Kotaku: Microsoft

Would You Play A Halo MMO?

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:00:00 MDT

RPS' Jim Rossignol, having picked up the scent of one of the internet's more far-fetched rumours, has done a little digging and come up with a few possible (stress: POSSIBLE) clues, all pointing towards the possible possiblity that Microsoft are working on a Halo MMO. And not a loot-dropping MMO, an FPS MMO. Before you go getting your speculative knickers in a twist, whether such a project ever comes to light or not is irrelevant, nor is it the point. It's simply interesting taking a look at Microsoft's first, fumbling steps in examining the genre again, one left poisoned and barren since the failure of Planetside.

Halo MMO: The Clues [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

Xbox Division FINALLY Reports Profitable Year

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:00:00 MDT

Congratulations, Microsoft. For the first time in the Xbox group's history, it's reported a profitable year (previous back-slapping have been confined to profitable quarters), with earnings released today showing the Entertainment & Devices Division (which, granted, also includes stuff like Games for Windows and the Zune) made around $426 million during the 07-08 financial year, mostly as a result of increased 360 console and software sales. That sure beats last year's results, which thanks to the RROD warranty extension saw the E&DD division go $1.9 billion in the red. Also included in Microsoft's report was the fact the company have now sold 20 million 360 consoles, which should provide a nice, clean figure for the company's post-NPD numbers spin.

Jade Empire Is Your Next Xbox Original

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:00:00 MDT

Microsoft have just announced that the next original Xbox game to be granted a second lease of life will be BioWare's Jade Empire. For a BioWare game it's nowhere near as fondly recalled as some of their other, more laser gun-oriented titles, but it's still an excellent game, especially its take on RPG combat. It'll be made available on July 21, for the usual 1200 MS Points.

Jade Empire Coming to Xbox Originals [Gamerscore]

Bungie's Halo Game Announcement Held Back For A "Dedicated Event"

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:00 MDT

Oh, the drama. To recap: Bungie were going to announce a game at E3. Then they didn't. Turns out at least one of Bungie's projectsis a Halo game. That new, Bungie Halo game, to be obviously published by MS, was supposed to be unveiled during Microsoft's keynote, but according to Don Mattrick, they pulled it at the last minute. Why? Because Microsoft - perhaps catching wind of the sub-par standard of their competitor's addresses - felt they already "had an embarrassment of riches", and that they "felt we could do this game more justice with a more dedicated event". Maybe, though you've also totally taken the wind out of that announcement's sails with all this meddling.

Microsoft explains Halo's no-show at E3 game conference [LA Times]

Your 360 Themes "Could" Look Like This On The New Dash

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:40:00 MDT

The new 360 dash sure looks nice. Classy. Surprisingly classy, considering the raw functionality of the blades system. But as nice as it looks, what's to become of those themes you've tarted your current dashboard up with? Well, according to Microsoft's Larry Hryb, this is what they "could" look like. Which means it's probably what they will look like.

Bungie Working On a Halo Game, Says Microsoft

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 01:40:00 MDT

I know. Shocking, isn't it? Speaking with MTV, Microsoft's Don Mattrick has revealed, perhaps accidentally, that Bungie are working on a Halo game for Microsoft. And it's not the Peter Jackson one. It's something else. Rather than insert the same tired, old theories about a Halo game sans Master Chief, or a Forerunner game, or any other well-worn rumour, I'm just going to point out that Bungie are a big developer, and that before you all go wondering what this means with regards to today's "other" Bungie news, it may be worth bearing in mind they're more than capable of working on more than one game at a time.

Microsoft Confirms That Bungie Is Developing New ‘Halo’ [MTV] [Pic]

E3 08 Instant Booth Tour

Noah R — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:33:02 MDT

42 photos.

Exchanging Words With John Schappert

Adam Barenblat — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:14:40 MDT

The man. The myth. The legend. The corporate vice president of Xbox Live, John Schappert. Here's parts one and two of Leigh's interview with Schappert, where we ask the hard questions and get the answers you'd probably expect.

More On The Netflix/360 Deal

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:00:00 MDT

Of all yesterday's 360-related announcements, the one that could have the biggest impact on the console's sales over the years to come could well be the Netflix deal. Because, really, it turns the 360 from a games machine that moonlighted as a movie download unit to a games machine that could be bought solely as a movie download unit and (almost) be worth the money. So, bearing that in mind, let's take a look at the deal's finer details!

Firstly, it's scheduled to kick off sometime "this holiday season". So, late November, early December. Secondly, if you're an Xbox Live Gold subscriber and a Netflix subscriber, this won't cost you an extra penny. You're already paid, and signed, up (though if you're without a Gold and/or Netflix subscription, you'll obviously need to get one/both). Thirdly, the deal covers both Netflix's movies and TV shows, giving 360 owners access to over 10,000 downloads once the service kicks off.

One more thing to keep in mind is that this deal is designed to complement the Xbox Live Video Marketplace, not supplant it. Everything that's in the XBL Video Marketplace will still be there, you'll just soon have the option of using Netflix instead. Presser follows.

