Microsoft's recent Crackdown demo, a free download available only for Gold Tier members on Marketplace, this week made Microsoft history.
That's right, beating out top downloads like Lost Planet and Fight Night among others, Microsoft''s Crackdown demo, released on January 23, kicked everyone else's asses. Microsoft told IGN that this week the Crackdown playable demo was the most downloaded demo for a 24-hour period and the most downloaded demo during a seven day (week-long) period.
All this and the Halo 3 Beta wasn''t even included. Slight jest there, but it''s true. Perhaps gamers are finding they like Realtime World's game more than they initially did? Perhaps word of mouth was the key? Perhaps co-op gaming was smartly realized in Crackdown (you could play the demo online with two players)? Maybe there are simply more gamers with Xbox Live Gold Tier accounts -- and few games are coming out in January? There are probably many reasons and all of these assuredly pertain.
Microsoft wouldn't release actual numbers, but is likely to do so in the near future.
NEWS LEAK! Read the following story carefully. On a recent gathering with a few fellow Xbox MVPs, we stumbled upon a partially torn document. In this document were plans…interesting plans. I, along with a few others, are risking quite a bit bringing this explosive story to you! But it’s just too important to keep secret. I’ll suffer later but not before you all know what’s cooking for Xbox 360 owners.
There’s nothing quite like the sound of ‘Achievement Unlocked’ if you’re an Xbox 360 owner. For a long time we played…we completed…we mastered some of the most difficult Achievements and we did for what we thought was nothing more than self-satisfaction. But…what if there was something else to it? What if the Achievements we unlocked somehow meant more? What if there were rewards at the end of that ‘Achievement Unlocked’ sound?
Achievement Rewards?
Would you care for a program that rewarded gamers for completing specific challenges and Achievements? What would you do if obtaining a certain Achievement led to much more than just self-satisfaction? What if completing Halo 3 on Legendary without losing a life would net you a reward…an actual prize? Wouldn’t that be cool?
Well Xbox is teaming up with sponsors to launch a new program next month that will do just this! For the first time with the Xbox 360, gamers will be rewarded for their Achievements and participation in this program. It will be a FREE program for all interested in registering. There are no fees. Your participation, in fact, is simply doing what you’ve been doing all along…playing games, having fun and unlocking those Achievements. From the casual player to the hardcore, this program will satisfy everyone’s gaming style.
Stay tuned to be among the first to register and complete any challenges for a chance to win a limited number of prizes. More details and updates are coming soon. Don’t miss out on this new experience! It will be something different and quite possibly something you’ve never expected before.
Official designation: Type-2 Antipersonnel Fragmentation Grenade
Length (o/a): 91.4 cm (36 in.)
Weight: 1.93 kg (4.25 lbs)
Filler: Unknown
Killing radius: 3 meters (10 ft)
Casualty radius¹: 11 meters (36 ft)
Unit Replacement cost: N/A
Description:
The Type-2 is the standard antipersonnel fragmentation grenade of the Covenant heavy infantry. It resembles the early 20th century Model 24 Stielhandgranate superficially, which has lead to it being called “potato masher”. It has also acquired the monikers “spike grenade”, “table leg”, and “nail bomb”.
Observations:
The directional explosive characteristics of the Type-2 makes it particularly suited to defensive and antivehicle use.
Remarks: “It’s like a table leg with machetes bolted to it. Who the hell makes a weapon like that? Did those guys actually get up into space on their own?”
“It’s not as heavy as it looks, but it’s still like trying to throw a softball bat.”
“When you decide to throw one of these things make sure to tell everyone around you, ‘cause they are dangerous all the way there.”
“Those things ain’t made to wound anyone – to make you use up time and resources treating casualties. They were designed to make you die screaming.”
“The casing is constructed of an unusual porous metallic compound. Shrapnel from the Type-2 reaches a temperature of approximately 270 to 315ºC and retains that heat for upwards of seven seconds. By design.”
“I’ve heard guys say that there’s nothing as scary as seeing one of these slam into a wall – or a man – you’re standing next to. Well, those guys have never seen a whole squad of baby kongs huckin’ ‘em in their direction at the same time – ‘cause that is some scary ****.”
“It’s like a shotgun that shoots flaming chainsaws at mike foxtrots – except you throw it.”
¹ The explosive force and fragment distribution of the type-2 APFG is channeled into a narrow cone perpendicular to the surface it strikes. The mechanism by which the explosion of the type-2 is directed is similar to that of the M383C Linear Shaped Charge Demolition Kit.
Over at the Hushed Casket forums rapture posted a screenshot of the email he received confirming that he was in on the Halo 3 beta. We also got word from Gabe that he too got an invite and was one of those early entrants who slipped past the official launch of Halo3.com. And for everyone who received the mass email from Microsoft telling you to watch your inbox for an invite, don't fret, you aren't a loser just yet. We confirmed with rapture that he too received that mass email, but also received a separate beta invite email. Good luck guys! The floor is now open for braggers who received a beta invite ... brag away.
Bungie has revealed that Halo 3's single-player is now in a state that's almost playable, from the beginning right through to the end. Unfortunately though, according to the developer, the game is still apparently a bit "all over the place" in terms of performance.
"Pretty much every level is not only in the build, and for want of a better word, populated, but that the levels actually flow together pretty well. It's playable enough now, from end to end, that we've started testing properly for difficulty and length. Performance is all over the place of course, from build to build," explained Bungie's Frank O' Connor.
Speaking as part of the weekly Halo 3 update on Bungie's website, O' Connor also noted the game is steadily being upped in terms of graphical finesse. "Layers. Layers and layers of detail. That's what's going into Campaign now, and the speed at which it's happening is astonishing," he revealed. "Artists are checking in such amazing stuff, at such an amazing rate, that something you get at 6pm might be markedly different than something you picked up at 8am."
For the next two weeks O'Connor will be getting to grips with the dialogue in the game. "We have a lot more characters this time around, with more Marines, Grunts, Brutes, Elites and more to write dialogue for. The acting roster is being filled out now, and the people involved are going to be amazing folks to work with. True talents, old and new, famous and obscure. It's going to be a riot.
"The sheer number of characters on screen, talking simultaneously, affects the flavour of combat. Hearing three grunts panic while two charge you, yelling, makes combat feel way more intense. Grunts are still funny, but it's not so funny when they're winging plasma 'nades at you like The Big Unit after a bad haircut. The number of times I have been taken by surprise by a gang of angry Grunts - I can't even tell you. And don't even get me started on Brutes and Jackals."
We've all been surprised by a series of angry Grunts from behind, Frank. Don't worry.
The results are in
Consumers have cast their votes and Xbox 360 was the best-selling next-generation console of the 2006 holiday season in the United States, outselling the PlayStation 3 and Wii combined in December and outselling all next-generation consoles in November and December. The Xbox 360 garnered a 51% market share in the United States for December 2006. (US NPD, January)
Gamers get into Gear
Like “Halo,” “Grand Theft Auto,” and “Zelda,” “Gears of War,” is tracking to be one of the best-selling video games of all time. By the end of next week, “Gears of War” will have sold more than 3 million copies to consumers worldwide in just 10 weeks.
Following on the success of “Gears of War,” 2007 will quite simply be the best year for great games in Xbox history.
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