Posts Tagged ‘Microsoft’

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Microsoft Removes XBLA Size Cap

Sunday, September 27th, 2009

xbox_live_arcade_logo

Back in the old days, Microsoft capped the size of Xbox Live Arcade games at 50 MB. I’m not particularly sure why they choose that cap, but they did. Then Symphony of the Night broke the 50 MB limit, so they raised it to 150 MB. Then Portal: Still Alive broke that at 1 GB. Since then, the file cap hasn’t really been enforced, and IGN reports they’ve ditched the cap all together. That doesn’t mean XBLA downloads can be much bigger, however. Microsoft’s Scott Austin says there is a 2 GB hard cap due to the file structure of XBLA games. So why the 50 MB cap in the beginning?

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Posted in XBLA | No Comments »

Microsoft Rumored To Buy EA

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

ea

Word on Wall Street is Microsoft is going to Buy EA. I don’t know why Wall Street would randomly make up a rumor like this…but it’s driven up the stock prices for both EA and Microsoft (EA is up 8.1 percent, Microsoft 1.1 percent). Even Reuters covered the issue.

“There’s talk that Microsoft might be interested in acquiring Electronic Arts. It’s unsubstantiated chatter, but it’s out there,” said Frederic Ruffy, options strategist at WhatsTrading.com in New York.

If Microsoft did purchase EA I wonder what would happen to all the future games EA is working on that would be released on both the PS3 and Xbox 360, or games coming to the Wii? I’d assume they’d be forced to release to Microsoft only, but who knows.

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Microsoft Confirms 250GB Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

Xbox 360 MW2 Bundle

Infinity Ward announced at a press event that Microsoft will be releasing a new Xbox 360 model based on Modern Warfare 2. The new console will be black and branded with Modern Warfare 2 images, a 250GB HDD, two wireless controllers, and a copy of Modern Warfare 2. It’ll be $399 and available on November 10.

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Posted in Package, XBOX 360 | No Comments »

Fable III Announced

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

Fable III (3) Announced

Lionhead’s Peter Molyneux announce Fable III this morning at Germany’s Gamescom. This time around, instead of being a hero, players will become the king (or queen) of Albion and rule over the land, choosing to be either a kindhearted ruler or ruthless tyrant. For the first half of the game, players will be working to overthrow the current tyrant king, gaining support from the masses by promising all kinds of great stuff (I’m guessing stuff like free snack machines, tax cuts or universal health care). The second half of the game involves either keeping, or breaking, all those promises.

Molyneux also revealed that Fable II is to be re-released as an episodic, pay-per-chapter title (broken up into five chapters). The new version will be available on September 29. The first chapter is free, and at the end you’ll be given the option to pay to download the next chapter. I don’t know why they would do something like this, way after the fact, seeing as how the full game is relatively cheap now ($34.99 used at Gamestop, probably cheaper on eBay).

Below is a disappointingly short Fable III trailer…

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Posted in RPG | 4 Comments »

Microsoft’s Next Dashboard Update Coming August 11

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

Microsoft’s new Xbox 360 dashboard will be released on August 11th and feature a number of improvements and new features, including:

  • A new “Xbox Live Games On Demand” service, allowing users to download whole Xbox 360 games. The service will launch with 30 games, including Assassin’s Creed, BioShock, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, Mass Effect, and Sonic The Hedgehog.
  • Netflix party support, so friends can watch Netflix movies together (I’m assuming if both have Netflix accounts setup).
  • The Avatar marketplace, you can now buy stuff for your virtual avatar, including an RC Warthog from Halo.

The “Games on Demand” service sounds pretty cool, Netflix party support seems alright, too. I might do that like once or twice before I tire of watching Rocky Horror Picture Show with Robert one too many times. Once is more then enough. The Avatar marketplace, though…really? I’m sure people will buy stuff, but why?

[ Kotaku ]

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Posted in Industry News, XBOX 360 | 2 Comments »

More Halo Wars DLC Coming July 21st

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

Halo Wars latest downloadable content, “Historic Battles”, will be available July 21 for 800 Microsoft points and offers 4 new multiplayer maps:

• Barrens (1v1 Map): Difficult terrain channels units into killing zones. The side that controls the Forerunner artifacts will have the advantage.

Barrens

Barrens


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Posted in RTS, XBOX 360 | No Comments »

Microsoft Closes Ensemble Studios

Wednesday, September 10th, 2008

Microsoft has officially confirmed that it will be closing down it’s eternal developer Ensemble Studios. Ensemble Studios is probably best known for their real time strategy Age of Empires games, as well as the upcoming Xbox 360 Halo Wars. Halo Wars is still scheduled for release, Ensemble will be shut down once the game comes out sometime early next year. Additionally, many of the “leadership” team from Ensemble will be forming a new development house, and they have entered into talks regarding supporting Halo Wars after it launches.

“This was a fiscally rooted decision that keeps MGS on its growth path. While the decision to dissolve Ensemble was not an easy one, Microsoft is working to place as many Ensemble employees who do not move to the newly formed studio into open positions within Microsoft as possible.”

MGS = Microsoft Game Studios, not Metal Gear Solid, I think. Maybe. Anyway, not awesome, the Age of Empires games were always fun. Halo Wars…I’m not sure what I think yet, the screen shots haven’t really done anything for me, but who knows.

[ via Gamestop ]

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Posted in Industry News | 6 Comments »

Halo Wars Gameplay Trailer

Tuesday, July 15th, 2008

I’m excited about Halo Wars, but I’m worried about the controls. Every single console RTS game I’ve played just hasn’t worked for me, it just seems like a mouse and keyboard are perfect for RTS while game controllers fail miserably. Hopefully Ensemble will get the controls just right because I really want this game to be good, a Halo RTS game is just too radical.

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Final Fantasy XIII Coming To Xbox 360

Monday, July 14th, 2008

Holy shit, this is great news. At the Microsoft E3 conference, it was officially announced by Square Enix president Yoichi Wada that Final Fantasy XIII is coming to the Xbox 360, and should be released alongside the PS3 version. That’s totally awesome…but I guess it sucks for Sony that’s it’s no longer exclusive.

Also, Star Ocean will be out Spring 2009, which is great. Also, the Last Remnant will be out on 360 first this holiday season.

[ via E3, IGN ]

There’s a trailer after the link…

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Posted in Industry News, RPG | 1 Comment »

Viva Pinata 2 Leaked

Monday, May 12th, 2008

Viva Pinata 2 Screen Shots

It hasn’t been announced yet, but some screen shots have been leaked for Viva Pinata 2. Microsoft is expected to announce the game on Tuesday at the Spring Showcase. Viva Pinata was pretty awesome, can’t wait for the second one. Also, once of the shots seems to show two cursors on the screen, maybe there will be some two player action going on. More screen shots below…
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Posted in XBOX 360 | 1 Comment »

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