LOS ANGELES — July 14, 2008 — An exciting new home theater experience is coming to living rooms this holiday season. At the E3 Media and Business Summit, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq “MSFT”) and Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX), the world’s largest online movie rental service, today unveiled an exclusive partnership to offer consumers the ability to instantly stream movies and TV episodes from Netflix to the television via the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system. Xbox 360 will be the only game system that lets users instantly watch movies and TV episodes streamed from Netflix. This movie watching innovation will be available to Xbox LIVE Gold members who are also Netflix subscribers and will let those users enjoy streaming movies from Netflix on Xbox LIVE at no additional cost.

A growing library of more than 10,000 movies and TV episodes will be available from Netflix when it launches on Xbox LIVE in late fall, with more choices added over time. Through this agreement, along with the existing Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store, Xbox 360 will be home to more movies and TV shows on demand than any other device connected to the TV. Xbox LIVE quickly and easily connects consumers and their friends to the entertainment they want — with no PC required for viewing.

Netflix on Xbox 360 is an important component of the new Xbox experience, a new generation of games and entertainment experiences that will be available on Xbox 360 consoles this fall. The new Xbox experience, also announced today at the E3 Media and Business Summit, represents the first time in history that a mass-market consumer electronics device has been re-invented through free software, giving people more fun and intuitive ways to interact, play and enjoy entertainment content.

“Watching movies at home will never be the same. Netflix on Xbox 360 is an entertainment first, and we are bringing friends together with the best in entertainment content like no other device in the living room,” said John Schappert, corporate vice president of Interactive Entertainment LIVE, Software and Services Business at Microsoft. “We are creating a completely new social entertainment experience, and Xbox 360 will be the only video game system where you can access your library of instantly streamable movies from Netflix and turn any room into a virtual movie theater.”

From the Netflix Web site, members simply add movies and TV episodes to their individual instant Queues. Those choices will be automatically displayed on the TV screen via Xbox 360 and available to watch instantly. Once selected, movies will begin playing in as little as 30 seconds. In addition to instantly streaming movies to the TV, Xbox LIVE Gold members can fast-forward, pause and rewind, all using either their Xbox 360 Controller or Media Remote. In all, the user interface creates a highly personalized experience that puts viewers in control.

“Netflix and Xbox 360 are a perfect combination, the leading online movie rental service and the leading games and entertainment system joining forces to create an all-in-one entertainment experience with content for everyone,” said Reed Hastings, chairman and CEO of Netflix. “For Netflix, it represents an important step forward in making instantly streaming movies on the TV more broadly available to our members.”

The library of movies and TV episodes that will be available for instant streaming from Netflix via Xbox 360 includes scores of Academy Award winners and nominees, episodes from a number of popular, currently running and classic TV shows, and 24 of the movies rated by the American Film Institute as the greatest ever.

Today, Xbox LIVE members can also download movies and purchase TV shows from the industry-leading Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store, currently packed with content from more than 45 networks and studios. The Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store offers more than twice the high-definition content than the nearest cable provider and more than 6,000 hours of TV shows and movies.

Shane Kim: Don't Call It A Price Cut

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:20:00 MDT

Microsoft's Shane Kim has something he needs to tell you. Something about that 360 "price cut" on the weekend. Something important.

The price reduction we announced yesterday is not a system price reduction; I want to be really clear about that because I don’t want people to accuse us of doing something that we didn’t do.

It's OK, Shane, nobody's accusing you of anything! They know a switcheroo when they see one. "Accusation" makes it sound so...ambiguous. The above quote's from a piece Kim wrote for the newly-launched Edge Online, in which he also stresses the importance of the Arcade 360 ("The Xbox 360 Arcade is more successful than many people credit"). It's good reading. You should, you know. Go read it.

Shane Kim Writes for Edge [Edge]

Fable 2's Very New, Very In-Game Screens

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:30:00 MDT

Screenshots can be a messy business in this...business. Bullshots, Madden 06, Killzone 2, etc etc. But there's no doubting the validity of these new Fable 2 screens. They mightn't look the best when viewed in this gallery (or when compared to other shots you'll see this week), but hey, at least there'll be no let-downs when you drop in the disc as October rolls around.

Interview: Catching Up On Microsoft's Big Announcements

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:40:52 MDT

By: Leigh Alexander and Adam Barenblat

After Microsoft's presser, Adam and I hit the floor to talk to Matt Barlow, general marketing manager for Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment biz, about the announcements — we talked the new Xbox 360 user interface and the avatars, asked how Lips will work, and whether he thinks Final Fantasy XIII will help the company's console penetration in Japan.

The New Xbox Experience: Just The Facts (And Maybe Some Conjecture)

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:45:23 MDT

Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg and Marc Whitten lead a Community Roundtable discussion following the company's E3 media briefing, giving us further insight into the changes coming to the Xbox 360 dashboard. Officially dubbed the New Xbox Experience, the update was said by Whitten to be a response to the glut of content on Xbox Live, a system he claims was built with hundreds of pieces of content in mind, not tens of thousands — or potentially millions, as Whitten posited.

