XBox 360 Rally

The inner speed demon in me just squeeled in delight, as Bizarre Creations announced that Project Gotham Racing 4 has gone GOLD. For those of you who don’t know what that means… that means it’s done. The final car count, for those of you who are curious, is 122, split into groups A thru G.

Full Press Release, and new screenshots after the break.

(more…)

Chip Ganassi Racing, in association with both Target and Microsoft, have revealed the new Halo 3 paintjob that will adorn driver David Stremme’s #40 Dodge Avenger. The paint scheme, which will replace Stremme’s usual Coors Light sponsorship, will make it’s only appearance of the 2007 Nextel Cup season at Dover International Speedway on September 23rd, 2007.

In addition to having the sponsorship and rather sharp paint scheme, there will also be kiosks at DIS, allowing NASCAR fans the opporitunity to try our the final, complete version of Halo 3 two days before it’s official launch on the 25th.

Read the full press release, as well as get a closer look at the #40 Halo 3/Target Dodge Avenger, after the break.

(more…)

The Pre-TGS press conference was surprisingly informative, considering TGS isn’t too far away. Amongst the cavalcade of new info were the announcements of nine new Xbox LIVE Arcade games, including one that WAS going to be on our “Games We Want on Xbox LIVE” weekly feature - Ikaruga. In addition to Ikaruga, eight other games were announced to be coming to the XBLA in the coming months. They were:

• Every Extend Extra Extreme
• Exit
• OMEGA FIVE
• Rez
• Triggerheart Exelica
• Braid
• Castlecrashers
• Schizoid

• You can read more detailed descriptions of each game after the break.

  (more…)

Wow, Microsoft is kicking ass at a recent briefing in Japan during the Tokoyo Game Show. Some pretty big news, not only is Team Ninja developing Ninja Gaiden 2 exclusively for the 360 it is also being published by Microsoft themselves. Awesome news. Keeps getting better. We also have the Ninja Gaiden official brand spanking new trailer:


Square-Enix jumps on stage to discuss with everyone two new titles, “Infinite Undiscovery” and “The Last Remnant” (Though we have covered Last Remnant on the Rally before)

As JW just pointed out that Lost Odyssey is 95% done .. it also has a release date of February 2008! Not too far away, not like there isn’t enough games in the mean time to play. I have been waiting on Lost Odyssey for so long I had to make sure this news hits you from two posts!

A lot more random, not as important, but still read worthy information on just about all the games coming out for basically the holiday season, has been put out in a press release, to read, just click below:

(more…)

Microsoft is giving their pre-TGS press conference right now, and so far, not too much. One very interesting thing that DID come out of the press conference, however, was from Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Final Fantasy and the upcoming Lost Odyssey. Now, I know what you’re saying. “But JW, it’s a pre-TGS press conference. They’re not going to give us any information before TGS! What could be so interesting?”

Lost Odyssey is 95% done.

…that got your attention? I thought it might.

It’s so close to being done, in fact, that the Japanese will be getting Lost Odyssey on December 6th. If you don’t live in Japan, however, you’ll only have to wait a couple of months more — Lost Odyssey is slated for a February, 2008 release.

On a side-note, if you want to be up to date with the goings on at the Pre-TGS Press Conference, visit the IGN liveblogging page.

[IGN]

, ,

It goes without saying that Sonic 2 for the SEGA Genesis was, without a doubt, one of the best 2D platforming games to ever be made. Ever. Period. With the release of the first Sonic the Hedgehog a little ways back (along with our corresponding contest), it was all but certain that we would eventually see Sonic 2 make it’s way to the Xbox LIVE Arcade.

This Wednesday, according to Microsoft, seems to be that day. Promising to stay true to the original while taking full advantage of HD Graphics and enhanced sound, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will be made available for download on XBLA this Wednesday, September 12th, for a measly 400 MS Points.

If you don’t buy this, you hate video games, democracy, and babies.

