I read this article excitedly because a few of our members that play online with me know that i love GOW, in fact it's even the theme for my custom Xbox 360 case, lol. Anyways here is the article from Computer and Videogames.
Epic VP Mark Rein says that "significant progress" is being made in the development of the next Gears of War update, and new achievements are set to be added as well.
Speaking on the official Gears of War foum, Rein said that Epic plans to make use of new Microsoft guidelines allowing developers to add 250 extra gamerpoints via download content.
"The next Gears of War update is coming along nicely", he said. "We don't have a release time frame for it yet but I just wanted to let you know we're making significant progress. In addition to the previously mentioned plan to improve roadie run we're also going to have new achievements relating to Annex and the Hidden Fronts DLC.
"The title update is free and that's what contains the achievements. However some of the achievements are tied to things relating to playing the maps in the Hidden Fronts map pack which currently costs money but will be made free in a few months."
As the man says, the Hidden Fronts map pack, which contains four new multiplayer maps, is on Xbox Live Marketplace now for 800 MS points.
Well it seems that Sony are getting their underwear all bunched up at the thought of the upcoming mammoth release of Halo 3 at they ain't too enticed at the idea of picking out the wedge that MS will jam up there with Halo 3. Here's an article from Techwhack...
QUOTE: If there is one game that Xbox 360 gamers are waiting for since the launch of the console, it’s Halo 3. Microsoft has confirmed that the game would be launched this coming September 25.
Microsoft vice president Peter Moore spoke about Halo 3 at the announcement party: “‘Halo 3′ is much more than a video-game release; it’s the biggest entertainment event of the year.”
He added: “We intend to deliver a finale that will go down in entertainment history.”
The company has also given the gamers a taste of what is coming up by starting a multiplayer beta test of the game on Xbox Live. This beta testing is limited to few gamers though some of whom got the invite by purchasing a copy of “Crackdown”.
The beta testing would continue till June 10 this year.
Sony has now said that they are going to challenge this upcoming gaming title which can potentially change the market scenario for both the company by launching some Playstation 3 exclusives.
The company also showed more than 30 upcoming gaming titles for their PS3 console which is struggling against both Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox 360.
Some of these titles were “Ratchet & Clank Future,” “Heavenly Sword” and “Lair” along with the war game “SOCOM Confrontation” and the bizarre “Pain”. END QUOTE
Well in my opinion Sony have ALOT of ground to cover before they can begin to take out MS or the mighty Xbox 360, and what with the upcoming release of Halo 3 it only goes to show that Sony is basically just another 4 letter word, and i'm sure some of our readers can think of a few other 4 letter words to describe this shady company, lol
Win $25,000 cash and a national TV debut of your short film!
Stranglehold’s True to John Woo Short Film Contest - The grand prize winner will receive $25,000, a trip for two to Midway’s Chicago studios to meet developers and tape an interview for Spike TV, the chance to personally premiere the short film on Spike TV, an authentic “Hard Boiled” movie poster autographed by John Woo, an Amp’d mobile phone with six months’ service, and a copy of Stranglehold.* Click here for more...
The new Colin McRae: DIRT demo from Codemasters has just been released onto the Xbox Live Marketplace for everyone to download and enjoy.
Codemasters Studios’ designers are back creating a totally reinvigorated McRae experience. The new Colin McRae title will go beyond the series’ point-to-point rallying to deliver the most diverse selection of extreme off-road competitions. Sensational gravel, mud and dirt racing events from the world over will include perilous Hill Climb and collision-packed Rally Cross events. International rallying competitions will also feature, with official cars on tracks based on real roads and locations around the globe.
The title will also expand on beat-the-clock racing and include events with multiple cars on track to satisfy anyone who wants to push their on-the-edge driving just that bit further. With official cars and official events across a wide variety of off-road and rally disciplines, the most authentic and thrilling tracks ever in a McRae game, modes that make the most of online multiplayer and the series’ trademark intuitive car handling system tuned to perfection, Colin McRae Rally is evolving.
There's more great content available on http://creators.xna.com this month, including a new mini game, new tutorials, and new samples to keep you busy throughout the month of June. If there's specific content you're interested in, be sure to leave feedback on our blog as your suggestions help us build better content. Enjoy the new additions!