The new look and feel for the Xbox 360 dashboard was designed to be navigable by those unfamiliar with the current "blades" interface, with the New Xbox Experience akin to a TV remote control UI. In person, it's pretty slick — the Xbox 360 logo radiates a constant pulse in the bottom right corner, with iTunes Cover Flow-style reflections and navigation giving gamers a quick clean look at their games and content.

Fans of the current "blades" interface may be saddened to learn that the update isn't an optional redesign, it's a total replacement. They'll still get a taste of the old interface via the new Guide look and feel. Hit the jump for a photo.

The New Guide
That's the new look of the Xbox 360's Guide, accessible from the big old Guide button on the standard controller. You'll have familiar access to your games, media and settings, via the pop up Guide, which loads faster and more smoothly than the current iteration. You'll also be able to hop directly into anything from your Games library — Live Arcade games, movies, installed Xbox 360 retail games — regardless of what you're currently using your 360 for.

The new Guide and the NXE interface are both said to load faster, even if you have 100+ games in your library. Whitten noted that the LIVE team is very focused on optimizing the experience.

Your Old Stuff...
...will still work in the new interface. The gamerpics and themes you downloaded will work with NXE. And while we didn't get to see it in action, Marc Whitten swears they look "beautiful" on the new interface.

Play From Hard Drive
Details on ripping games to your Xbox 360 HDD are still to be announced, but it appears that the only limitation on users is that the game disc must be in the drive in order to play. That means no lending your copy of History Channel: Battle for the Pacific to get around, you know, owning the thing. The feature is said to work with all Xbox 360 games past, present and future and is primarily a method to reduce load times.

Netflix & The Instant Queue
Xbox Live's Larry Hryb showed Netflix integration in action, updating his queue via the Web, which then updated automatically on the Xbox 360. That newly added movie was then streamed via Netflix's servers. The quality was definitely below DVD quality, but still looked good.

Where Do The Ads Go?
Microsoft said more than once that they'd be releasing more information on the update — including things like what real estate advertising will occupy in NXE — at a later date. Ads weren't visible in the demo version we were shown, but we won't be surprised when they pop up in the less sexier, real world version of the interface update.

Mystery Science Theater 360
With Avatars, LIVE Party and the ability to stream movies and TV shows with other Netflix subscribers while chatting, wouldn't that make for an excellent vehicle for mocking the worst of the worst movies? The wink and a smile that Whitten gave the Community attendees certainly made us think so, but we don't know if Microsoft plans on officially supporting the overlay of Avatars on Netflix video streams.

There Will Be No Browser
At least, not in the NXE Fall update. A Web version of Xbox LIVE Marketplace is coming, but IE 360 isn't happening right now, according to Whitten.

Screens of the New Xbox Experience can be seen in our gallery below.

Microsoft Releasing LE Red, Green 360 Controllers

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:30:00 MDT

To celebrate, I don't know, Christmas in July, Microsoft will soon (well, in September) be releasing two limited edition Xbox 360 controllers. One red, the other green. No changes to your standard wireless pad other than the colour, so they're not must-buys, but different-coloured pads are always nice to have around when guests pop over and baulk at the sight of your grime-caked white controller. Green one's above, with a shot of the red control pad after the jump.

Is Final Fantasy XIII Xbox 360 Coming To Japan? "Ask Them"

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:00:00 MDT

That's Xbox Japan bossman Takashi Sensui in that candy house. Earlier today, he wasn't in a candy house, but the Square Enix press conference. And he was sitting in the first row! While Final Fantasy XIII has not been announced for Japanese Xbox 360s, we asked Sensui how he felt about the announcement:

Question: "How do you feel about the announcement?"
Sensui: "We're really excited about it."
Question: "Do you think Final Fantasy XIII will be released on the Xbox 360 in Japan?"
Sensui: "Ask them [Square Enix]."

Okay, so Square Enix, will it?

More On The New Xbox Live - Copy Games To HDD

Mike Fahey — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:40:00 MDT

Xbox LIVE GM Marc Whitten followed-up Microsoft's E3 press conference with a letter posted over at Larry Hryb's site, which further details the new Xbox Live experience that's coming our way this fall. Among the innovative new features is the ability to load your games from the disc directly to your hard drive, bypassing the disc drive to allow games to run faster and smoother. Going to assume that the disc would still be required to play the game - otherwise Blockbuster would be seeing a huge, one-time spike in rentals.

Then there's the ability to access Xbox Live Marketplace via the web on your computer or any other web-enabled device (PS3?), allowing you to purchase new games, demos, DLC and the like from the relative comfort of wherever you happen to be at the time.

The live party feature allows you to team up with up to eight friends and go from game to game, both new and old, while sharing photos, watching a Netflix video together, etc., all without ever disconnecting from one another. Hit up the link for more info, including the addition of 16x10 support via HDMI and VGA. Woot!

