Tag: Xbox 360

PSA: Huge EA Xbox Live Sale

Microsoft and EA have slashed prices on all sorts of digital content on Xbox Live. Loads of games and excellent DLC are on sale. Here’s the list:

Microsoft and EA have slashed prices on all sorts of digital content on Xbox Live. Loads of games and excellent DLC are on sale. Here’s the list:

Add-ons
Dragon Age: Origins:
Awakenings Normally: 2400 Sale: 1200 Discount: 50%
Warden’s Keep Normally: 560 Sale: 280 Discount: 50%
Return to Ostagar Normally: 400 Sale: 200 Discount: 50%
The Darkspawn Chronicles Normally: 400 Sale: 200 Discount: 50%
The Golems of Amgarrak Normally: 400 Sale: 200 Discount: 50%
Witch Hunt Normally: 560 Sale: 280 Discount: 50%
Leliana’s Song Normally: 560 Sale: 280 Discount: 50%

Medal of Honor Hot Zone Pack Normally: 800 Sale: 400 Discount: 50%
FIFA 11 Live Season All Leagues Normally: 800 Sale: 400 Discount: 50%
Madden 11 Max Pack Normally: 800 Sale: 400 Discount: 50%
Tiger 11 Favorites Course Pack Normally: 1600 Sale: 800 Discount: 50%
NCAA Football 11 Powerpack Normally: 2400 Sale: 1200 Discount: 50%
NHL 11 20th Anniv. Bauer Boost Pack Normally: 560 Sale: 280 Discount: 50%
Fight Night Round 4 Champions Pack II Normally: 800 Sale: 400 Discount: 50%

Games
Madden NFL Arcade Normally: 800 Sale: 400 Discount: 50%
NHL 3 on 3 Arcade Normally: 400 Sale: 200 Discount: 50%
RISK: Factions Normally: 800 Sale: 400 Discount: 50%
MicroBot Normally: 800 Sale: 400 Discount: 50%
Battleship (Hasbro FGN) Price: 800 Sale: 400 Discount: 50%
Scrabble (Hasbro FGN) Normally: 800 Sale: 400 Discount: 50%
Boggle (Hasbro FGN) Normally: 800 Sale: 400 Discount: 50%
DeathSpank Normally: 1200 Sale: 600 Discount: 50%
DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue Normally: 1200 Sale: 600 Discount: 50%
Battlefield 1943 Normally: 1200 Sale: 600 Discount: 50%

I’m going to buy the last bits of Dragon Age: Origins DLC that I don’t have. How about you? Anything on the list temp you?

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Square Enix Announces Final Fantasy XIII-2 + Leaked Trailer

Last week’s rumors were true! Square Enix has officially announced Final Fantasy XIII-2 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Coming “next winter”, the game is a direct sequel to the hugely popular Final Fantasy XIII. Here’s a snippet from the press release:

Production on Final Fantasy XIII-2 is underway, and builds upon the best aspects of Final Fantasy XIII. In particular, a brand new story and evolved battle system promise to stand out markedly against the standard for high-quality content established by the previous title.

I was psyched when I first heard rumors about this game. I was super psyched when a few unnamed sources told me that they’ve seen it. Although Square Enix has been getting a ton of buzz from its latest Final Fantasy Versus VIII trailer, I’m actually more interested in this game (for now).

Be sure to check out the leaked trailer above. What do you think?!? Happy? Sad? Meh?

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This Week’s Videogame Releases

January 2011 continues to be a surprisingly strong month for videogames. Leading the way is Media Molecule’s LittleBigPlanet 2. The PlayStation 3 gets a graphically boosted version of Mass Effect 2 that’s available on disc or digital download. Last, but not least, is Square Enix’s Mindjack.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

NPD 2010 Console Sales Figures (Flame On!)

