G4TV Reports: As I wrap up my reporting from CES 2010, I must return to some issues that won't go away.
Xbox Live deserves praise as a service, but being the standard for which other online gaming services are judged means its flaws come under repeated scrutiny -- for good reason. It's why I always find myself asking Microsoft executives a couple of the same questions whenever I'm given the opportunity to sit down with them: why is there a friends cap on Xbox Live and when will the entire service allow me to pay for content in real-world dollar amounts, rather than confusing Microsoft Points?
Some background on each issue.
You cannot have more than 100 friends on Xbox Live. I used to think this was an issue that affected only the most hardcore. I don't even engage in much multiplayer through Xbox Live. But I do use the service to keep tabs on what my friends are playing, what they're watching on Netflix and other social networking bits. Now, I have reached the friends list cap and find myself removing people I know. I published a story last year that reported the main holdup for the cap was Halo 2 players.
Microsoft's response?
"Phew," sighed Xbox group product manager Aaron Greenberg at CES. "God, I've been answering this question for so long. It's something that the team's looking at. It's more complicated than you would think. I know you have actually covered yourself in some detail and I think it is something that we're hoping to address. Exactly when that happens I can't say because there's some technical requirements tied to it. But I can tell you that, just like consumers, I share the same frustration and I, too, want more than 100 friends, and so know that we all want that and that we are working on getting that fixed."
When Microsoft launched the Games On Demand service last fall, it allowed users to purchase full, retail Xbox 360 games through Xbox Live and pay for the games in actual dollar amounts. You can still use Microsoft Points, but the less-confusing real-world dollar listings were seen as a welcomed addition, something that's been standard on PlayStation Network. So far, the change remains restricted to Games On Demand, not all of Xbox Live. Space Bucks continue to remain the dominant currency.
Microsoft's response?
"You're right," said Greenberg. "We did it with Games On Demand and the response has been really good. I think people like to see the dollar amount. We never intended to ever mislead people. I think we want to be transparent about it, and so it is something that we're looking at. How can we be more transparent and let people see it in actual dollars? The fact is that you've got to think that we have one service that we're offering around the world. The nice thing about points is that no matter if you're on the yen or the euro or the dollar -- something that's 200 points is 200 points everywhere around the world."
"There's more technical complexities to being able to put local prices in," he continued. "You have to do that for every product in very country and you then have to deal with currency fluctuations. So there's some challenges to that, but we absolutely did it with the Games On Demand, response has been good and absolutely it's something we're looking at doing."
It does appear we're seeing progress on both fronts, but I won't be satisfied until the changes are actually implemented. Until that happens, I'll keep asking Greeenberg and others about it for you.
Are you stuck in a game and just have no idea how to get past the point your on, well it just might be a thing of the past thanks to a possable 360 Super Guide system.
GamesIndustry reports: A new patent filing by Microsoft suggests that the company is planning its own online help system for games, with content submitted by both gamers and developers.
As reported by website Siliconera the filing, by Microsoft director of games platform strategy Andre Vrignaud, describes a system where stuck gamers would be able to pause the action and access a database of online user-submitted tips.
The Xbox system appears to be similar in concept to the popular free-to-use website GameFAQs, where users submit guides and tips of varying complexity. The Xbox system would allow gamers to include annotated screenshots and video clips, as well as audio commentaries.
Microsoft is also considering allowing developers to offer their own guides, although there is no indication that any of the content would be paid-for. It is also unclear how the system might affect the existing strategy guide business which has proven a lucrative market for both videogame and book publishers over the years.
Nintendo recently launched the Super Guide system in new title New Super Mario Bros Wii which, along with detailed in-game hints, also allows the user to accede control to the game after a pre-set number of deaths. The game then plays itself on autopilot, allowing the player to take control again when a difficult section is overcome.
So here we are again boys and girls. Only 3 months from the release of another mouth watering installment of blood splattering FPS mayhem! If you are anything like me, you are starving for any info Regarding MW2 you can get your hands on to hold you over till the game releases on the 10th of this November. So I have done a little surfing and compiled some MW2 facts, rumors and More.
So lets get started....