Some of the features in the new Xbox experience (8 person chat, VGA support and more) [Xbox Live's Major Nelson]

Liveblogging Square Enix Press Conference

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:46:40 MDT

So, yeah! Final Fantasy XIII is coming to the Xbox 360. And now Square Enix is having a press conference, probably to explain how that went down. FFXIII producer Yoshinori Kitase is expected to be on hand as is Square Enix exec Shinji Hashimoto. Hit the jump for the liveblog.

So the presser is done! Towards the end of the press, Kitase also stated: "Regarding the fighting system, it's a fighting system called ATB, but we can't reveal details."

Fact-Checking Microsoft's E3 Presser

Owen Good — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:10:00 MDT

As is typically the case with these types of events, context is very important when you're considering the truth of a company's boast. While Microsoft didn't outright fudge or falsify any claims, there were a couple instances where they were saying one thing and hoping you would think another.

Following the jump, a rundown of seven claims made at Microsoft's news conference earlier today. Brian Ashcraft and I did the fact checking.

Claim 1: The biggest sellers are on Xbox 360, and the Xbox 360 is home of the biggest blockbusters. "With last years performance we proved that the Xbox 360 delivers the biggest and best hits."
True. Well, sorta. Halo 3 was the top selling title of 2007 (moving 4,820,000 copies), beating out Wii Play (which shifted 4,120,000). Looking at last year's top ten selling titles, four them were Nintendo titles, five of them were multi-platform and only one was an Xbox 360 exclusive, which was of course Halo 3. Nintendo exclusives tally up to 10.9 million in sales.

Claim 2: Fall Out 3, Resident Evil 5 and Gears of War 2. Together they represent half a billion in potential sales.
Speculation. Also, only Gears of War 2 is an Xbox 360 exclusive.

Claim 3: Xbox 360's install base is 5 million units more than the PS3's.
True.

Claim 4: According to Don Mattrick, the Xbox 360 is "outselling the Wii and the PS3 combined."
True, but...context is important. Mattrick is citing the fact that Xbox 360, as of May Xbox 360 has sold 10.27 million units in the United States. While Wii has sold 10.20 million units (not 8.8 million) in the USA through May. That covers the entire lifetime of the console, whole numbers. Xbox 360 of course was released before the Wii and well before the PS3, and so has a head start in whole-number sales and install base. The top selling console since its introduction is undoubtedly the Wii.

Claim 5: There's been 2.2 billion in third party sales in last 12 months.
True.

Claim 6: There's a new Xbox LIVE member every five seconds.
Hrm... That would mean 17,280 new members sign up every day. And 6,311,520 members would sign up in a 365.25 day calendar year. According to Microsoft's numbers, there are 12 million members globally. That would mean that in two years, Xbox LIVE would have 12 million members — never mind that it's been around since November 2002. Seems like Microsoft is neglecting to mention Xbox LIVE turnover.

Claim 7: Microsoft is registering their biggest year ever, says Mattrick.
True. Meaning that the Xbox 360 is finally turning profitable.

Final Fantasy XIII Coming To Xbox 360

Mike Fahey — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:59:56 MDT

Breaking news from the Microsoft E3 2008 press conference. Square Enix head honcho Yoichi Wada took the stage to announce Final Fantasy XIII for the Xbox 360.

Yes, just take a moment to soak that up. Final Fantasy XIII coming to the Xbox 360. Holy fucking shit. Simultaneous release in Europe and North America with PS3. Wow.

More info is being revealed during Ashcraft's liveblog of the Square Enix press conference.

Netflix Partners With Microsoft

Leigh Alexander — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:30:00 MDT

Neflix is Microsoft's new media partner. Users will be able to watch the entirety of Netflix's film library directly from their Xbox 360s, and movies and TV shows can be shared with the avatar-based community called Live Party, just announced earlier this morning.

Microsoft's John Schappert said that there would be no additional cost imposed on the Netflix service beyond the regular Netflix subscription costs.

Galaga Gets First True Sequel

Mike Fahey — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:25:00 MDT

The game that launched, captured, and recaptured a million ships is getting its first official sequel, 20 years after the original release. Microsoft has announced Galaga Legions for Xbox Live Arcade at their E3 2008 press conference. It looks to do for Galaga what Pac-Man Championship Edition did for Pac-Man. Considering that Pac-Man CE was on the tops of several different XBLA charts last year, we could be in for something special.

Or they could poop on a cherished childhood memory. I suppose we'll have to wait and see.

Xbox Live Reinvented This Fall - Adds Avatars, Live Party

Mike Fahey — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:12:48 MDT

Microsoft's John Schappert took the stage today at Microsoft's E3 2008 press conference to reveal the new face of Xbox Live. Coming this Fall, your gamer tag will now be linked to an avatar, designed by the folks at Rare, who will then be customizable with any of thousands of pieces of clothing, accessories, etc., all available via Xbox Live Marketplace. What a surprise!

The avatars, much like Miis, will be playable in many upcoming Microsoft games, including Uno on Xbox Live and the new Scene-It!: Box Office Smash.

