. If it does something stupid, we’ll yank it – but here goes. If you die, in deep-ish river water in Valhalla, you’ll float briefly downstream until your Mjolnir armor becomes waterlogged and you sink to the bottom. You’ll tumble down the small-ish slopes with the flow of water, and make for some amazing death animations.

He then goes on to write about the way dropped weapons will react in the water:

Now, the same thing happens to dropped weapons, depending on their weight and properties, so it can have an effect on gameplay. In High Ground, which has some ocean frontage (and it may not be the only map with that feature) a dropped weapon can roll up and onto the beach with the tide. There’s a lot of tuning to be done to make the visual effect not be stupid, but combined with the ripples and flow around vehicles and people, the water’s behavior is becoming more and more fantastic, which fans of this update will know is a big deal to me.

Frankie loves the grass:

Now grass ain’t water, but it’s worth mentioning. There’s a new type of grass in the house. And by house, I mean beach. Because it’s most definitely some kind of reedy beach grass. It looks amazing. It still looks like Halo stuff – I mean, it adheres to our art style, but it’s so freaking detailed. Best of all, after a period of senseless jumping around, I noticed that the grass was being properly shadowed, with the shadow dipping in and out of the individual blades. It’s really hard to describe, but it’s exactly the kind of crap I get fascinated by. It was even bent in the correct direction for wind and weather on that level, although it does move slightly in the breeze too.

If you want to read the whole write up, click here.  He goes on about the new Halo 2 maps and much more.

Japan gets Blue Dragon TV show!

Next-Gen.biz is reporting on a new cartoon series in Japan based on the hit Japanese RPG Blue Dragon:

Key Mistwalker figures will be involved in the show’s development. Hironobu Sakaguchi, founder of Mistwalker and creator of Final Fantasy, Akira Toriyama, character designer and Nobou Uematsu, composer will be involved in some shape or form.

The show will begin April 7 and will air every Saturday at 9 a.m. on Television Tokyo.

It looks like Microsoft is doing everything it can to break into the Japanese market but only time will tell if the new TV show will help in doing just that.

Now granted, Blue Dragon has been a success for Microsoft in Japan and it will be interesting to see how well it does when it comes to the states.

EGM's rumor monger "Quartermann" speaks about the latest rumor concerning Gears of WAR!

This comes straight from 1UP.com!

In the April issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, the rumor monger by which all other rumor mongers are to be judged, Quartermann, has a little bit of juice on a couple of the biggest games of last year.

Without spoiling everything, Quartermann expects to see new downloadable content for Gears of War in the very near future, but that's not the best part. Those pesky achievements that require "ranked play" to unlock? Word is Epic wants to get rid of the "ranked" requirement. Will Microsoft play ball?

Here is a little something extra regarding Dead Rising:

Is the Zombie Apocalypse drawing nigh? Probably not, but what if players had the ability to fight the onslaught of zombies in Capcom's Dead Rising with a partner over Xbox Live? Quartermann hints that an upcoming platinum version of Dead Rising will have an online co-op mode. But what about the folks who rushed out and bought Dead Rising last year? They'll be taken care of, too -- but like Quartermann says "for a price, of course."

He also made metion of some Resistence fall of man news but who gives a shit!

Lost Planet patched a week early!

Updates:

• In the pre-game lobby, a country flag icon will be shown next to the Gamertag of each player. This will be especially helpful for determining location of the match host.
• In the pre-game lobby, an icon will be added next to each player's Gamertag, indicating connection strength, speed and rating.
• In Team Elimination, Post Grab and Fugitive modes, an indicator will be added next to the Gamertag of the person who is speaking.
• At the post-match Results screen, an indicator will be added next to the Gamertag of the person who is speaking.
• At the post-match Results screen, Gamertags of the players who have left the session will be darkened.

