If you are an avid online player, you already know that Xbox Live experienced some issues over the long Christmas weekend. Although Microsoft claimed the issues were resolved, Xbox Live is still experiencing technical difficulties a week later.
Xbox Live's director of programming Larry Hryb has posted several messages on his official Xbox blog, promising that "the issues are being worked on" and that "just because it is the holidays does NOT mean the Operations Team is working hard...."
As I write these lines, Xbox Live is up and running, but suffering "intermittent issues" such as the ones described in the image below, which was taken from Xbox.com support page:
Update from: Senior Producer Dave Hasle, Monolith Productions "I work with a Primary Lead Artist, Matthew Allen, who is pretty much a hardcore fire-fighter for anything content-related. An issue pops up - technical, pipeline, aesthetic, whatever - Matt will jump on it and put it out quickly and efficiently. As a Producer, I don't close out games at Monolith unless I've got Matt Allen helping keep it all under control and fitting in memory.
"One of our issues was with the production schedule of cinematics. We had a certain quality bar that we wanted to hit but the schedule wasn't allowing for it to happen. In stepped Matt to establish the pipeline and help render out the final frames. Of course, our cinematics could not have been done without Rocky Newton, our cinematic director, and Nick Kondo, cinematic guru, being as dedicated as they are as well.
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"Matthew Allen, Primary Lead Artist: My job has covered a whole range of things, but my major focus over the last three months of the project has been getting the final cut-scenes into the game.
"One of the things we identified as needing a lot of work at the end of the first Condemned game was the cut-scenes. We had spent a good amount of time developing a new process to get them into the game with consistent movement and camera animation, all controlled by the animators. However, as it was our first real console title we ran into a couple of issues; the biggest two being memory and frame-rate.
Not satisfied with all the games you got earlier this week on that Holiday-type day? Well, check out the demo for Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom on Xbox Live.
This delightfully Asian-style RPG hack'n'slash should provide a few hours of mindless hacking'n'slashing.
In line with policy, Microsoft has declined to comment on rumors of a motion-sensing Xbox 360 controller add-on.
Microsoft has contracted an outside firm that will be producing a first-party motion-control peripheral by the end of next year, according to a news post this week at XboxFamily.com.
The young website said that motion control experts at Saratoga, Calif.-based Gyration are currently working on a prototype for a motion-sensing add-on for existing Xbox 360 controllers. XboxFamily.com did not name the source of the information.
A Microsoft rep offered Next-Gen the expected response, “Microsoft does not comment on rumors or speculation. And I have nothing further to share.”
Gyration is the same company that pitched motion-sensing controller prototypes to Nintendo back in 2001. Nintendo didn’t go with Gyration’s design, but Gyration does hold multiple motion-sensing and remote control patents.
As far as motion-sensing capabilities are concerned, the Xbox 360 is the odd man out. The Sixaxis and Wii Remote offer the feature to varying effect. Microsoft’s Bill Gates has in the past downplayed the PlayStation 3 and Wii’s motion controllers.
"There's room for innovation here, but moving that controller around — it's something that's not mainstream for most games," he told MTV News back in May 2006. “…There's a lot to be learned about these controllers."
Here at Altgn, we received an interesting piece of information from a regular poster on our boards. He was taking quizzes through the Microsoft Retail Zone, which is a website interface used to further educate employees of electronic retail stores. While taking the quiz for “Universe at War”, he stumbled upon a cool little gem that might come to pass.
6. Which of the following are defining features of Universe at War?
1. The first ever Xbox 360/PC cross-platform RTS
2. Tactical dynamics create the best RTS until Starcraft 2.
3. Truly unique factions and customization
4. Free one-month Games for Windows LIVE Gold subscription
5. All of the above
6. None of the above
Could this be an unintentional sign given by Microsoft that the long awaited Starcraft 2 will be coming to Xbox 360? As some might remember, Blizzard allowed ports of Starcraft to both the Nintendo 64 and the Playstation. Ports of recent PC RTCs have come to 360 such as Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth 2, and Command and Conquer 3. Both have been received well by console gamers because of their impressive control schemes, previously a massive hurdle to jump for previous RTS console ports. Whether this is simply a misunderstanding or not, this is an exciting rumor nonetheless.
The fourth title in the “Metal Slug” series joins the Xbox LIVE Arcade library as “Metal Slug 3” arrives this Wednesday, January 2 at 9:00 a.m. GMT (2:00 a.m. PST).
An update of the original arcade version, "Metal Slug 3" is a run-and-gun video game updated with HD graphics and now features co-op multiplayer over Xbox LIVE. “Metal Slug 3” provides gamers with various route selections within each stage enabling players to play over and over. Join Marco, Tarma, Eri and Fio, the four veterans in the “Metal Slug” series, as they hit the battlefield to stop General Morden from disturbing the order and peace that has begun to return to the world. Throughout the game, various vehicles called “Slugs” are made available to help players in battle and to complete the mission. The game features co-op gameplay for up to two players over Xbox LIVE. Developed by SNK Playmore, “Metal Slug 3” will be available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points and is rated T for Teen by the ESRB.
Terminator: Survivors confirmed for Xbox Series, PS5 & PC via Steam Play as a survivor in the aftermath of Judgment Day in Terminator: Survivors, a new open-world survival game by NACON (@Nacon). Build the resistance and defy the machines in Terminator: Survivors, com..
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As I write these lines, Xbox Live is up and running, but suffering "intermittent issues" such as the ones described in the image below, which was taken from Xbox.com support page:
The young website said that motion control experts at Saratoga, Calif.-based Gyration are currently working on a prototype for a motion-sensing add-on for existing Xbox 360 controllers. XboxFamily.com did not name the source of the information.