There's also a new community channel called Live Party, where you can add up to 8 friends to chat and share content, such as photos.

Gears Of War 2 In November

Mike Fahey — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:05:00 MDT

Yet another release date dropped during Microsoft's E3 2008 press conference as Cliff "Dude Huge" Bleszinski took the stage to show off the next chapter in the Gears of War story. After extensively showing off the game in action, Dude Huge took the stage to announce the release date for the title...Gears of War 2, launching worldwide November 7th. So we have Fable II in October, Gears 2 in November, and the Resident Evil 5 in March. It's release date-o-rama!

Fable II Coming In October

Mike Fahey — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:55:00 MDT

Looks like those obsessive folks who paused Lionhead's latest Fable II developer diary to see what Peter Molyneux was writing on his notepad were on to something, as Peter Molyneux announces the release month for the game at Microsoft's E3 2008 press conference, and surprise - it's October! Ah, the lovely fall season, when a boy's thoughts go to spending time with his dog and choosing between good and evil paths.

Resident Evil 5 Launching March 2009

Mike Fahey — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:50:00 MDT

The Microsoft press conference at E3 2008 saw a game demo of Capcom's Resident Evil 5, after which Jun Takeuchi announced the release date for the eagerly anticipated title. Resident Evil 5 will be launching worldwide on Friday, March 13th 2009, except for Japan who get it a day earlier. Friday the 13th? Really? How many months do you think they pushed it back just to get that special, more-evil Friday the 13th release?

New Halo? Lips? Motion Controller? We'll Find Out Soon

Brian Crecente — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:01:23 MDT

Microsoft's E3 2008 press conference opens its doors in an hour and a half. Make sure to check in at 9:30 a.m. Pacific for the start of our liveblog. This year around we'll be handing out three schwag packs during the liveblog. To win you just need to comment on Kotaku during the liveblog. More rules to come once the blog launches. In the meantime hit the jump to check out the prizes.

More On That Master Chief-Free Halo Game

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 MDT

Earlier this month, we heard a rumour that Microsoft were going to be unveiling a new Halo game at E3. A new Halo game with a twist: there'd be no Master Chief. That rumour's just picked up a little more steam, with GameSpot reporting that - according to "a source with knowledge of the studio's development slate" - Bungie will be announcing a new Halo game "sometime this year" (so not necessarily at E3). This game will be a "darker, grittier" Halo game, featuring a squad of human soldiers and gameplay that's "a cross between Ghost Recon and Gears of War". If Bungie are developing, that's exciting! But we'll wait for confirmation before popping the champagne corks, thanks.

Next Halo squad-based, Master Chief-free? [GameSpot]

Your E3 Lineup Roundup

Owen Good — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 19:00:00 MDT

The coming week will be completely dominated by E3 coverage. Come to think of it, the previous week was completely dominated by pre-E3 coverage. After the jump we've compiled a scene-setter of sorts, aggregating together all the lineups announced, so you know some of what to look for in the coming onslaught of copy.

Kotaku's crack staff on the scene will be Brian Crecente, Michael McWhertor, Brian Ashcraft, Mike Fahey, Leigh Alexander, and Adam Barenblat. They're going to be very busy.

Console Roundups:
Sony
Microsoft
Nintendo

Developer/Publisher Lineups

2K Games
• BioShock
• Borderlands
• NBA 2K9
• NHL 2K9
• Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization

Capcom:
• Street Fighter IV
• Resident Evil 5
• Dark Void
• Bionic Commando
• Mega Man 9
• MotoGP '08
• Neopets Puzzle Adventure
• Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
• Bionic Commando Rearmed
• Flock (XBLA, PSN)
• New games from Capcom Interactive

D3Publisher
• Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers
• NARUTO: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2
• Puzzle Quest: Galactrix
• BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE The Game
• NARUTO: Path of the Ninja 2
• Bangai-O Spirits
• Shaun the Sheep

Electronic Arts
• Dead Space
• FaceBreaker
• Hasbro Family Game Night
• Littlest Pet Shop
• Madden NFL 09
• Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
• Mirror’s Edge
• iPhone/iPod Touch Games from EA Mobile
• The Sims 2 Apartment Pets
• Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 for the PSP
• Zubo
• MySims (PC)
• MySims Kingdom (Wii, DS)
• Spore
• Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09
• Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
• Command & Conquer Red Alert 3
• Crysis Warhead
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• The Lord of the Rings: Conquest
• SimCity Creator (Wii)
• NBA Live 09
• NCAA® Football 09
• Skate It
• Rock Band™ 2
• Left 4 Dead

Majesco
• Major Minor's Majestic March
• Cooking Mama World Kitchen
• Our House
• Zoo Hospital
• AWAY Shuffle Dungeon
• Wonder World Amusement Park
• Babysitting Mania
• Marker Man Adventures

Marvelous and XSEED
• Avalon Code (DS)
• Rune Factory: Frontier (Wii)
• Little King's Story (Wii)
• Valhalla Knights 2 (PSP)
• Populous (DS)
• KORG DS-10 (DS)
• Retro Game Challenge

