At 360-Hq we do our best to bring you all the latest and greatest gaming and technology info for your xbox 360.Read below for insight and detailed info on eight games that will rock your 360, starting next year...
Gears of War 2 We loved Epic's system seller as much as the next gamer. Probably EVEN MORE. But, come on, after the neverending hype it had... it patently wasn't finished, was it? The whole 'leaping into a jeep and roaring off just as the long-awaited Brumak tottered into view' reeked of a stitch-up, and when it was announced at E3 that PC owners would be getting a shedload of extra content... that was a ripe fart in the face for 360 owners.
Except, if you really believe those naysayers then you're missing the bigger picture. As critically acclaimed as it was, Gears ended up being a sacrificial lamb to some extent. Why? So that the true blockbuster - Gears 2 - a bigger, better, ballsier and markedly more ambitious outing could shine even brighter. Epic are already well into development with their Halo 3 killer; in fact, by the time it's announced to widespread gasps and hollers at the climax of the Microsoft presentation at E3 '08 in the summer, Gears 2 may even be at a stage where it's on course for a 'shock' Christmas 2008 release.
Don't believe it's possible given Epic's tradition of not releasing games until they're done? How about this: the hard work has been done already in Gears 1; the world, the characters, the engine, animations, multiplayer, it's all already in place. Gears 2 is all about refinement and spectacle. Certainly, the additional content in the PC version of Gears 1 is going to be highly symp-tomatic of what we can expect in Gears 2. You can bet too that Epic'll be gauging its critical and commercial reception as a dry run for their sequel.
At this moment, the Unreal Engine 3 is being tweaked so that monstrosities like the Brumak can now be brought to life and battlefields are far more expansive - more bosses, tides of larger enemies and a nippier frame rate.
If Epic are confident enough to give their Unreal editor toolset to Joe Public, just imagine what kind of wonderlands their designers are whipping up. The five fresh chapters exclusive to the PC version, all featuring large-scale out-door 'trench warfare' style mash-ups, are a taste of what we'll be playing in the sequel. Put your mortgage on tidied up vehicle sections (the Krill escape was clever, but fatally flawed), and - whisper it! - taking to the skies for an on-rails airborne encounter as Epic attempt to mix gameplay up a bit.
Interestingly, President of Epic Games Mike Capps mentioned in an interview this month that Gears' super-popular multiplayer mode was almost given the chop because he "thought it wasn't coming together fast enough". Yet now that CoD4 has come along with its near-flawless matchmaking and multilayered levels of customisation, Epic are going have to raise their game to compete.
Again, while the PC version boasts a new multiplayer mode and refined lobby system, the coding team will be looking demonstrate more ingenuity in multiplayer Gears 2. Like, one player becoming a Berserker and chasing down rival humans or Locusts; and a survival face-off to see who can stay alive as wave after wave of Krill bear down on you. Other things on Epic's 'To Do' List: a longer, deeper Campaign; new weapons, including a flamethrower; four player co-op; a class system; new executions; more choice in the branching level design; true destructible cover; enhanced squad AI and - finally! - a half-decent grenade tossing system. Oh, and a story which kicks things on - but also looks back. That means a playable prologue mission detailing exactly what Fenix did to wind up in the slammer. Exciting stuff.
Zoozen, a creator of consumer electronics and videogames accessories, has provided today a first look at its Ovo 360 Case.
Zoozen is delighted to give the public a first look at one of many innovative projects that our development staff are working on - Ovo 360.
The Ovo 360 for Xbox 360 is the first case in the world which has the power to transform the complete look of Microsoft's next-generation machine.
Sporting a sleek, white and sophisiticated shell, the Ovo 360 fuses the awesome power of the Xbox with an elegant and breathtaking modern day design to match.
Publisher Take-Two has announced the formation of Northern California-based development studio named 2K Marin.
Located in Novato, California, the new studio will focus on the development of original intellectual property, as well as co-developing games with other 2K studios globally.
"We're focused on continuing to bring new brands and cutting-edge gameplay to market with the creation of the 2K Marin studio," said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K.
"2K Marin will build upon our success in creating and leveraging AAA franchises."
2K has a portfolio of development studios located in Asia, Europe, Australia and North America.
Sometimes you see a Photoshop fake that is SO good you just wish it was real.
Such is the case with this genius and extremely well executed pic from SomethingAwful.
Having just re-played through the first few hours of BioShock again in an effort to show my friend how beautiful the game is, I got to see the whole Andrew Ryan speech on Rapture over again.
It always made me laugh with its little slideshow presentation and self aggrandizing rhetoric. So I had a good laugh over this little image that a friend of mine emailed me and thought I would share it with other BioShock fans. I don't care how crappy or far away the store was, if they had this on their shopping carts I would find an excuse to shop there every day.
Yes its true, We already know about Mr. Jack Thompson, the Layer who excitedly jumped in the vacant position of "lawyer who can make lots of cash and fame by attacking video games." But now the gaming community has an even "higher moral authority" telling us violent video games are bad, or at least bad for business, Canadian Arctic Hookers.
Anastasia Kuzyk of the Sex Workers’ Alliance of Toronto told the newspaper:
Sex work is a job, and violence is not in the job description… There's a video game out there where you can run down prostitutes and kill them and beat them up and take their money. It feeds into the whole subculture of allowing the violence to continue. Violence against sex workers should not be normalized, but it is.
A game that will have players reliving their quarter dropping days, “Tempest™,” arrives on Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday, December 19th at 9:00 a.m. GMT (2:00 a.m. PST).
A true classic, “Tempest” is an intense shooter game requiring skill and lightning quick reflexes. Players must harness their firepower to shoot and destroy enemy hordes in a desperate fight for survival across fluorescent geometric battlefields. “Tempest” contains both the original and enhanced gameplay modes. The game will be available worldwide, with the exceptions of Japan and Korea, for 400 Microsoft Points and is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.
Tempest® is one of the most well-known arcade games of all time, a true classic in the realm of video games. This intense shooter requires lots of skill and lightning-quick reflexes. Use unlimited firepower to shoot and destroy enemies in a large geometric battlefield.
Download the full version to play this classic arcade game in its original form and completely re-stylized versions featuring evolved graphics and newly introduced Throttle Monkey™ mode.
Next-gen presentation: The game supports 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios, including HDTV, with full-screen anti-aliasing and Dolby Digital surround sound.
Arcade integration: Check top scores on the Leaderboards and master 12 challenging Achievements.
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We loved Epic's system seller as much as the next gamer. Probably EVEN MORE. But, come on, after the neverending hype it had... it patently wasn't finished, was it? The whole 'leaping into a jeep and roaring off just as the long-awaited Brumak tottered into view' reeked of a stitch-up, and when it was announced at E3 that PC owners would be getting a shedload of extra content... that was a ripe fart in the face for 360 owners.
"We're focused on continuing to bring new brands and cutting-edge gameplay to market with the creation of the 2K Marin studio," said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K.