Weapons
Confirmed Weapons... include the AK-47, USP.45 pistol, ACR Rifle, Knife, AUG-HBAR, C4, Frags, Semtex sticky grenade, Famas, Dragunov Sniper, A heat seaking shoulder launched ground to air Missile, One handed sub-Machine guns. These and more were seen in videos during game play.
Unconfirmed...These were reported by a Beta tester that got in trouble and fired by IW. Iw denies his claims but would not comment on which of his claims were false or true. These include weapons carried to MW2 including M16 and the M4. Weapons dropped from MW2 being the Scorpion, P90, M21, R700, G3, and G360. Also the introduction of new guns such as the SR25M for the United States, the Diemeco C8 for the Canadian forces, and L85A2 for the United Kingdom.
Attachments...IW confirmed that MW2 would have more attachments as has been requested by the gaming community but did not mention what attachments might be new or if we will be able to finely use more than one on a gun at a time. But one confirmed NEW attachment is a flip out LCD screen that can be attached to a 2 handed weapon and has a built in Heart beat monitor, Much the same as the device seen in the movie Aliens. Videos have shown the heart beat monitor being used in both Single and Multi-Player modes.
Locations
A few of the known locations in the game include rio de janeiro Brazil Both in the main city and in the slums, The Frozen mountains deep in Russia, A desert location in Afghanistan. Some other areas seen in Screen shots and video include what looks like a large locker room area in maybe a pool area or bathhouse, a rooftop construction area surrounded by skyscrapers in some large modern city, and Divers exiting a submarine underwater and coming up under what looks to be an off shore oil platform.
And yes We finely get some Winter Snow maps!
Factions
There are 4 factions you will be able to play in Multi-player online games, these include U.S. Army Rangers, British SAS, The Russian Rebels From Cod4 and A Middle Eastern Faction.
Please Click HERE to see the rest of this story, its too long for this spot and there is much more to see including the Unboxing of the Prestige Collectors Edition!
“Gears of War 2,” the entertainment blockbuster of 2008, has surpassed 5 million copies sold worldwide, and the overall “Gears of War” franchise unit sales have eclipsed the 11 million unit mark. The momentum doesn’t stop there – to commemorate these milestones, Microsoft Game Studios and Epic Games will unleash the “Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection,” a value-packed compilation that combines all previous “Gears of War 2” Game Add-ons with brand new multiplayer and campaign content. Available only at retail, the new collection invades store shelves worldwide on July 28 for $19.99/£14.99/€19.99.
Included in the “Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection” is the “Gears of War 2: Dark Corners” Game Add-on, which features seven new multiplayer maps and a deleted campaign chapter titled “Road to Ruin.” In “Road to Ruin,” Marcus and Dom return to the Locust Hollow in a scene that can be played two ways, guns blazing or in all-new stealth mode.
The seven new multiplayer maps in the “Gears of War 2: Dark Corners” Game Add-on are:
Allfathers Garden: Honor the sacred grounds of the Coalition founders in this explosive map, where powerful weapons catalyze fast and furious action at this COG landmark.
Memorial: Set near the Eternal Flame, which pays tribute to the fallen soldiers on the battlefield, a hard-fought battle ensues at the Tomb of Unknowns. Putting their flank formation and evasive skills to the test, players will fight to control the Boomshot.
Sanctuary: Once a peaceful ground for reflection and remembrance, all that remains of the Sanctuary is the chill of death. Feast your eyes on the arsenal of weapons available as you make your way through the tight paths and blind corners of the Locust-damaged temple corridors.
War Machine: In the abandoned train station that once served as a hub for travel, players will need to master the Longshot, Mulcher and Boomshot weapons to advance the fight while evading fire from the platforms above.
Highway: Take the fight deep into the Locust Hollow in the complex passages of this underground highway system brimming with enemy vermin. Stick together, separate the enemy and have an exit strategy ready or it’ll be a one-way trip.
Way Station: Sitting in limbo between death and “processing” are Locust way stations filled with fallen COG soldiers. Tread lightly and practice patience as it’s better to sacrifice firepower for stealth while navigating this minefield of hidden grenades.