[Xbox.com]

, , , ,

As if the constant rumors of Metal Gear Solid 4 coming to the Xbox 360 weren’t enough, here’s a bit of news that will surely get the fanboys in a fit: Final Fantasy XIII is being developed on a cross-platform engine. Go ahead, get giddy. I’ve give you a minute…

…

…you ok now? Good. This bit of information was revealed by Square Enix’s Hiromichi Tanaka during his GDC keynote address, down in Austin, TX.

Development is proceeding smoothly now, with the framework now beginning to take shape. Last year we went through a development reorganization, with the development of our own cross-platform middleware – the white engine. This is the foundation for FFXIII and the new MMO.

Now it should be noted that this by no means means that Final Fantasy XIII will be coming to the Xbox 360. BUT, it does leave the door wide open for future Square Enix titles developed on the “White Engine” to come to the 360 in the future.

[Gamasutra]

, , ,

As I’m sure you know by now, the Level cap for Call of Duty 4 has been bumped up to 16. I haven’t yet been able to get on to the CoD4 Beta, on account of my Xbox 360 STILL not being back yet, but I digress.

What you may not know is this, but once you hit level twelve it appears that Clan support is unlocked. Is this awesome? Yes, yes it is.

, , ,

Phil Wilson recently spoke on the real negative side that went into the productin of Crackdown, but was thankfully helped by the mighty Microsoft. Even talking about the Halo 3 Beta key that was included, he said, “It’s a shame we needed it, but we did. It was a great boost.” Though there are elements still they want to put in Crackdown such as making it easier for people to record and share those crazy videos they make of them doing random crap (if you are a Crackdown fan, you know exactly what Im talking about). The biggest news about Crackdown was, a confirmation of NO SEQUEL! At the fault may be Microsoft themselves, as he said, “Microsoft were a little late in stepping up to the plate to ask for Crackdown 2, and by then we had already started working on bigger, better things.”

Bigger and better things now include a MMO called APB (All Points Bulletin). Cops, robbers, and multiplayer. On top of this, there is an undisclosed project coming in 2008. Awesome work to developmag for being able to grab some pretty significant information.

In an interview with website Canaljuegos, Peter Molyneux let some good info fly. On top of the pretty large statement he made about the Wii controller not being as impactful as Xbox Live is saying a lot. I can see both sides though, I mean, yeah, the Wii wiggles around for you to make movement, while Xbox Live is making connecting through online play the most simple thing a person can do. Though Nintendo and Sony offer their free online services, Xbox Live users just know “you get what you pay for” and with Xbox Live, it is the best.

Other things discussed in the article include praise to Lionhead (well deserved). They are working on another title right now, a casual type game, that may feature elements of an older game he was working on, “Project Dimitri.”

On Fable 2, a good amount is discussed about emotions playing a part in the game much like moral decisions. In a question about online play, he replies with “This not something I can talk about at the moment,” which we all know means online play is going to have some part in this game.

I am really starting to enjoy the crazy character that is Molyneux, he speaks his mind (”most RPG’s are shit“). I just hope Fable 2 lives up to the first title and then some.

[Full Interview]

Some people will win copies of the game, others can have a chance to be on MTV’s TRL (omg!!1!!!). A winning band out of all the bands will actually open for a concert (a possible insult to real rockers?). You get the gist of this all, lets see the dates so you can show up with your friends/band and rock out to win some free stuff. The Rock Band tour rigs will travel to local college campuses and other locations around the country including:

