XBox 360 Rally

Having had my Xbox 360 since August 2006 (when my Xbox was dropped during a move), and having gone through the whole Ring of Death Debacle, I am happy that a Microsoft exec let it slip out that the Xbox 360 will not be replaced/upgraded anytime soon. With as much as I spend on games, I don’t have enough for a new system just yet…

Xbox division president Robbie Bach told Bloomberg this week that flashy graphics won’t be enough for consumers to adopt a new platform.

“Just coming up with something that’s faster and prettier isn’t going to be sufficient,” said Bach.

Additionally, he predicts products from Sony Corp. and Nintendo Co. will hold a longer life span.

“The life cycle for this generation of consoles — and I’m not just talking about Xbox, I’d include Wii and PS3 as well — is probably going to be a little longer than previous generations.” -PunchJump

Faster and prettier is always good, but I tend to agree with Bach. Something very new needs to happen, kind of like what has happened with the Wii, insofar as a new way to game must be the next step and the reason that I will trade up my gaming console.

Not to mention, Microsoft is still paying through the nose to correct hardware issues with the Xbox 360, so I doubt that the R&D budget for the new-gen Xbox has not been affected by the ongoing problems.

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With Blu-Ray seemingly beating HD-DVD into submission like a redheaded stepchild, it really shouldn’t surprise anybody that Microsoft is now considering adding Blu-Ray playback to the Xbox 360.

In an interview with Reuters, Microsoft’s group marketing manager Albert Penello made it pretty clear that Microsoft would be willing to switch sides in the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray debate, saying “It should be a consumer choice, and if that’s the way they vote, that’s something we’ll have to consider”.

That is code for “If HD-DVD gets beaten into the dirt, we’re switching sides.” This may turn out to be the case, as it is widely believed that Paramount Pictures, who just this summer backed HD-DVD, may be ready to switch sides and join the Blu-Ray camp.

HD-DVD is dead. Long live Blu-Ray!

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Hi, boys and girls. It’s just me, your friendly neighborhood JW, here to remind you all that we’re currently looking for people to replace us here at Xbox 360 Rally. All you have to do is go HERE, fill out the form, and wait to hear back. It’s really not that hard.

So, get to it already — so Paco and I can get to the NEW site!

Kotaku had a sit down with Aaron Greenberg regarding many interesting things I’m sure, however, they decided to just post a blip of what was said. An interesting blip none the less, on the topic of the 360 quality issues:

“We have made all the improvements in our manufacturing process… All the consoles on the market have those improvements…. [We will] repair the console sent to us with these improvements. It should be similar to buying a new console off the shelf.”

Now, I am on my second console, so far, it has red ringed on me once, however never again (still, I don’t care as much as I should, I called Microsoft and am getting another new one, included with a free game which they actually already shipped me, but still haven’t received a coffin for it). Sadly, I have faith that what he speaks is true. I mean, if the trend of returned 360’s being returned and returned again went on, even the mighty Microsoft could fall. Once the general public found out about the Xbox’s breaking a lot, they did get right on top of things with the warranty extended and the new chips/heat sinks.
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CVG was able to snag an interview with co-founder and president of Bioware, Dr. Greg Zeschuk and pull some good info for you to chew on as we all keep waiting for this title. Here is the cliff notes of what went down:

• Most challenging designed game they have ever done.
• Downloadable content is a must, he states the obvious of it “can really help and drive the longevity of a game“
• Because the way Mass Effect was designed, the DLC could not only be just extra weapons and features, but do not rule out more missions, as those could be added to bridge the gaps in storyline between Mass Effect one and the sequel.
• Still undecided if a demo is coming or not (This could go either way, Gears of War did fine without it, I have no doubts Bioshock killed in sales with the help of their demo)
• All three Mass Effect games will be on Xbox 360, however, they cannot comment on exclusivity.
• Without answering yes or no to the infamous “Will there be gay aliens,” the lack of an answer means “yes”

If you haven’t, I highly suggest checking out “Just the Facts” part 1 here, as when you put all the information for this game together, it shows depth like no other game out there.
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Ok, people, here’s the deal — Paco and I are on our way out. We’re taking over at 1PStart.com in an effort to restore it to it’s former glory. …that, and I just plain want to write about another game every once in a while, is that so wrong?!