Nowhere: Set in the middle of what was once a destination for weary desert travellers, the land is now barren and devoid of life. Pick off your enemies with the Longshot sniper rifle and make your way to the stairwell with a well-fortified team during this intense firefight.
In addition to the new content, the “Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection” also contains every “Gears of War 2” Game Add-on released to date, including the classic “Flashback” Map Pack, volatile “Combustible” Map Pack and the winter-themed “Snowblind” Map Pack. Also included is an introduction to “Road to Ruin” from Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski, along with a custom Xbox LIVE theme, collectible “Gears of War 2” poster and a strategy guide. Containing over 3,600 Microsoft Points worth of content, the “Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection” is an incredible value at $19.99.
Already enjoying the previously released “Gears of War 2” collection of map packs? Available day-and-date with “Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection” via download from Xbox LIVE Marketplace, the “Dark Corners” Game Add-on will be available separately for 1,600 MS Points.
“Gears of War 2” is available exclusively on Xbox 360 and is rated “M” for Mature by the ESRB and PEGI 16+. “Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection” and “Gears of War 2: Dark Corners” will be available in LIVE-enabled regions worldwide, where “Gears of War 2” is available.
2008 was a banner year for Xbox LIVE Arcade titles and were going to kick off the Second Annual Arcade Awards on March 3rd. The cool thing is this year, you get to cast your votes directly on your Xbox 360 within NXE.
The voting starts on Tuesday, March 3 at 2:00 A.M. Pacific Time (10:00 A.M. GMT), and ends Tuesday, March 10 at 3:59 P.M. PT (11:59 P.M. GMT).
Not sure what game to vote for ? Each Arcade title has a free demo to give you a taste of the action. To get you started, here are the categories and nominees:
How to Vote
1. From your Xbox LIVE console, locate the Arcade Awards Voting Application slot in the Spotlight or Game Marketplace channel, and then press A to download the application.
2. Once the application has finished downloading, launch the application in either of the following ways:
In Spotlight or Game Marketplace, navigate to the slot image that now says Vote Now instead of Download Now, and then press A.
In your Game Library, browse Game Demos and Trials to locate and launch the application.;
3. Select your favorite arcade game in any or all of the nine different categories, and then select the appropriate button below:
To vote, press A.
To view game screenshots, press X.
To download the game demo, press Y.
To exit, press B.
Winners will be announced by Major Nelson and posted at Xbox.com.
For more detailed information on any Xbox Live Arcade games including game info, screenshots, videos & trailers, achievements, cheats, reviews, news and much more please visit the 360-HQ Xbox 360 Games Database from the links provided.
Now’s your chance to prove yourself a master escape artist in this week’s puzzle game release, “Exit 2,” arriving on Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday, February 25, at 9 a.m. GMT (2:00 a.m. PDT).
Mr. ESC, the escape artist, is back in Exit 2, and this time he is rescuing people all over the world before time runs out. To escape safely, use your head to find a route and work with people you rescue to overcome tricky obstacles. Compete for the fastest clear time and aim to become the world's top escape artist. Exit 2 is the definitive escape puzzle game!
This time around, Mr. ESC is racing the clock to rescue people all around the globe. Tricky obstacles and 240 puzzling stages will keep you on your toes as you dodge danger and safeguard those in trouble. Published and developed by Taito Corp., “Exit 2” will be available for 800 Microsoft Points worldwide. The game is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.
For more details on “Exit 2” please browse the 360-hq games database or visit the official xbox.com website.
Ubitsoft has today released a online game update/patch for Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 on Xbox 360.
Jump onto Xbox Live to update your console with the latest fixes. There are a huge list of improvements and fixed features in this update and they include the following:
What's Improved
Weapon Switch
Swapping to & from Pistols are now faster in Multiplayer.
Sound Loops
Optimized sound bank to improve weapon firing and helicopter sound clips that loop over and over.
Pings
Servers now update their pings more often so that players have a more accurate value of server performance.
Team Leader Respawn Modification
Spawn Shield is shorter when respawning with the Leader.
XP Modifiers
When there are more people on a team than the other, there is an overall XP modifier applied to all XP gained during the game.