NPD Group has released its December console sales figures, giving flame warriors some nice 2010 numbers to play with. I haven’t been able to track down the PSP year-end totals yet, but I’ll add them as soon as I do. Here are the total U.S. console sales in 2010 according to NPD Group:

  • Nintendo DS:  8.56 million
  • Nintendo Wii: 7.07 million
  • Xbox 360: 6.76 million
  • PlayStation 3: 4.33 million

While most of the numbers were lower than 2009, Microsoft had a tremendous year with the Xbox 360, selling more than 40 percent more units in 2010 than 2009. The new model combined with Kinect made the Xbox 360 a huge winner in America.

What do you guys and dolls make of the 2010 console wars (in America)?

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Final Fantasy XIII-2 Announcement Next Week?

A curious domain name registration and a Square Enix event in Tokyo point to a possible Final Fantasy XIII-2 announcement next week. The Unofficial Final Fantasy Site has done some sleuthing and discovered that the domain name “finalfantasy13-2game.com” has been registered by a company that has filed paperwork for other Square Enix titles.

Superannuation noted that the domain had been registered by “Corporation Service Company” — the same company that has registered domains for other Square Enix titles, including the official website for upcoming third person shooter MindJack, MindJackGame.com.

We’ve done a little extra investigation on top, and the same company has recently been used to register domains for Front Mission Evolved, Nier and Gun Loco, all major recent or upcoming Square Enix releases.

The last direct Final Fantasy sequel, Final Fantasy X-2, was an okay game that didn’t match up to its fantastic forerunner. If this FFXIII-2 rumor pans out, I’m hoping that Square Enix does a better job following up. Hell, with critics polarized by Final Fantasy XIII, there’s a chance that it could score better than the original.

Personally, I’m totally down with more FFXIII graphics and gameplay. A sequel would totally win me over if it featured more Reona Rewis songs and centered on Sazh’s adventures as a single parent. And you? Would you be down with FFXIII-2? What would you want the game to be?

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Razer Onza Xbox 360 Controller Available this Month (Finally!)

I’ve been excited for the release of Razer’s Onza controller for Xbox 360 since last year. Packed with excellent features for precision gaming, the Onza is a cut above the standard Xbox 360 gamepad. At CES 2011, Razer announced that the Onza will be available for pre-order on January 17, 2011. Here are some details from the press release:

Built for the hardcore competitive gamer, the Razer Onza Tournament Edition offers superior customizability with adjustable resistance analog sticks. Onza’s tagline Resistance is Futile means nothing stands in your way for exceptional precision. Twist the analog sticks in one direction to make them more resistant for steadier control, or twist in the opposite direction for quicker, fluid movements.

The Razer Onza Standard Edition features Multi-Function Buttons (MFB) on the controller’s shoulders which allow remapping of critical buttons to any location under your fingertips. Not only does this increase efficiency of game control, but aids those with disabilities unable to reach specific functions on a crappy standard controller. Razer lets everybody play. Both Standard and Tournament Editions feature MFB, Hyperesponse technology, PC compatibility, and a 15 foot cable for the ultimate pleasure in Xbox gaming.

The Onza Tournament Edition will retail for $49.99, while the Onza Standard Edition will cost $39.99. Any of you interested in these controllers?

Torchlight Coming to Xbox Live House Party

Runic Games’ Torchlight is coming to Xbox Live House Party in February. You haven’t heard of Torchlight?!? Shame on you! This nifty action-RPG was designed by several ex-Blizzard North employees and has a Diablo-esque feel. It was quite popular on PC  in 2009 and 2010. Here’s the official word:

A highly regarded PC game with more than 800,000 units sold to date, Torchlight is now coming to Xbox Live. Combat is more exciting with revamped controls and mechanics, new armor and quests. There’s even an exclusive new pet for your character. Send a select goodie or two to your friends on Xbox Live to share the fun for the first time.