Midway
• Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
• Wheelman
• TNA iMPACT!
• Blitz the League II
• This is Vegas
• Unreal Tournament 3
• Game Party 2
• Touchmaster 2
• Mechanic Master
• MidwayArcade.com

Southpeak
• Big Bang Mini
• Brave: A Warriors Tale
• Brave: Shaman’s Challenge
• Igor The Game (Windows PC, Wii & Nintendo DS – September 2008)
• Monster Madness: Grave Danger
• Ninjatown
• Raven Squad
• X-Blades

Square Enix
• The Last Remnant
• Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes
• Chrono Trigger
• Dragon Quest: Chapters of the Chosen
• Final Fantasy IV (DS)
• Star Ocean: First Departure
• Star Ocean: Second Evolution
• Infinite Undiscovery
• Star Ocean: The Last Hope
• Exit DS
• The Legend of Kage 2

Tecmo:
• Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff (DS)
• Robocalypse (DS)
• Spray (Wii)

Check Out Our E3 Liveblogs, Win Fabulous Prizes

Brian Crecente — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:00:00 MDT

It's the E3 Eve and just about all of Kotaku is either in LA right now or on their way there. This year's E3 might be a shortened affair, one that only runs Monday through Thursday, but that doesn't mean there isn't going to be tons of news breaking, including a couple of surprises, and lots of amazing games shown off.

As always we will be liveblogging the big press conferences, starting with Microsoft tomorrow morning, here on Kotaku. This year round we will be using our new liveblog software which should make for a steadier flow of information, more pics and tons more analysis. To celebrate we've decided to giveaway three batches of impressive swag at each conference. What are we giving away? I don't want to spill the beans quite yet, but I can say it includes some autographed things, some limited edition numbered items and even an original game-themed oil canvas.

To win you'll just need to hang out in our comments during the Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo Live blogs and participate. Consider it our other present to you.

Microsoft Announce 60GB 360, Confirm 20GB Price-Cut

Luke Plunkett — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 01:30:00 MDT

Microsoft have just made a couple of 360-related announcements ahead of their E3 keynote on Monday morning. The first is that, as expected, the 20GB Xbox 360 will now be $50 cheaper, with a new retail price of $299 (note: no cuts for the Arcade or Elite). The second is that, also as expected, the 20GB unit is being replaced by a 60GB console, which will go on sale in the US in early August. This new 360 will retail for $349, the same price the 20GB model was before the cut.

Redmond, Washington—Microsoft is giving consumers more gigabytes for their buck. The company today announced an Xbox 360® console with triple the storage space of the original console, but for the same price of $349 (U.S.) estimated retail price.

Available in retail stores in the U.S. and Canada starting in early August, the upgraded Xbox 360 will include a 60GB hard drive for storing the growing wealth of digital entertainment available for the console, including music, movies, television shows, and game content. In addition, Microsoft today dropped the price of its 20GB Xbox 360 console in the U.S. and Canada to just $299 (U.S.) (ERP) while supplies last, a savings of $50.

"We know consumers need more and more space to store the amazing digital content Xbox 360 offers, and we're giving it to them at no extra charge," said Albert Penello, Xbox director of product management at Microsoft. "No one device offers the depth and breadth of entertainment that Xbox 360 can deliver, and now you'll have three times the storage to manage all that great content."

Xbox 360 is just one of three Xbox 360 gaming and entertainment systems Microsoft offers. Microsoft's Xbox 360 Arcade, which comes with a 256MB memory unit and five Xbox LIVE Arcade games, is a value for the whole family for $279 (U.S.) (ERP), and the premium Xbox 360 Elite console is available with a 120GB hard drive for $449 (U.S.) (ERP).

Xbox 360 Price Drop Already In Effect At Target Stores?

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:40:32 MDT

According to Target.com it is. It's listing the Xbox 360 Pro at $299.99 as of right now, but only for "in store" sales. We're bothering our local brick and mortar Targets to confirm that the price drop has already taken effect, but if it hasn't we're sure that this-gen lollygaggers won't mind waiting a whole 48 hours for everyone else to get on board with the price slashing party.

Xbox 360 Pro Hardware [Target - thanks, jump4816!]

First Look At 'Lips', iNiS' Xbox 360 Karaoke Game, And Its Bedazzling Microphone

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:40:25 MDT

A title that's guaranteed to be "announced" at Microsoft's E3 Media Briefing this Monday is Lips, the iNiS developed answer to Sony's SingStar. The musically inclined team behind Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, Gitaroo Man and Elite Beat Agents was previously rumored to be behind the sing-along title, but consider it doubly confirmed now. Gamekyo not only lists the Japanese dev in its news story on the game, iNiS president Keichi Yanno can be seen busting what appears to be a rhyme in product shots of the game.

Other early shots give us a look at the Lips microphones that have lights on the shaft that "pulse to the rhythm of your voice" along with motion sensors that let players "dance, move or swing to score points," according to previously leaked marketing documents.

Gamekyo lists Lips as shipping in November.