Las Vegas, NV
September 9 – 16, 2007
Milwaukee, WI
September 13 – 16, 2007
Sacramento, CA
September 20 – 23, 2007
Columbus, OH
September 20 – 23, 2007
Seattle, WA
September 27 – 30, 2007
Chicago, IL
September 27 – 30, 2007
Portland, OR
October 4 – 7, 2007
Pittsburgh, PA
October 4 – 7, 2007
Oakland, CA
October 11 – 14, 2007
Cleveland, OH
October 11 – 14, 2007
San Francisco, CA
October 17 – 21, 2007
Philadelphia, PA
October 18 – 21, 2007
San Diego, CA
October 25 – 28, 2007
Baltimore, MD
October 25 – 28, 2007
Los Angeles, CA
October 31 – November 18, 2007
New York, NY
November 1 – 4, 2007
Boston, MA
November 8 – 11, 2007
New Jersey
November 15 – 18, 2007
Phoenix, AZ
November 27 – 30, 2007
Atlanta, GA
November 27 – December 2, 2007
Austin, TX
December 6 – 9, 2007
New Orleans, LA
December 6 – 9, 2007
Dallas, TX
December 13 – 16, 2007
Orlando, FL
December 13 – 16, 2007

Check Rockband.com/tour beginning September 9th for more information on dates, locations and Rock Band news. If I get my press badge in time for the Orlando show, I will definitely be attending and bringing you back some exclusive shots and interviews.

So you booted up BioShock on your 360 in the past hour or so to find that you had to download an update. Seeing no other choice, you go ahead and initiate the download, and now you’re trying to figure out exactly WHAT the update was for.

Well, 2K isn’t saying. At least, not yet. Many speculate that it may be a fix for the widescreen issues. However, there are no new options to fix anything that I can find.

Considering some of the questionable decisions 2K has made over the past week, it wouldn’t surprise me if 2K somehow found a way to tie copies of BioShock to your Xbox 360, thus making it impossible to play your copy of the game at your friends house.

Vultures.

, , ,

Even I have to accept that the Transformers movie was awesome, even if the game was a generic piece of next-gen poo. Well, now Transformers will be on both DVD, and splended High-Definition HD-DVD on October 16th, and Hasbro has today announced all the goodies we can expect with both versions.

So, what can you expect to find on the HD-DVD copy of Transformers, you ask? Well, in addition to the movie, you’ll receive ALL of the following!

Disc 1:

• TRANSFORMERS H.U.D. (Heads Up Display)–In this mode, viewers can access running text-based behind-the-scenes background information on the production during the feature. Users can also watch relevant picture-in-picture b-roll and video with Bay, Spielberg and other filmmakers during select sequences.
• Transformers Intelligence Mode web-enabled features consist of:
  – Transformation Mode
  – Health Meter
  – Weapon Mode
  – Robot Bio
  – In Scene Indicator
  – Text Ticker
  – GPS

• Disc 2:

• TRANSFORMERS Tech Inspector - Gives viewers an unprecedented look at the TRANSFORMERS robots through the exquisitely detailed models created by ILM artists. Users can zoom in on each detail for a closer examination and pause and change the rotation of the models.

• …huh. You get more special features in the Special Edition DVD, it seems. As someone who is a complete freak for Special Features, this is the primary selling point for me. All the same, you can’t beat the visual quality of HD, then the HD-DVD package is the way to go. But if you, like me, love features, go with the Special Edition.

  Full Press Release after the break. Sexy.

  (more…)

Harmonix has announced today that The Grateful Dead will be joining their ever-increasingly impressive library of musical talent for the upcoming Rock Band. While there will ultimately be eighteen songs from the rock GODS (Yes, Gods with a G), only six of them are known at this time:

• Truckin’
• Uncle John’s Band
• Touch of Grey
• Sugar Magnolia
• Casey Jones

• Read the full press release after the break.

  (more…)

Ladies and gentlemen rejoice, for the official website for BlackSite: Area 51 has launched! If you go to the site right now… you’ll be at their website. However, the site itself is pretty cool.

My favorite feature on the site is the interactive satellite maps, showing off different areas you’ll be able to explore in the game. They range from the gas station featured in the demo, to a saloon, to a field hospital. Hovering your mouse cursor over a highlighted icon will tell you specific facts, such as whether or not there is an Area 52, or directions on how to find Area 51.

We here at X360R strongly urge you to NOT follow these directions, for you will be shot and killed. Then we wouldn’t have any readers.

[BlackSite: Area 51]

, ,