New "Eco-friendly" packaging beginning later this year to have digital manuals only.
Do you like that new-game smell you get when first breaking the shrinkwrap off of a new game and flipping through the manual? Well, if you also like Ubisoft games, that pleasure will be a thing of the past. In order to go green, Ubi has announced that they will be dumping paper game manuals entirely for their games, and instead will instruct players to view their in-game digital manual to read up on their newly purchased games.
Yes, not everyone reads game manuals, but it is sometimes nice to have one to refer to while you're playing a game. There's that whole smell thing also.
Official announcement below:
Today Ubisoft announced an environmental initiative to eliminate paper game manuals, replacing them with an in-game digital manual for all titles on PlayStation 3 (PS3) system and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The program, the first initiative of its kind in the video game industry, launches worldwide with Shaun White Skateboarding this holiday 2010.
Ubisoft's digital game manuals will provide multiple benefits for the player and the environment. Including the game manual directly in the game will offer the player easier and more intuitive access to game information, as well as allow Ubisoft to provide gamers with a more robust manual. Ubisoft internal data shows that producing one ton of paper used in Ubisoft's game manuals consumes an average of two tons of wood from 13 trees, with a net energy of 28 million BTU's (equivalent to average heating and energy for one home/year), greenhouse gases equivalent of over 6,000 lbs of CO2, and wastewater of almost 15,000 gallons.
"It's pretty cool that Ubisoft is making a conscious effort to go green with its new video game packaging," commented Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White. "I'm excited for my new skateboarding game to come out and stoked that it will be the very first Ubisoft game to be part of their green packaging initiatives."
In addition to Ubisoft's efforts to decrease paper usage in its game packaging, Ubisoft has partnered with Technimark, Inc. to release the entertainment industry's most environmentally-responsible DVD case for all of its future PC titles in North America. The 100 percent-recycled polypropylene "ecoTech" DVD case will make its debut with Ubisoft's Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction PC video game on April 27, 2010. Ubisoft has featured digital game manuals in its PC titles distributed in North America since March 2010.
"Ubisoft is often recognized for making great games, but it's a special privilege to be the industry leader at saving trees," said Laurent Detoc, president of Ubisoft North America. "Eco-friendly initiatives are important to the global community and introducing in-game digital manuals on Xbox 360 and PS3 is just the latest example of Ubisoft's ongoing commitment to being a more environmentally conscious company."
The guys over at "digiex.net" have leaked a list of Xbox LIVE Arcade games which are coming to the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360.
In the leak they have published screenshots of Crazy Taxi, Quake Arena Arcade and the new Sonic, running on a DEV KIT!
The following unreleased Xbox Live Arcade games set to appear on your Xbox 360 sometime soon!
Coming Soon to Xbox LIVE Arcade
- Crazy Taxi
- Quake Arena Arcade
- Metal Slug XX
- NEOGEO BATTLE COLISEUM
- RAYSTORM HD
- Sonic Adventure
- The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match
Get the latest Xbox 360 news from 360-HQ using our FREE Toolbar for Internet Explorer & Firefox. The FREE 360-HQ Toolbar has over 150 FREE online hi-score flash games built in, with local weather, radio stations, Xbox LIVE features, 360-HQ Site menu, news, achievements, trailers, facebook and much much more.
The guys from ConsoleSource have just given the team at 360-HQ the opportunity to review Talismoon's new Whisper Legacy Fans. A big thank you to the guys from ConsoleSource for sending us a sample to review for all our members here.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Banish heat forever with the new Whisper Legacy. Sporting a newly designed, front mounted "Nitro Switch", the Whisper Legacy makes it easier than ever to expel unwanted heat. The Whisper Legacy continues to come with blue LED lights installed, although you can use no LEDs or switch to red or green lights (also included).
The Whisper Legacy also enjoys the status of being the "quietest rated fan" that Talismoon has ever produced thanks to the newest mechanism available, a sealed oil chamber that provides less friction than ball bearings.
Every Whisper Legacy comes with a bonus: the "Abzorber" noise vibration reduction system, in every package. To help reduce DVD drive vibration noise.
PRODUCT SPEC'S
No Ball Bearings: specially lubricated "sealed chamber" axis
Lighter impeller blades provide less resistance than earlier Whisper models
42,000 hour lifetime - nearly 5 years of continuous uptime
Interchangable Blue, Green, and Red lights included (blue lights installed)
68 CFM per fan in "Nitro Mode"
Full color instructions included
Bonus "Abzorber" vibration noise reduction system included
EA have just released the new Skate 3 Demo and it is now available for download from the Xbox Live Marketplace for 360. The demo offers a glimpse at both the single and multiplayer experience. Grab the new demo direct from the Xbox Live Marketplace using the links we have provided below.
Team Up. Thrown Down. The award-winning Skate™ franchise is back and rolling into new territory as Skate™ 3 heads to the brand new city of Port Carverton. Delivering the definitive co-op skateboarding experience, build your own customized skate team and change the face of the city. Get ready to take on unique team challenges, compete against rival crews online and shred the streets of the all-new skater's paradise. New tricks, improved off-board actions, and gnarly Hall of Meat carnage mixed with exciting new team-based game modes take Skate 3 to a new level of skateboarding fun.
Content: Skate 3 Demo Price: Free Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions Dash Text: Welcome to the SKATE™ 3 Demo which offers both a single and multiplayer experience. Learn the ins and outs of skating with the all-new Skate.School or team up and throw down in co-op or competitive gameplay. Featuring new challenge types like Own The Lot and Domination, the ability to save and upload clips using the Replay Editor, and to drop objects to personalize your demo experience, the SKATE 3 demo has a little something for everyone. SKATE 3 – Team Up. Throw Down.
Devil May Cry 4 is now available for direct download from the Xbox LIVE "Games on Demand" service. Check availability in your region and pricing by clicking the link provided below..
Devil May Cry® 4 immerses gamers in a gothic supernatural world, where a new protagonist clashes with a familiar hero. As the new leading man, Nero, players will unleash incredible attacks and non-stop combos using a unique new gameplay mechanic, his powerful "Devil Bringer" arm.
Content: Devil May Cry 4 Price: Check pricing for your region Availability: Now available in Australia, Europe and New Zealand Dash Text: (Online Interactions Not Rated by the ESRB) This game supports English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. Download the manual for this game by locating the game on https://marketplace.xbox.com and selecting “See Game Manual". A new Devil May Cry story starring an all new hero, Nero! What dark power resides in his right arm?