Additionally, the update will prevent players from playing together when network conditions are too bad and likely to cause extreme lag. This will prevent the following kinds of issues from occurring:

• Multiple fugitives in Fugitive matches when there should be only one
• Invisible players during matches
• Player info shown on Results screen for players who did not play in the match

Bug Fixes:

• Sometimes in Fugitive mode there would be multiple Fugitives instead of just one - Fixed
• Occasionally, if an error occurred on the lobby screen, another lobby screen would be displayed on top of it - Fixed
• Sometimes when there was a long delay/lag, the game would hang at the transition screen going from the lobby to the game and then reboot - Fixed
• Sometimes when there was a long delay/lag, depending on the console, certain players in the match would become invisible for the duration of the match - Fixed
• Sometimes post-match Results screens would show players who did not participate in the match - Fixed
• Starting a taunt animation during a reload shortened the reload time as an exploit - Fixed

Halo 3 beta in 2 waves?

According to a post on Gamespot .com.  They received word on how it would go down if the rumor is true:

 

What we heard: Halo fans are all in a tizzy about the upcoming Halo 3 multiplayer beta, but their calendars remain unmarked since Bungie hasn't announced when the darned thing will start--Bungie merely says "this spring." However, some reports on the Internet not only claim to have a start date, but they claim to have two start dates.

TheAboveDomain.com points out a forum post from gamer XboxPortugal, representing the Web site of the same name, who claims that the Halo 3 beta will be split into two waves. The first will begin near March 21 and will be limited to those who were admitted into the beta through the "Rule of Three" program or the first phase of beta registration. A second phase will begin sometime in May, will end in June, and will be open to those who got access to the beta by purchasing Crackdown.

Microsoft and Bungie have never made any announcement that would indicate the beta would be in two phases--because it won't be. Quick to squash the rumor before it got out of control, a Microsoft rep told GameSpot, "There will be just one beta phase. The rumors that there will be two are false." However, Microsoft was unable to comment about the date of the beta.

Go here for the whole scoop!

The reviews are in for Alien Hominid HD!

Not bad for a $10 50MB XBOX LIVE arcade title.

TeamXbox

2/28/2007

9.3 out of 10

93.0%

IGN

3/1/2007

8.5 out of 10

85.0%

GameSpot

3/1/2007

8.5 out of 10

85.0%

Eurogamer

2/28/2007

8 out of 10

80.0%

Official Xbox Magazine

2/1/2007

7.5 out of 10

75.0%

 Official Xbox Magazine UK

3/1/2007

7 out of 10

70.0%

Stuntman: Ignition!

GTA IV trailer coming soon!

On a website that rockstar games has launched, there is a large picture of the roman numeral IV with a countown at the bottom counting down to the first trailer of the game.

Check it out here!

Worms will be next wednesday's XBLA title!

This comes straight from Gamerscoreblog.com!

Team17 brings its popular “Worms” franchise to Xbox Live Arcade, delivering the first turn-based strategy game to the platform. Worms will be available for download beginning Wednesday, March 7 at 0800 GMT (1 a.m. PST), and will be available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points.

From the media alert that went out this morning: 

GAME FEATURES

• A mix of strategy and arcade action that, although simple to understand, contains real depth and massive replayability
• Turn-based multiplayer action for up to four players locally or over Xbox Live
• An assortment of game options:
  • Landscape on which to do battle
  • Turn and round times
  • Starting weapon arsenal for each team
• Three detailed tutorials to introduce the mechanics to first-time players
• Twenty increasingly difficult single-player challenges
• Three graphical themes for play
• A random landscape generator to ensure that no two landscapes are ever the same
• Twenty-two weapons and utilities to deploy against your enemies
• Many customizable elements, including what worms and teams are named, what worms say, and which gravestone they have when they die
• High-definition visuals and many graphical improvements throughout the game
• Twelve achievements
• Weekly, monthly and overall leaderboards

Bungie reveals details on the Type-25 carbine!

In a post by frankie on Bungie.net, he reveals the details on the Brute Spiker or what is now offially called the Type-25 carbine (spiker)

Length (o/a): 81.7 cm (32.17 in.)

Length (barrel): 25.4 cm (10 in.)

