Microsoft – Awesome Radical Gaming

Peter Molyneux Leaves Microsoft

Old news, Peter Molyneux has left Lionhead Studios to join a new start up 22 Cans. I think it’s a good thing, as a) I just never liked the Fable series and b) I feel like they just had to keep creating Fable sequels instead of doing new and interesting things, which is what Mr. Molyneux is best at. Anyway, really enjoyed watching these videos. I want to play Populous again.

Also, this is the second video I’ve seen in the past couple of months showcasing an entrepreneur talking about how, when they were younger, they tricked their friends into working for them doing some sort of yard work while they sat back and got all the money. This rubs me the wrong way for some reason. “I’ve just always been much smarter then everyone else, I’m such a great business person and this funny allegory about me being a dick to my friends just proves it! Hahahaha.” I don’t know why this bothers me so much, I wasn’t a victim of anything like this. I sold golf balls lost in the rough back to golfers, but no one employed me to do this.

Also, be sure to follow Peter Molydeux on Twitter.

Game where you control a full stop. Enemies read you stories you and you have to jump in between words at the right time

Try to imagine a game in which you have an imaginary friend who doesn’t believe you are real, you must convince them that you are.

Microsoft Removes XBLA Size Cap

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?

Microsoft Rumored To Buy 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.

Microsoft Confirms 250GB Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360

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.

Fable III 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…

Continue reading Fable III Announced

Microsoft’s Next Dashboard Update Coming August 11

Microsoft’s new Xbox 360 dashboard will be released on August 11^th 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 ]

More Halo Wars DLC Coming July 21st

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.

Microsoft Closes Ensemble Studios

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 ]

Halo Wars Gameplay Trailer

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.

Final Fantasy XIII Coming To Xbox 360

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…

Continue reading Final Fantasy XIII Coming To Xbox 360