Outfitting
By pressing the start button, players now have access to the outfitting menu in observer mode.
Team Deathmatch Respawn Modification
Respawning in Team Deathmatch now work like regular Deathmatch (random points throughout the map) which intensifies gameplay and minimizes spawn camping/trapping.
Faster Respawns
Faster respawns for Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch. You no longer have to wait a full 10 seconds!
Custom Search
Players who enter a room using custom search then exit will be brought back to an automatic search with the same criteria.
What's Fixed
Rank Reset Glitch
Fixed. Players will be able to use their Xbox guide during the game loading without risk of losing their rank.
Private First Class Achievement
If you are ranked Private First Class or above, you will automatically get the achievement after the title update is complete and you load your gamer profile.
Freedom Shall Prevail - Achievement
If you’ve passed all checkpoints on Story Mode on Realistic and finished the game, you will automatically get the achievement after the title update is complete and you load your gamer profile.
That Wasn’t So Hard - Ribbon
Your ribbon now unlocks when you get the achievement.
Light Machinegun Sound Glitch
When firing continuously with any light machinegun, the sound of the weapon will no longer get cut off.
Civilians & Hostages on Tactical Map
No longer are displayed as terrorists.
Shield Teleport Glitch
Players can no longer teleport when trying to take cover with a shield
Out of Map Glitch
Players can no longer cover-peek into each other to raise a team mate above their heads that allows them to walk into areas outside the designated map.
Friend Invite in Ranked Matches
Inviting friends in Ranked Matches now work correctly.
Custom Face
Previously, Custom faces were sometimes copied over to another player’s face. This is no longer the case. Custom faces will display the proper faces.
Radar Jammer
Radar Jammer now work for clients, not just hosts.
XP Farming - That one famous area in ACT 1 “Ambush” will no longer allow XP Farming.
Observer Mode
Players will no longer be stuck in the respawn screen at 0 seconds while in observer mode.
Weapon Restriction
The weapon restriction configuration is no longer kept in Terrorist Hunt, Story and Co-op Story.
Custom Camo 3 Save
The colour and pattern of Custom Camo 3 now saves correctly.
Well, there we have it.. That's all the info on the latest Rainbow Six Vegas 2 Updates. For all the latest R6V2 news, achievements, cheats and other info keep track via the 360-hq.com games database by visiting the link below.
When many of the year’s biggest games involve shooting people in the face, it should be no surprise that violence in games was again a common theme in videogame politics in 2007.
Contrary to popular belief, however, there are many popular titles that don’t involve bullets in bedlam. But you’re not going to hear politicians rally against the carpel tunnel you’ve developed from Guitar Hero. That kind of stuff doesn’t win votes.
And in an industry where blood and guts in games frequently splash headlines, former Entertainment Software Association boss Doug Lowenstein was well-aware of the challenges the industry would face after he left his post for new opportunities earlier this year.
"Damn it, get up there and defend [your work]," he implored in what would be his farewell speech at the Las Vegas DICE Summit in February. "… If you want to be controversial, fine, … that’s great. But damn it, don’t duck and cover when the shit hits the fan.”
Manhunt 2
And the shit did hit the fan in June, when Rockstar and Take-Two’s Manhunt 2 was granted an "AO" by the Entertainment Software Rating Board due to the game’s violent content. It proved to be one of the first big, public challenges for the newly-appointed management at Take-Two, and a microcosm for the struggle between the entire games industry and legislators. Manhunt 2 was edited, re-rated under an “M,” released in October, was hacked into, in turn releasing said violent content in the PSP version, and politicians, much like ambulance chasers, were all over it like stink on Donkey Kong.
In effect, Manhunt 2 acted as a catalyst for much of the videogame-related political headlines throughout the year.
In August, California Sen. Leland Yee demanded that the ESRB make the ratings process more transparent following the ESRB’s re-rating of the game, just a few months after the Federal Trade Commission lauded the ESRB for the strides made in keeping mature games out of minors’ hands. In November, the cross-party quartet of US Senators including Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman, Evan Bayh and Sam Brownback made a similar demand, calling for a “thorough review” of the ESRB in the wake of Manhunt 2’s release.