Weight (empty): 6.4 kg (14.2 lbs)

Weight (loaded): 7 kg (15.5 lbs)

Cartridge: Unknown

Effective range: 40 meters (131 ft)

Muzzle velocity: 76.2 m/s (250 f/s)

Magazine capacity: 40 rounds

Rate of fire: 480 rnds/min

Unit Replacement Cost: NA

Frankie goes on to mention:

Though it was first observed over a quarter century ago this weapon has not been seen in the hands of front line troops until just recently. Over the years it has garnered the nicknames “Spike Rifle”, “Spiker”, and “hatchet gun”.

He has posted every little detail about the gun and when and where it is most effective.  When you scroll to the bottom there is a quicktime movie of the "SPIKER", click here to read the whole post.

360 TAN!

Sony puts Kotaku on blacklist over a rumor! (UPDATE)

Kotaku.com, earlier today posted a rumor that they received about the PS3 adding a "home" function.  You will be able to create an avatar, unlock achievements in all up coming games, this is kind of like blending XBOX LIVE's achievements system with the Wii's Mii creation. From what I can gather, if this is true and if it is you will probably here about it next week at the GDC, also if this comes to fruition what we have here is Sony ripping off other consol's creations.

The best part is that Kotaku.com was warned by Sony to pull the story or they will break all ties with them and require Kotaku to send there PS3 debug kit back.  Kotaku hulked up and said no way and this is what they got from Sony:

 

Brian, This is an email I was really hoping I would never have to write, but it is what it is. When I came on board here at Sony, I made every effort to be as inclusive as possible to media and the blogging community in an effort to improve previously damaged relationships. This included getting people access to executives, opening our events to more individuals and personally responding as quickly as possible to inquiries. This was done in good faith with the thought that the people I was working with would operate with the same integrity and courtesy I think I demonstrated when I was a reporter. Basically, I went out on a limb for a lot of people -- people SCEA PR and SCEA management had written off. I caught a lot of flack for it from folks, but I felt strongly it was the right thing to do.

I am very disappointed that after trying to work with you as closely as possible and provide you and your team with access and information, you chose to report on this rumor.... I can't defend outlets that can't work cooperatively with us.

So, it is for this reason, that we will be canceling all further interviews for Kotaku staff at GDC and will be dis-inviting you to our media event next Tuesday. Until we can find a way to work better together, information provided to your site will only be that found in the public forum.

Again, I take absolutely no joy in sending you this note, but given the situation you have put me into, I have no choice.

Dave Karraker
Sr. Director, Corporate Communications
Sony Computer Entertainment America

I feel that since Sony got so worked up over a rumor the rumor is probably true. 

I want to applaud Kotaku for standing their ground.

Read the whole article here!

Also was reported here!

UPDATE Apparantly Kotaku and Sony has kissed and made up, Brian from Kotaku had this to say:

"We were doing our job and Sony was doing theirs and now we can both continue to do so."

ahhhhhhhh!

GTA IV has a ship date!

its financial results conference call, publisher Take Two has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto IV will be shipped simultaneously for the Xbox 360 and PS3 in October.
Take Two also announced that Rockstar will introduce in 2008 exclusive episodic content downloads for the game.

So how well are PS3's selling?

Gamepro.com did an article about the availability of PS3's across America.  They interviewed managers of unnamed gaming retail stores to get the scoop on how many PS3's they are receiving and selling.

Here is a little excerpt of what is in the article:

We spoke with one manager at an unnamed gaming retail chain, and he informed us that his store, as well as the stores in the surrounding area, really have no shortage of stock.

"We'll get a shipment of, say, 10 PS3s, and it takes us about a week and a half to two weeks to sell them all," he tells us. "Meanwhile, we get even more Xbox 360 units than that on a weekly basis, and they take us only a week to sell out."

When the manager was asked why he thinks they aren't selling all that well, the manager's reply was:

"People are interested in the PlayStation 3, but they simply can't afford it. The price has alienated most consumers. I can't tell you how many people I've seen walk into the store, ask how much the PS3 sells for, and then walk straight out. And for the people that do buy the system, they never buy any games, probably because they can't afford to. Tie-in ratios for the PS3 have been very bad, since we still have a ton of software that remains unsold."