Lips: first pics of the new karaoke game! [Gamekyo]

Hey, You Got Stephen Fry In My Fable 2

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:20:00 MDT

Admission: I liked Fable 1. Being a longtime Molyneux fan, I knew to filter out the bullshit, and just enjoy it for what it was. And it was an above-average RPG, one of the best to appear on the Xbox. It was far from perfect, however. The linearity was a problem. As was the voice-acting. Which was provided, it seemed, exclusively by representatives of the Cornish dairy farmers association. Thankfully, that's a part of the sequel that's been improved, with the voice acting "kicked up a couple of notches", according to a report in the latest OXM. Partly due to the shift away from the rural setting of the first game, but also partly due to the fact they're now hiring proper talent, like charming British comedian Stephen Fry. Even if he's still just doing "oooyy, errr Ranger", at least now it'll be done with some dignity.

Exclusive: New Fable 2 details revealed! [OXM] [Pic]

Wall Street Journal Jump On The 360 Price-Cut Bus

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:20:00 MDT

Because it just isn't a 360 price-cut rumour party til the Wall Street Journal turns up. According to "people familiar with the matter", the 360 Pro's price will be cut by $50 "as early as Sunday", just in time for Microsoft's E3 keynote on Monday. As with the other 1,097 price-cut leaks, there's no word on whether the Arcade and Elite models will be slashed as well.

Microsoft to Cut Xbox 360 Pro Price [Wall Street Journal (sub required)]

Too Human Demo Coming To LIVE Next Week

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:40:07 MDT

As part of its "Bringing It Home" E3 campaign, Microsoft will finally let loose the public demo of Too Human via Xbox Live, reports IGN. Anticipation for the demo is likely at an all-time high, as Silicon Knights' bossman Denis Dyack has been teasing a demo since August of '07. We expect a flurry of varying opinions upon its release.

The polarizing Xbox 360 hack and shoot adventure will join the festival of downloadable delights at some point next week, as Microsoft attempts to distract you from coverage of its competitors by offering up free trailers, demos, news from the E3 show floor and other shiny objects. Look forward to it, won't you?

Pre-E3 2008: Too Human Demo Finally Coming [IGN]

Rare Denies X-Waggle Rumor, Chastises Kotaku Comments

Leigh Alexander — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:20:00 MDT

Rare is denying that Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is a motion-controlled game, hoping to kill the rumors once and for all.

"There’s no truth to the Banjo motion control rumor," said Rare's George Kelion. "Banjo has been designed to be played using a game pad from the outset."

Microsoft yesterday denied that a suggestive comment made by Ken Lobb in a clip video referred to motion control.

Kelion admitted that while he's not privy to every design detail about the game, on having played the title, he played it with a normal controller and noted the absence of motion control input.

But is Rare doing something with the fabled X-waggle? "No idea," said Kelion. "And that's the truth."

"People shouldn’t take rumors that gestate in comments sections so seriously, even on respectable news sites like Kotaku. They can often turn out to be red herrings, as is the case with Banjo and motion controls," he said.

We Get It, Lips Will Be Shown At E3

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:40:00 MDT

We've long been working under the assumption that Microsoft have conned Ouendan/Elite Beat Agents creators iNiS into developing a Singstar-killing karaoke game - called Lips - for the Xbox 360. An assumption that should next week be kicked up a notch. Variety's Ben Fritz is reporting that "Microsoft will be debuting a brand new music/singing game", which fits Lips' mission statement pretty snugly. Having been almost continually disappointed by SingStar PS3's tracklist, here's hoping iNiS can get this one right. And if not, can at least get it wrong but with Ouendan's homework-finishing, meteor-deflecting charm.

Microsoft to debut a new music game at E3 [Variety]

DirectX 11 Announcement Coming This Month?

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:20:00 MDT

Do you feel that, PC gamers? That pressure? It's the future, bearing relentlessly down upon you. While many PC gamers are still without DirextX 10, thanks to its Vista-only segregation, word on the PC tech streets (in this case, Graphics Whore boulevard) is that DirectX 11 will be announced by Microsoft later this month, no doubt accompanied by pictures of Crysis featuring all kinds of lighting and environmental effects you won't be able to see/afford until 2011. The announcement's supposed to take place on July 22-23 at the XNA Gamefest event in Seattle.

DirectX 11 to get announced this month [Fudzilla, via VG247]

Kotaku's E3 2008 Predictions

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:00:32 MDT

That burning sensation you're feeling? It's E3 Fever! With just days to go before the event kicks off formally, speculation is running rampant. Publishers are revealing their line-ups, console manufacturer figureheads are getting their last-minute chemical peels and Ubisoft is scrambling to fit all of its Petz offerings in a 100 square foot allocation at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

And we're making our own guesses about what we'll be seeing from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony at their respective media briefings. Some things, like X-waggle, a new Animal Crossing and another appearance from PlayStation Home are practically guaranteed. But what surprises will companies like EA, Sega, Take-Two and Capcom bring?