And after all that, the game launched to ho-hum sales and lukewarm reviews—a truly anticlimactic event upon which so much time, money and energy had been spent. But it still served, and continues to serve, as yet another lesson to an industry whose audience is now old enough to think for themselves.
One of the main features we put special attention to while creating Warhound is the AI behavior. A special system currently in the state of intensified production and testing makes AI behavior increasingly indistinguishable from those of soldiers on a real battlefield.
There is no room for scripted, predefined enemy behavior in the next-gen games. The artificial enemy is to be no different from the real one, especially when it comes to combat. The player should have no doubts that he fights a real soldier, not a predictable bot, who repeats a certain sequence of operations over and over again. An improved AI system intensifies the feeling of realism and amends visual experience.
The system is built of several modules which must collaborate precisely.
The primary one is an expanded animation module which explicitly models even the slightest details of human behavior – gestures and body movements through various actions, face mimics and even eyeball movement.
The module essential for the realistic gameplay is the Integrated Combat Behavior System. It includes all the basic movement types – walking, turning, crouching, crawling, running, passing obstacles, etc. All these must fit in well with the weapon held. There is a huge difference between the movement of a person with a big rifle and a person with a pistol. Realism also implies a wide range of behaviors depicting the combat itself. Current technology allows every single AI to scan the visible area and decide on the usefulness of nearby objects basing on their size, shape, and even material they're made of. The analysis of this data lets AI find the nearest safe cover, and react appropriately to current situation on the battlefield. Distance to the enemy, weapon held, sight and hearing range or enemy visibility are only a few factors for the system that chooses the optimal action for the moment.
With programmers finding it difficult to take full advantage of PS3, tools company Codeplay hopes its new parallelism system will ease the pain.
In many respects, PlayStation 3 is an anachronism. The pinnacle of Sony Computer Entertainment’s decade-old philosophy that focuses on proprietary chip design to gain performance and long-term production efficiencies, it’s been outflanked by Microsoft’s off-the-shelf approach and Nintendo’s control-is-everything attitude. And with its main architect, one-time CEO and the father of the PlayStation Ken Kutaragi, no longer in charge, it’s likely that PlayStation 4 will be a very different beast.
Of course, in terms of the current console war, it’s still early days. PlayStation 3 remains the most powerful gaming device, as well as providing the best future-proofed option in terms of consumer electronics, although cynics might say that at its original launch price it should’ve made the tea, too.
For developers, however, the dilemma is how to make the most of its exotic configuration – notably its CPU. Even now, years after the initial interest in the design has died down, Cell’s configuration of one main processor driving eight Synergistic Processing Elements (SPEs) via what’s called the Element Interconnect Bus (EIB) makes it one of the most fascinating pieces of silicon coders can get their hands on.
For example, outside of games, researchers at the STI Center of Competence for the Cell Processor continue to publish papers with titles such as ‘Fastest Fourier Transform on Cell’ and ‘On the Design and Analysis of Irregular Algorithms on Cell’, while its use in scientific applications such as Folding@Home, as well as MMOG hosting, demonstrates its potential. One hardware integrator, Mercury Computer Systems, recently released software which enables companies to use retail PlayStation 3s to build high-performance clusters for the analysis of data from financial transactions, oil and gas field exploration, biotechnology and video compression.
Because if there’s one thing Cell is excellent at, it’s handling vast amounts of information as the EIB enables high throughput while the parallelism inherent in the SPEs means tasks can be processed very efficiently. The issue for developers is making sure information is presented in the right way.
With the exception of specific architectures such as Intel’s Streaming SIMD Instructions or PS2’s Vector Units, few game programmers have had much experience of writing well-organized parallelized code. And games aren’t the easiest pieces of software to apply to parallel hardware, anyway.
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Of course, in terms of the current console war, it’s still early days. PlayStation 3 remains the most powerful gaming device, as well as providing the best future-proofed option in terms of consumer electronics, although cynics might say that at its original launch price it should’ve made the tea, too.
Bungie's popular first-person shooter makes its debut on the Xbox 360 with Halo 3.
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