To read the whole article click here!

Ensemble Studios gives update on Halo Wars!

"We made sure we had a fairly polished build of our game ready for these folks to play, including some wicked new UI work by Ensemble Studios Artist Andy Gotcher and Programmer Billy Khan. By all accounts the Microsoft gang had a good time with the game and was quite impressed with its current state. We've got a long way to go still, but it's very encouraging when a group like this can sit down and have fun beating the hell out of each other so far from any ship date."

Texas A&M university says "the correlation between real world violence and violent games is less than spurious; it’s non-existent"

This comes courtesy of G4TV.com:

A study carried out by researchers at Texas A&M International University has proven that videogame violence does not beget violence in the real world (big surprise). Researchers meta-analyzed twenty five earlier studies on the topic and discovered that the correlation between real world violence and violent games is less than spurious; it’s non-existent.

 

The study concludes, "(It) appears that news outlets may promote media violence in general, and video game violence specifically as a direct cause of violent behavior. Despite the relatively young and sparse nature of the research on violent video game effects, some researchers have claimed that the evidence is conclusive... Yet a close read of the literature reveals that many of the studies used to support this link provide only questionable or inconsistent evidence."

 

There you have it, proof once again that anyone can take anything and twist it to support their cause or world view, often in opposition to logic and sound reasoning. We want to assure you however that TheFeed would never do a thing like that. For example, TheFeed would never write a post about a study on videogame violence to promote our own agenda, like getting you to check out our Crackdown coverage or drawing your attention to the release schedule for the latest Wii games. That would be unethical.

Games for Windows Live beta!

 

Microsoft is now accepting registrations for the Games for Windows Live beta. The service promises to allow PC gamers to enjoy the Live experience as well as connect with Xbox players everywhere (in games like Shadowrun, for example). Registration for the beta is fairly straight forward, especially if you've registered for a Microsoft beta before. Registrants will need a Widows Live ID and must fill out a survey to qualify. Participants will be notified of their acceptance within the coming weeks. Not only that, but all eligible participants will be entered to win some unannounced prizes. Not bad. Hit the "read" link for the registration page and detailed instructions. You'd better get moving, too. The registration period is only open for a limited time.

SOURCE: XBOX360fanboy.com

Is there a PS3 shortage?

This article come from Joystiq.com:

Apparently all the PS3s you see in stock don't really exist. Perhaps they're just empty display boxes, or Sony is just really quick to replace huge piles of the console; they sell out fast and get restocked even faster. But don't worry, you should be able to find a PS3 in a few months, says Sony chief executive Jack Tretton. "April or May is when we feel like we're going to catch up to demand and have product fully in stock across North America and stay there."

Tretton continued by telling Reuters that the console was still out of stock in "some areas" and that the, ahem, shortages were "a testament to the fact that we've been able to manufacture and ship units on a greater pace than any previous console." Since we seemingly live in make-believe land, let's pretend Sony didn't even say this.

Im sorry but this is just funny!

Gamer builds auto-play machine!

This guy buy the name of David Harr from Seattle went through all of this to get the remaining 60 achievement points in Perfect Dark Zero.

Click here to read the whole article that was published in the BBC.

 

"I calculated that it would take about 40 hours of gameplay just pushing two buttons to start and re-start a game,"

"With my electronics experience I wondered if there was something that could push those two buttons for me so I could go about my daily life."

David Harr

Stand alone Blu Ray players will be as low as $600!

This comes from Next-Gen.biz and before you read on, my only comment is that if the price of the Blu Ray players has come down then why wont the PS3 come down as well?

SCEA PR boss David Karraker said that the company isn't worried at all about the cannibalization factor. "Yesterday's announcement from Sony [to introduce less-expensive Blu-ray players] broadens options for movie lovers and will help to further expand Blu-ray adoption, so it is a benefit to consumers and the company.