I’m excited that the game is headed to Xbox 360 and thrilled that Runic will get more exposure, but I wonder how Torchlight will control with a gamepad. The mouse-and-keyboard gameplay of the original was fantastic and I worry that something will get lost in translation. I’ll be cautiously optimistic about this one.

How about you? Any Torchlight fans out there? Any newcomers interested in the game?

Coffee Talk #279: Sold to Retail = Blowing Smoke

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer impressed the crowd during his CES 2011 keynote when he revealed that the company has sold eight-million units of Kinect for Xbox 360. The only problem is that’s not how many units were actually sold.

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, whether Steve Ballmer is ruining Microsoft, John Morrison upping his game’s physicality, or your favorite Entourage character, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer impressed the crowd during his CES 2011 keynote when he revealed that the company has sold eight-million units of Kinect for Xbox 360. The only problem is that’s not how many units were actually sold. Ballmer cited the “sold to retail” number — a term that’s being used more frequently by PR flaks and marketers.

It’s quite clever, though certainly disingenuous. More people know the difference between shipped and sold than ever before. More PR people are using “sold to retail” instead of “shipped” in their press releases. Internet reporters and bloggers are doing less fact checking (and less thinking, for that matter) in their race to get stories up as soon as possible. PR people know this and cleverly mask actual sales figures with sold-to-retail numbers.

Marketers and flaks are playing the press. Sure, some writers will verify whether touted numbers are shipped or sold, but it’s almost always too late. Hundreds of articles with inaccurate claims will have been posted by the time a verification email is received. Millions of readers will have been misinformed by the time a diligent journalist receives confirmation via phone.

I’ve covered games for a long time and have seen PR people manipulate journalists time and time again. The sold-to-retail gimmick is one of the smartest tactics I’ve seen in a long time. As a reader, do you trust the numbers issued by console manufacturers and game publishers? Do you suspect that most bloggers don’t bother to verify figures? Do you think PR people punk the press more often than not? Leave a comment and let me know (please)!

Fight Night Champion Full Spectrum Punch Controls Explained

In the video above, Gameplay producer Brian Hayes explains the new “Full Spectrum Punch Controls” in Fight Night Champion…and it makes me kind of sad. On the plus side, I’m happy that haymaker punches will be less ridiculous, but for the most part I’m bummed that the controls are being simplified.

I loved the complex analog-stick motions featured in the old Fight Night games. I thought it was completely appropriate that hooks were harder to throw than jabs. From what I’ve seen in the video, it looks like everything will be a simple flick. I get that this will make the game easier for and more appealing to a broad audience, but it takes away from the realism. Throwing an uppercut should require more effort than throwing a jab. Sadly, it appears that nuance of the series is gone.

The new control system is giving me nightmares about Fight Night Champion’s online play. In my head I see a bunch of button mashers and button flickers spamming the game. *sigh* Although the game appears to have a lot of new and interesting features, I’m afraid that Full Spectrum Punch Control will kill it for me.

Any thoughts on Fight Night Champion’s Full Spectrum Punch Controls?

2010 Videogames: The Year in Review

In case you missed any of these excellent videos starring 1Up.com’s Sam Kennedy, Gamasutra’s Christian Nutt, and GameFly Media’s (Shacknews) Garnett Lee, here they are! Let’s start with their favorite games of 2010. Find out why these three excellent writers felt that Bayonetta, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, and Red Dead Redemption were the cream of the crop.

Next, find out why Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIV, and Gran Turismo 5 were the most disappointing games of the year to Christian, Sam, and Garnett.

Discovering sleeper hits is always a fantastic thing. There are games we all love that don’t get the attention they deserve. In the following segment, my dynamic guests tell you why Split Second, Ys: The Oath in Felghana, and Bayonetta should have your attention.

Last, but certainly not least, is the biggest gaming news in 2010. In a truly fascinating year for the business that kicked off tons of change, Garnett, Sam, and Christian reveal what news they thought had the biggest impact.

If you have any closing thoughts on videogames in 2010, speak now or forever hold your peace!