Anyways, here is what we’re looking for: A competent, capable writer with a love for all things Xbox. Now, by competent writer, we mean someone who spells “you” correctly, and knows when to capitalize. If you can do that, you’re a shoe-in. So, CLICK THIS DAMN LINK, do the required stuff, then get paid to play video games and write about stuff.

…hell, Mike and I did the hard stuff already, and YES, the GTA4 Banner contest will continue, and I will still give you a copy of GTA IV… or something. So, hop to it.

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GameTrailers has a new video interview with Turtle Rock founder and CEO, Michael Booth. It’s an interesting interview which is accompanied by very pretty in-game footage, but some of the discussion points Booth brings up concerns me a bit.

For instance, Booth himself said that you can complete each campaign in “about an hour”. Sure, there are going to be four campaigns in the initial game, but still — that’s only four hours. For anyone who likes to spend more than, say, an hour playing a game, this is not good news.

Also, I would’ve liked to have heard more about the single-player elements with Left 4 Dead, but oh well.

Finally, the game’s release date? “When it’s ready.” …sound familiar?

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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…

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…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]

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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]

One of the top questions that have been asked by fans has been “how is the multiplayer going to work?”. Well, these videos are sure to alleviate any worries you may have that the Stranglehold multiplayer would somehow be broken.

I especially love how they’ve decided to do the “Tequila Bomb” attacks. As explained in the first video, you’ll have a meter that slowly fills up the longer you live. Once you’ve been alive a certain amount of time, your meter will fill. Once full, you’ll be able to do a Tequila Bomb, which has been shortened in multiplayer to about two seconds. By doing it this way, the game will be far more balanced than it would be if you had one guy just dropping bomb after bomb after bomb.

Now, the first video is an interview about how they’ve been able to balance out the multiplayer gameplay. The other videos, which are after the break… eye candy. Pure eye candy.

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Sometimes reading the Xbox 360 positive news ends up sound more like a pissing contest between the 360 and the PS3. Instead, lets just look at two recent quotes that stood out as just more so overall positive rather than being attacks against other consoles, this isn’t a news story or an article, just two quick blips to make you happy you own the best console:

“…the 360, which is the platform we do a lot of the initial work on, as it’s very developer friendly and contained…unlike a PC, where even in the office it can be hard to get the same results on everyone’s system. That’s one area the 360 really excels–awesome development tools.” - Todd Howard, Bethesda (Elder Scrolls: Obvlion) producer, interview regarding Fallout 3’s demo using the 360 version for their displays.

” it makes financial sense to focus on finishing the games for the Xbox 360 first because there are more 360s in the market than PS3s. More consoles means more potential sales for EA.

…such a dynamic was nothing new — and that in the last generation of consoles it sometimes made more sense to push out a version of a game for the PlayStation 2 before publishing one for the original Xbox.” - Jeff Brown, EA spokesperson on why Xbox 360 version of their games get more manpower.

Oh, and what the hell, here is some fuel for the fanboy fire, DiRT PS3 vs Xbox 360 Graphics Comparison.

[Karate Kid YTMND with the best music EVAR]

Because it’s Saturday, there is very little in actual gaming news. With that said, if you’re here you’re obviously not playing the Stranglehold demo — so do it.

Now.

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The servers are melting. Paco spilled his cola on the keyboard. JW’s out back trying to wrangle the horses. In short, we’re all kinds of FUBAR, so we may not be able to update as much as we’d like today.

Sorry, peeps. We’ll be back soon.

Molyneux seems to be up to his old, overly-ambitious shenanigans again.

In an interview with Kikizo, Lionhead Studios’ Peter Molyneux had some strong words regarding the current state of Role-Playing Games. When Kikizo asked Molyneux about the combat system in Fable 2, Molyneux stated that he wanted the Fable 2 combat system to measure up to any fighting game.

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There has been a lot of controversy regarding a recently posted rumor regarding SEGA’s possible Tokyo Game Show line-up. Now, I was originally very defensive of this piece because of who sent it in. He, a long-time go-to guy named Rob, has sent me exclusive tips for four years, and until this most recent one, they were ALL accurate.

Regardless, after the link had been posted by reader “Cedge”, I immediately contacted Rob via GoogleIM.

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