"Our research shows that the number-one purchase driver for the PS3 is the ability to play high-definition, next-generation games," he added. "PS3 has always been about gaming first and foremost."

The new BDP-S300 will cost significantly less than the older $1000 BDP S-1, yet it will have more features, according to the Associated Press.
The price slash puts standalone Blu-ray players in a better position to compete with HD-DVD players. Toshiba currently offers an HD-DVD player for $499, while Microsoft offers an Xbox 360 add-on HD-DVD player for $200.
The price cut is the latest big move in the format war between Toshiba-backed HD-DVD and Sony’s Blu-ray. Currently, the PS3 is the most widely-used Blu-ray player with over 2 million units shipped worldwide.

Sony Electronics president Stan Glasgow said the Blu-ray players will likely be available for under $500 by Christmas this year.

Just a reminder on tomorrows XBLA game!

Alien Hominid HD features jump-in-anytime multiplayer action, immersive environments, award-winning bosses, and over 30 fashionable hats.

This 2-D console experience comes jam-packed with seven mini-games, including several four-player party games. All You Can Eat, Neutron Ball, and PDA Games will keep the party going for hours on end.

 

• Full-blown console title: Alien Hominid is the first full-size console title on Xbox Live Arcade.

 

• New and improved: All 16 levels and seven mini-games are included in this version, in addition to 720p HD support and 150+ brand new PDA mini-game levels.

 

• Multiplayer support: Two players locally in the main game, and up to four players offline or on Xbox Live in mini-games.

 

• Per-player difficulty: Difficulty settings can be adjusted on a per-controller basis.

Raiden IV is XBLA bound!

After XS Games dropped the distribution rights to the North American localization of Raiden III for PlayStation 2, UFO Interactive Games graciously picked them up -- and, despite low-demand forecasts, kept the project alive. The vertically-scrolling shmup originally debuted on PS2 (in Japan) back in September 2005, and next month Raiden III will finally arrive in North America; for $30. UFO product manager Chong Ahn confirmed as much during the latest Team Fremont podcast, adding that the game's follow up (currently Arcade-only) Raiden IV is being prepped for release on Xbox 360.

Ahn remained vague on further details, not willing to commit to a launch date or format; but he seemed to indicate that Raiden IV would be released to retail and not via Xbox Live Arcade (à la Treasure's Ikaruga port). Expect an official announcement after Raiden III gets off the ground.

This article is from Joystiq.com

UT3 weapon count and voice commands revealed!

In a recent interview with a German game magazine gamestar, Epic had this to say about the total number of weapons and vehicles:

“We're including 12 weapons and more than 15 vehicles.” Epic Games’ Jeff Morris said. “Those will be unlocked one after another. We are planning to have 30 to 40 maps. You'll spend approximately 15 hours with it.”

They went on to talk about voice commands to the bots in the game:

“You can give them [bots] simple orders, like ‘Get me the Redeemer!’, or you occupy the Hellbender's turret and tell a colleague ‘Drive me to the base! This happens directly via voice control, just like in UT 2004. Only that it works perfectly this time around.”

“We will absolutely have co-op in our campaign.” Morris explains in the GameVideos.com preview. “I think we’ll have co-op in two different ways. You’ll be able to play through the single-player campaign in co-op and probably in some of the matches you’ll have bots teammates to fill out your team in some of the larger matches.”

Mass Effect will be on one disk!

I find it very interesting that a game the size of Mass Effect will only require 1 disk.  Now if I am not mistaken, weren't games as large as this with HI DEF visuals and dozens of hours of gameplay require a disk like Blu Ray or HD DVD?  Now I am being a little sarcastic but what I am trying to say is that the original DVD 9 format is still a viable choice for this generation and I don't believe a higher capacity disk will be required until the next round of consol's.

Requiring developers to squeeze large games like this on a smaller capacity disk prevents the developers from being sloppy and keeps the load times down to a minimum.  Developers at the moment are repeating data on the Blu Ray disk to increase load times because the drive speeds are much slower, so while repeating data over and over negates the purpose of having large capacity disk's. 