Catapult Mini Game
Catapult is a complete XNA Game Studio Express minigame. The project comes ready to compile and run, and it's easy to customize with a little bit of C# programming. You are free to use the source code as the basis for your own XNA Game Studio Express game projects, and to share your work with others.
The goal in Catapult is to launch a pumpkin from your catapult as far as you can. You do this by moving the catapult towards the log and launching the pumpkin. If you wait too long, the catapult will smash into the log and you will have to try again. The all-time high score is kept in the upper-left corner.
Video Tutorial
(Available Next Week 05/28/07 - 06/01/07 ) Video Tutorial 4: Make a Game in 60 Minutes
This tutorial shows how to gather the knowledge gained in previous tutorials to create your own game: a top-down space shooter featuring 3D graphics, input, audio, collision, and scoring.
Other Tutorials Collision Series 1: 2D Rectangle Collision:
This tutorial shows how to create a 2D game that uses bounding rectangles and collision logic to provide an obstacle-dodging challenge for the player.
Collision Series 2: 2D Per-Pixel Collision:
This tutorial shows a more advanced 2D collision scenario: pixel-perfect collision logic between the player and the obstacles yields a more realistic challenge.
Samples Shader Series 2: Colors and Textures:
This sample shows how to combine texture operations with mathematical color operations to blend colors and achieve interesting lighting effects.
Particle Series 2: 3D GPU Particles with Point Sprites:
This sample improves on the Particle Sample by animating the particles in 3D entirely on the graphics processing unit (GPU), resulting in higher performance, even with a large number of particles.
Microsoft celebrates the 91st Indy 500 with release of “Forza Motorsport 2” on May 29; announces price drop for the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, now available for $129.99 ERP.
REDMOND, Wash. — May 25, 2007 — Microsoft Game Studios today announced that “Forza Motorsport® 2” will speed onto U.S. retail shelves Tuesday, May 29, and that the estimated retail price (ERP) of the Xbox 360™ Wireless Racing Wheel has been lowered to $129.99 in the U.S.
Timed to mark the biggest racing event of the year, these announcements are sure to ignite the driving spirit in gamers and car enthusiasts alike as the 91st Annual Indianapolis 500 kicks off today.
Tuned and developed with the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, “Forza Motorsport 2” supports true force feedback, setting a new precedent for realism in the racing simulation genre that will have gamers feeling every bump in the road and every jolt of acceleration as they take the corners on 12 of the most renowned tracks on the globe. With the game running at an astounding 60 frames per second, authentic simulation physics, and rumble functionality with the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, “Forza Motorsport 2” offers incredible realism and depth for a complete racing experience in gaming.
In addition, to mark the release of the new title, gamers in the U.S. will be able to participate in the “Forza Motorsport 2” Race Weekend, running June 1 through June 3. Gamers will be able to participate in a “Play and Win,” Livery contests, gameplay sessions with developers, and a leaderboard tournament. Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheels and other prizes will be awarded to winners. Gamers will experience all the racing excitement they can handle with the following new gameplay experiences:
Game Features
· Collect, upgrade and tune hundreds of cars. From sport compacts to purpose-built race cars, “Forza Motorsport 2” offers more than 300 cars from over 50 of the world’s leading manufacturers such as Ferrari, Porsche, Nissan, Volkswagen, General Motors and Lamborghini. Players can take their car to the garage and install alternative engines, suspension kits, add-on superchargers, brakes, rims and racing slicks. Players can also dial in advanced suspension settings, tire pressure and gear ratios.
· Experience an uncompromising physics simulation. Top automotive engineers, professional race car drivers and experienced programmers teamed up to create a complete racing simulator experience. Cars incur dramatic damage and wear, which affects vehicle performance. Advanced tire and suspension models that respond to heat and pressure changes as well as weight transfer and aerodynamic load are just a few examples of how the gamer plays both crew chief and driver.
· Master real-world tracks from around the world. From the famously challenging Nürburgring Nordschleife to the green hills of Tuscany, gamers can race on meticulously designed tracks with an incredible sense of speed and realism. “Forza Motorsport 2” features 47 ribbons across 12 environments, including real-world licensed circuits such as Mugello, Suzuka and Sebring International Raceway.
HQ Network: 8,848 | 
Guests: 5283 |
Members: 0
Microsoft vice president Peter Moore spoke about Halo 3 at the announcement party: “‘Halo 3′ is much more than a video-game release; it’s the biggest entertainment event of the year.”
