Archive for June, 2008

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

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Jun 30 2008

Rumorang: 60GB Xbox 360 model is in, 20GB is out

Posted by: in Xbox360

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360

We’re very relieved to know that the 20GB Xbox 360 model isn’t advanced enough to experience the equivalent of a mid-life crisis. Not only are a string of alleged retailer ads knocking its asking price down to $299 in July, but an Opposable Thumbs source is suggesting that the model will soon be discontinued and replaced by younger, better model packing 60 gigglebytes.

Still, it’s a rumor we’ve heard before (remember this?), one the “usually trustworthy source” indicates will become reality during E3. Fluctuating hard drive capacities, multiple SKUs and retired models: Welcome to the current generation!

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

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Jun 30 2008

Report: ‘major retailer’ confirms Xbox 360 price cut

Posted by: in Xbox360

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360

With two separate retail circulars (Kmart and Radio Shack) claiming a “new low price” of $299.99 for the Xbox 360, and a major press conference scheduled for two weeks from today, there’s an awful lot of smoke billowing around this rumor. Now you can add an anonymous retail report from The Hollywood Reporter to that list. The venerable trade mag said “the price move will come before … E3.” Huh, would you look at that: Microsoft’s E3 press conference is scheduled on Monday just a day before E3 officially kicks off. Just saying …

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

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Jun 30 2008

This Wednesday: Soulcalibur still burns on XBLA

Posted by: in Xbox360

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Fighting

OK, so not so much a surprise on the XBLA front this week, since we brought you the rumor last week that Soulcalibur would likely be released soon on the service. (It’ll be there this Wednesday for 800 points [$10]). But hey, Schizoid wasn’t released like we thought it would be, so that’s kind of a surprise, right? Not like, a great one, but a surprise all the same.

In other surprises that won’t necessarily have you vibrating with glee, Wits and Wagers will be getting 280 new questions this week for 320 MS points ($4). In case, you know, you played it so many times that you ran out of questions.

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

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Jun 30 2008

Rumor: Mega Man 9 coming to XBLA, PSN too

Posted by: in Xbox360

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Retro, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

According to Ars Technica, Capcom’s two-dimensional return to tradition in Mega Man 9 may not be confined to WiiWare, as was originally revealed in the latest issue of Nintendo Power. The report notes that the game is currently listed as an Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network title on Capcom’s E3 roster — if true, Mega Man 9 would be the first downloadable game to jump through the doors of all three services.

Capcom remains quiet on the matter, however, telling us that we’ll have to wait until E3 for further news. Given the publisher’s continued support of both XBLA and PSN for its downloadable games, the blue bomber will likely stick with a multi-platform approach. We can’t imagine how many gamers would be left seeking retrobution otherwise.

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

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Jun 30 2008

DFC predicts $57 billion gaming market in 2009, Wii to drive

Posted by: in Xbox360

Filed under: Culture, PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Business

The soothsayers at analyst group DFC Intelligence have revised their already rosy outlook for the game industry in 2009, predicting that the market, including consoles, PC and online games, could now reach a mind-blowing $57 billion by next year. DFC foresees that much of this growth will be driven by (surprise!) the Wii, a platform DFC’s David Cole feels “has the chance to be one of the best selling systems of all-time.”

Looking further ahead, DFC backed off of its previous prediction that annual PS3 game sales would surpass those on the Wii by 2012, now stating that the pair will simply be equals. Still, with the lion’s share of top selling titles for the Wii coming from Nintendo itself, fellow analyst Jeremy Miller adds that “for many third party publishers this means they will have much greater success on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, even if Wii sales continue to be strong.”

But what of the PC? Oh, there’s love there as well, with gaming on the personal computer expected to reach an impressive $19 billion on its own by 2013, no doubt steered by online sales, which exceeded a staggering $7 billion in 2007. If DFC is on point with its prophecy, the future is so bright, we may just have to reach into the drawer for some shades.

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

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Jun 30 2008

Rock Band 2 rocking on 360 in Sept. - PS3, PS2, Wii ‘later in the year’

Posted by: in Xbox360

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Rhythm

While IGN simply reports that Rock Band 2 is “set to ship for Xbox 360 this September and PS3 later in the year,” the AP says it will be “available for Sony’s PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 2 as well as Nintendo’s Wii later in the year.” While the two at least agree about the “later in the year” detail, neither answer our biggest question about this arrangement: Is this presumably brief period of Xbox 360-exclusivity a business arrangement - as it was for Rock Band in Europe earlier this year - or simply a development reality?

Sure we’ve got other questions - like will the PS2 and Wii releases be similar to the watered-down experiences currently available - but with Guitar Hero IV coming out for Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, and PC in late October, details on the nature of the timed exclusive seem paramount. We’ve asked the hard-rocking folks at Harmonix to let us in on the nature of the arrangement.

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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

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Continue reading New games this week: Guitar Hero Aerosmith edition

Jun 30 2008

New games this week: Guitar Hero Aerosmith edition

Posted by: in Xbox360

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Computer, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360

Well, it’s the end of an era. We’ve had a lot of fun over the last few months making fun of Aerosmith, both for their membership among the ranks of the walking undead and for passing mediocre music on an unsuspecting public for decades. But this day we must report that, despite our most acerbic cursing into the blogging darkness, Guitar Hero Aerosmith is, in fact, being released. You win this round, Tyler.

So why are we featuring it? Well, you ever see that scene in Hook where Peter gives Hook the dignity of having his hair back, although they’re mortal enemies? It’s sort of like that. … And yes, the closest contender is Purr Pals on Wii. Little bit of column A, tiny bit of column B.
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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

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Jun 30 2008

Xbox 360 price cut shows up in Radio Shack ad

Posted by: in Xbox360

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360

The beans may already have been spilled by Kmart, but now another store has briefly emerged from retail obsolescence to spread the legend of the $50 Xbox 360 price cut. A Radio Shack employee recently mailed us the evidence, some scans of what they claim is an upcoming ad set to take effect on July 13 (same as the Kmart ad).

As you can see, the ad purports that we’re going to be seeing the 20GB system at $299.99 in the middle of next month. Though it’s far from official, the price cut’s presence in two flyers would appear to make a Kmart printing mix-up quite a bit less likely. Let us know if you see more evidence.

SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

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