Enough with my opinion, here is what Casey Hudson said in a Q&A on IGN.com that was brought up on a recent article on 1UP.com:

While there are many questions that still need to be answered regarding the highly anticipated Mass Effect, such as the release date, Project Director Casey Hudson revealed some info via a Reader Q&A regarding the game's data size, avatar customization, and custom soundtracks.

First off, Hudson stated that Mass Effect will fit on one disc, but "just barely." Then he went on to talk about how players will be able to tweak the main character, Commander Shepherd (A.K.A. Jack Bauer in Space) to their liking -- gender, facial features, class, starting skills, and more will be determined not by the developers, but by the player.

Hudson also commented that while he and the development team "don't mind supporting" custom soundtracks, the game's soundtrack is a "huge original score," that will add to the ambiance.

 

Capcom is the latest to license Epic's unreal engine 3!

When it cost't up to 1 million dollars to license a game engine, I am beging to wonder if Epic is making more money off it's latest game engine than Gears of War.

Mark Beaumont, Capcom head of software publishing in North America and Europe, called UE3

“one of the most powerful and versatile” next generation development tools.

"More than just a graphics engine, UE3 will empower the development team to create the quality experience that gamers expect from a Capcom product,” he added in a statement.

Other companies that have announced the licensing of Unreal Engine 3 include Electronic Arts, Sony Online Entertainment, THQ, Midway, Atari, Gearbox, 10Tacle Studios, SCEA and NCsoft.

SOURCE: Next-Gen.biz

Microsoft isn't planning a motion sensing controller are they? nahhhhhh I don't think!

While talking to Gameinformer, Peter Moore hinted at something big is coming but I wonder what it is, you be the judge.

GI: What is Microsoft going to do to attract the larger, casual scene?

Peter Moore: From a first-party point of view, it’s not just about E-rated games, it’s going to be about the experience that, quite frankly, Nintendo has done a tremendous job in capturing, in bringing back fun—if you will—to the gaming platforms. But we’ve got a few tricks up our sleeve as well to be able to do that. It’s not something that we’re going to be shy about, and it’s not something that we’re not painfully aware of that needs to be changed by this holiday. That has been the strategy all along, and we’ll be making some more announcements in the coming month or two. I think you’ll see how serious we are about that.

GI: I’m glad to hear you didn’t say Fuzion Frenzy 2.

Peter Moore: I didn’t say Fuzion Frenzy 2, though I think it’s getting a bad rap. But anything that’s got 40 little minigames in it, as simple as they may be—it’s actually a fun multiplayer game. You know, it’s not Fuzion Frenzy 2. It’s actually not games. It’s more experiencial than that. And again, since the day I saw Iwata-san pull the nunchuck controller out from under his podium a few years ago at TGS, I’ve always realized that was the right thing for Nintendo to have to do for what they needed to do to be successful in this next generation. And it was always going to be a challenge for us. So, we have plans. This does not come as a surprise. Our strategy has been laid out for us years in advance, and you’re going to see some of that this next holiday and beyond.

Will the XBOX 360 version of UT3 support mods?

In a recent interview with Teamxbox.com, Epic Games vice president Mark Rein made a few comments about whether the PS3 and XBOX 360 version of Unreal Tournament 3 will support user created mods.

 

"The plan won't be unique to PS3 either, Rein saying on Xbox 360 in connection with UT mods that "we'll be able to do something like that there as well". Mods are the lifeblood of this game, and part of the reason we delayed announcing the 360 is because UT without mods is half a UT."

Video of Double Dragon for XBLA hits the web!

Inside gamer has posted a video of Double Dragon, the soon to be released XBOX LIVE arcade title.  Watching this video causes some major flash backs to my youth but I never really played to much of the arcade version, I spent most of my Double Dragon time with the NES version.

The XBLA version that is coming out soon is a port of what was in the arcades with some improved graphics and cop op play over LIVE.