We've thought long, hard and then, harder once more, to nail down our best guesses on what we can expect from E3 2008. Hit the jump for our laser precise insight into what we'll be treated to next week.

Brian Crecente
Home dated and Home game rooms for titles like Resistance and Warhawk detailed (4:1)
Microsoft announces motion controller which will be sold bundled with a game. (4:1)
Microsoft shows off new Xbox 360 user interface (2:1)
Microsoft announces Avatars, its own version of the Mii (1:1)
Microsoft announces new bundle that features white Xbox 360, motion controller and game. (10:1)
Animal Crossing Wii gets stuffed animals with virtual keycodes. (100:1)
EA Take-Two merger unveiled. (10:1)
EA Takes on Bungie as a label partner. (20:1)
Bungie’s answer to Mario unveiled (2:1)
At least one celebrity calls one of the music games shown off on stage by the wrong name. (5:1)

Brian Ashcraft
Nintendo will say "We haven't forgotten the core gamer" at its press conference at least three times (5:1)
Square Enix will announce "Kingdom Hearts 3" for the Xbox 360 (10:1)
Don Mattrick will not sport Peter Moore style tattoos (2:1)
Nintendo will announce Animal Crossing Wii, and there will be no voice support (4:1)
Kaz Hirai will wear a pink shirt at the Sony presser (10:1)
Microsoft will announce a Blu-ray add-on (50:1)

Michael McWhertor
Nintendo announces Factor 5 developed Kid Icarus for Wii, spares us a Wii Bow peripheral. (4:1)
Ninja Blade announced as one of the first games to take advantage the new Xbox 360 motion controller. (10:1)
Smaller, cheaper PlayStation 3 announced for 2008 release (10:1)
Grand Theft Auto IV spin-off for Nintendo DS and/or PSP announced. (10:1)
Steven Spielberg's "PQRS" revealed for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. (8:1)
Sega reveals plans to bring Jet Set Radio, Alex Kidd and Typing of the Dead sequels to various platforms. (100:1)

Mike Fahey
PlayStation 2 titles downloadable for PS3. (10:1)
The Xbox 360 gets a web browser. (20:1)
Microsoft announces the Zune Store integration for the Xbox 360. (50:1)
Nintendo Wii gets a workable online service. (100:1)
Sony debuts break-apart motion controller, Nintendo fans break internet laughing (25:1)
Nintendo reveals Mario first-person shooter for the hardcore gamer. (100:1)

Leigh Alexander
We will see more than one new title featuring a with tough-as-nails, strong female protagonist. (2:1)
Nintendo will fail to announce a storage device for Wii, enraging the hardcore with another jovial, upbeat mass-market presentation including at least one head-scratcher peripheral. (4:1)
At least one more major publisher will announce it is developing or porting iPhone games. (2:1)
One awkward, surprise celebrity walk-on will spawn its own internet meme for the coming age. (10:1)
A new Nintendo DS will be unveiled, featuring an accelerometer and a camera. (10:1)
Sega will at last announce a true Sonic platformer, with no lame friends, no creepy love scenes, and no werewolves. (100:1)

Luke Plunkett
Peter Jackson Halo game shown off, people seem confused (3:1)
Pandemic will get around to announcing their sandbox Batman title, will look very dark (2:1)
Someone, somewhere, will spill that Metal Gear Solid 4 will be coming to 360 and PC (4:1)
Microsoft presser dominated by unveiling of a motion controller, will be supported by at least one Viva Pinata game and at least one Raving Rabbids game. (4:1)
BioWare's KOTOR MMO is shown for the first time. Won't be called KOTOR 3. (8:1)

Owen Good
The Conduit gets a publisher. (10:1)
Retro game suite a la Atari 2600 collection announced for the iPhone (20:1)
The Beatles coming to a rhythm game, maybe announcing a new one. (50:1)
It's announced than an FPS using Wii Balance Board under dev. (75:1)
We're given a sneak peek at some DLC upcoming for GTA IV. (25:1)
Lucasarts no longer handling its unnamed Indiana Jones action game. (10:1)

In the next few hours, we'll be opening up the betting pool for predictions in a follow up post, so start reading over our best guesses, compare them to our odds and get ready to participate in the E3 2008 Kotaku Fantasy Betting Pool. Oh, and make sure you read the rules!

The 60GB 360 Rumor Rides Again

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:30:00 MDT

More rumours, Microsoft-style. If you'll remember a few weeks back, we heard that the 20GB 360 might be on the way out, to be replaced with a 60GB unit. Today, Xbox Family have posted what they claim is a GameStop distributor's email, which if correct provides a few more details on the rumoured move. According to the email, the 60GB unit - which will replace the 20GB model - will indeed be released to the market in July, and will be followed by a standalone 60GB HDD in October/November, which will retail for $100 and come with 3 months of Xbox Live and a headset. No confirmation on this, of course, but if Robbie Bach gets up next week and says all that to the accompaniment of some large, green powerpoint slides, try and at least act surprised.

Leaked Info on 60gb Starter Kit and 20gb's Death [Xbox Family]