Check out the video here!

Phil Harrison is still in denial!

Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios President Phil Harrison was recently interviewed at D.I.C.E by Gamedaily.

Here are a few things they talked about that I have to comment on.

 

BIZ: That actually leads into my next question, because a lot of the analysts have been making a big deal out of the fact that retailers seem to continue to sell out of the Wii while PS3s are found in stock at more stores. What do you make of that?

 

PH: I think you should talk to the people who are running those stores. Talk to the people who run GameStop, talk to the people who run BestBuy, and they'll tell you that the demand is unprecedented and that they give us kudos for managing to keep a very sophisticated supply chain moving. What our competitors are doing I can't speak to but I know we are achieving our goals of keeping the market supplied and working closely with retailers to make sure they get informed about when supplies are coming in so that they can match their internal and external communications to store managers and consumers about when to buy a PS3. If that means that for Wednesday through Friday there were a few machines on a shelf in a store in Milwaukee, great!

Ok phil I have a question, since I can now find your console everywhere I go because of your "sophisticated supply chain" than why was the PS3 3rd in sales for the month of Jan according to the latest NPD numbers? the reason there are so many available isn't because of your  "sophisticated supply chain" it's because people are sick of your way of thinking, statements like "we would sell 5 million units even if there were no games", that just turns people off.

Also the reason you don't find a Wii is because the second one hits a shelf it is gone.  That is simply not happening with the PS3, you guys are so detached from the gaming community and you appear to be in such denial whether you want to admit it or not there is a problem and you guys need to open your eyes and listen to the community.

 

BIZ: A lot of gamers, including myself, enjoy the controller's motion sensing at times, but we still miss rumble. If gamers want it and are vocal enough, will Sony reintroduce the force feedback at some point?

 

PH: We have no plans to do so in the standard controller that ships with PlayStation 3. I believe that the Sixaxis controller offers game designers and developers far more opportunity for future innovation than rumble ever did. Now, rumble I think was the last generation feature; it's not the next-generation feature. I think motion sensitivity is. And we don't see the need to do that. Having said that, there will be specific game function controllers, potentially like steering wheels that do include vibration or feedback function—not from us but from third parties.

There is nothing better than playing a FPS and not knowing when your getting shot because your controller doesn't vibrate or I can't feel the controller shake when I drive over the rumble strips while racing, but who need that.  It is way more engaging to shack and tilt your controller because I always wanted to look really retarded while playing my favorite games.

Why don't you come out say it, say we didn't use rumble this time around because of a lawsuit with immersion and we are to stubborn to settle.

Video proof of the TMNT XBLA title surfaces!

MLB 2K7 demo now LIVE!

A demo to MLB 2k7 is now up in the marketplace.

 

Signature style: Batting stances, waggles, home run celebrations, step-ins, step-outs, windups, and deliveries bring each player to life like never before.

 

True fielding: Fielder positioning, relay, and cutoff A.I. has been redesigned to allow for better, more authentic Major League defensive play. Defensive alignments are now based on who is at the plate.

 

Dynamic throwing system: Responsive throwing mechanics coupled with unique animations for infield, outfield, and situational throws brings your command of the ball to a new level.

 

Inside Edge: Updated for the 2007 season, Inside Edge data is now tied into user control at the plate. Playing into your pitcher's or hitter's strengths will now reward you with a boost in hitting power.

 

Player models: MLB 2K7 player models are brought to life with exquisite accuracy. Now body type, player faces, accessories, uniforms, and hats match their real-world counterparts down to the smallest details.

 

Franchise finance: Team news, attendance, ticket prices, and fan "buzz" will all play a key role in the success of your franchise. Each of these elements can affect your seasonal profit or deficit, affecting budgets for subsequent seasons.

 

Unprecedented commentary: All-Star duo Jon Miller and Hall of Famer Joe Morgan return to the broadcast booth to deliver the best commentary in the business.

 

Hi-def baseball: Seamless camera work, new crowd audio, and stunning replays keep you in the moment through the duration of a game.

 

2K Sports online play: Go head-to-head and compete in leagues and tournaments against the best players on the planet.

 

Killer soundtrack: Rock out to Nirvana, Sublime, The Stooges, Pixies, 311, Wolfmother, The Specials, Tapes ‘n Tapes, DFA 1979, Thermals, and more.

XBOX 360 sale on select games at Best Buy today!

According to a post on the IGN.com boards Best buy is have a sale on select 360 games today to clear out some of their stock.

Now yes, some of these games are ultra crappy but hey, for $1.99 you cant beat the price for the achievements alone for you achievement whores. 

• 1.99 X360 Full Auto
  
• 1.99 X360 King Kong
  
• 1.99 X360 RidgeRAcer 6
  
• 4.99 X360 College Hoops 2k6
  
• 4.99 X360 NHL 2k6
  
• 9.99 X360 2006 fifa World Cup
  
• 9.99 X360 Dynasty Warriors 5: Emipres
  
• 9.99 X360 Elder Scrolls Oblivion Collectors Edition
  
• 9.99 X360 Final Fantasy XI
  
• 9.99 X360 Moto GP 2006
  
• 9.99 X360 Quake 4
  
• 9.99 X360 tony Hawk's American Wasteland

The 5 developers Microsoft must buy before EA does!

TeamXBOX.com did a little piece called "Five Developers Microsoft Must Buy...Before EA Does".  Here I will post the top 5 developers but for a detailed breakdown on why Microsoft should buy these 5 developers, go here and give it a read. 

• #5 – Real Time Worlds
• #4 – Gearbox Software
• #3 – Crytek
• #2 – Valve Software
• #1 – Epic Games

Now I wouldn't be surprised to actually see atleast one of those developers gobbled up by the end of the year but one rumor that I find interesting that I have heard and so has TeamXBOX is and I quote:

 

The acquisition of Epic Games by Microsoft would be an extremely smart move, reminiscent of Chess Grandmaster Kasparov. Not only would Microsoft be securing the Unreal franchise for Windows and Xbox, it will impede Sony, Nintendo and any other publisher from ever getting the Unreal technology. As a result, the only way to see Unreal visuals would be to get an Xbox or a Windows computer.

There have been rumors of an Epic Games acquisition by Microsoft, but we haven’t reported them because it seems more like fanboy dream than a possible deal. The market value of a developer like Epic Games may be in the billion dollar range, and that means the developer may not be interested at all in being purchased. However, that shouldn’t stop us from dreaming of Microsoft buying Epic Games.

Xbox Live Activity for the week of 2/19!

Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (UU’s)
1 Gears of War
2 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Vegas
3 Crackdown
4 Call Of Duty 3
5 Crackdown (Demo)
6 Madden NFL 07
7 Lost Planet
8 Oblivion
9 Pro Evolution Soccer 6
10 Saints Row

Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions)
1 Paperboy
2 UNO
3 Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
4 Root Beer Tapper
5 Heavy Weapon
6 Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting
7 Contra
8 Texas Hold 'em
9 Geometry Wars Evolved
10 MS.PAC-MAN

Original Xbox Top Live Games
1 Halo 2
2 Battlefield 2: MC
3 Madden NFL 07
4 Star Wars: Battlfrnt 2
5 Counter-Strike
6 Call of Duty 3
7 Forza Motorsport
8 Ghost Recon 2
9 Rainbow Six 3
10 PGR 2

SOURCE: Majornelson.com

Is the 1989 TMNT arcade game coming via XBLA?

360style.net has posted a few images of what appears to be leaked screenshots of the next TMNT game for XBLA.  The screens show what appears to be the arcade version that came out in the early 90's where you and 3 of your friends could play co op together. 

If this is true then it would be a great addition to the XBLA library and perfect for CO OP play over live with you and 3 other people.

This game was great back in the day, it was an era of side scrolling beat em ups and one on one fighting games.

Lets hope that this game is coming because I believe it would be the most popular co op XBLA title to date. 

SOURCE: 360style.net