XBox 360 Rally

The Pre-TGS press conference was surprisingly informative, considering TGS isn’t too far away. Amongst the cavalcade of new info were the announcements of nine new Xbox LIVE Arcade games, including one that WAS going to be on our “Games We Want on Xbox LIVE” weekly feature - Ikaruga. In addition to Ikaruga, eight other games were announced to be coming to the XBLA in the coming months. They were:

Every Extend Extra Extreme

Exit

OMEGA FIVE

Rez

Triggerheart Exelica

Braid

Castlecrashers

Schizoid

You can read more detailed descriptions of each game after the break.

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It goes without saying that Sonic 2 for the SEGA Genesis was, without a doubt, one of the best 2D platforming games to ever be made. Ever. Period. With the release of the first Sonic the Hedgehog a little ways back (along with our corresponding contest), it was all but certain that we would eventually see Sonic 2 make it’s way to the Xbox LIVE Arcade.

This Wednesday, according to Microsoft, seems to be that day. Promising to stay true to the original while taking full advantage of HD Graphics and enhanced sound, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will be made available for download on XBLA this Wednesday, September 12th, for a measly 400 MS Points.

If you don’t buy this, you hate video games, democracy, and babies.

[Xbox.com]

Microsoft, Xbox 360, SEGA, Xbox LIVE Arcade, Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Welcome to the second of the new series Games We Want on Xbox Live, where I tried and tried (and tried) to think of a game to bring to XBLA, all I kept thinking of was RC Pro Am, but I believe I expressed my love for that enough before (link), but right behind RC Pro Am, I instantly thought of Super Off Road. I have such fond memories of going to the arcade that was in the local movie theater and being late to a flick cause I wanted to play another round of Off Road.

It was a rare treat to see one of these machines back then, more so now (all I am left with is Crazy Taxi and Time Crisis in most places). Game play for Off Road was simple enough, control with the wheel, win the race, on the way you grab cash upgrade your wheels and win another race.

Now, the true arcade version of Super Off Road was “Ivan Stewart’s Super Off Road” .. I am not sure if he is even alive anymore, but if he is, I bet he wouldn’t mind some pay if they came out with this title having his name on it to keep it true to arcade. Honestly though, that is the last of my worries, as long as the game features four cars that can be played off just one console sharing a screen (ala Bomberman Live) or take the racing online. If possible, crank it up to 8 cars, but I am not sure if that would get too crowded.

Very important part of this all, an XBLA game that can incorporate the 360’s Racing Wheel. You can’t get more arcade perfect than that. Pricing on this game is iffy, I mean, I could see it being fine at 800 points, but 400 would be the sweet spot and guarantee that people would be online with this. Especially the people who already own a racing wheel (a refreshing change of pace from the normal 360 racing game which tends to be just racing simulations).

Something interesting about this becoming a reality or not, is that it has been released on “Midway Arcade Treasures 3″ compilation title, the yet game was not developed or published by Williams, Midway, or Atari Games. Either way, unless it was made by Sony or Nintendo, which it wasn’t, there isn’t a company out there that wouldn’t work with Microsoft.

(This article dedicated to the XBL Radio forum guys)
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Microsoft, Xbox Live Arcade, Super Off Road, Ivan Stewart, XBLA

(Again…awesome image)

Earlier this week we reporetd on the “mysterios BioShock update” that was released, to which 2K Games didn’t really tell us what it was for. Well, now we know:

Just a few bug fixes, nothing big. It took care of some reported audio issues at the main title screen, as well as the unstable autosave system.

Yup, that’s about it. Nothing new has been added to the game, so y’all can get right over that. Now, if you don’t mind me, I have a Microsoft Tech Center to call.

Microsoft, Xbox 360, 2K Games, BioShock, Auto Update

So, there was a guy with the gamertag ‘Scar’ who somehow got his hands on the Halo 3 Epsilon Beta. So rather than playing it in secret, gushing about it’s awesomeness only to his closest of friends, this guy posts about it on the INTERNET!

Hello? Dude? The internet… yeah, it’s EVERYWHERE! My 90 year-old grandma surfs the damn internet!

Either way, Microsoft found out that it was him, and banned him from Xbox LIVE… until the year 10,000!

(Thanks Mark for the image)

UPDATO MAGNIFICO!
If you thought being banned until 10,000AD was bad enough, I have something else that will either make you even more sad for this guy, or will make you laugh his ass off — he had a gamerscore of 61,000!

UPDATO MAGNIFICO 2.0!
Ok, so apparently Mr. Scar here didn’t steal Halo 3 Epsilon, or somethin’. I’ve seen him on just about every message board refuting this claim — it doesn’t matter, dude. You still got your ass banned until long after we’ve colonized Mars. The story isn’t so much about the fact that you got your hands on Epsilon as it is that Microsoft gave you the eternal ban hammer. Suck it up, and move on.

Microsoft, Xbox 360, Halo 3 Epsilon, Ban Hammer

So you booted up BioShock on your 360 in the past hour or so to find that you had to download an update. Seeing no other choice, you go ahead and initiate the download, and now you’re trying to figure out exactly WHAT the update was for.

Well, 2K isn’t saying. At least, not yet. Many speculate that it may be a fix for the widescreen issues. However, there are no new options to fix anything that I can find.

Considering some of the questionable decisions 2K has made over the past week, it wouldn’t surprise me if 2K somehow found a way to tie copies of BioShock to your Xbox 360, thus making it impossible to play your copy of the game at your friends house.

Vultures.

Microsoft, Xbox 360, 2K Games, BioShock

Xbox LIVE will be down on September 10th, 2007 for “approximately 4 hours”, starting at 2:01am PDT. Naturally, this means Xbox LIVE will be down between five and seven hours, as surely this update is in preparation of everyone in the civilized world getting online to own each other in Halo 3… or they’re installing the fall dashboard update… or it’s just normal maintenance and I’m reading too much into this.

While Xbox LIVE is down, here are a few suggestions on what you can do to pass the time…

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Welcome to the first in what will surely become a new series of articles here at X360R, where either PacoDG or myself will highlight a particular game that we want to see show up on Xbox LIVE. Now that we have the mandatory introduction out of the way, let’s get to it.

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Microsoft and Fox have signed an agreement today that will bring Fox programming to the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace. First up? Family Guy!

Family Guy will be the first of what will surely be many shows from Fox (24, House, etc.) that will find a new home on the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace. Considering what’s been popular in the Video Marketplace, the program decision seems obvious.

The first two seasons, as well as “Family Guy Presents: Stewie Griffin - The Untold Story” will be available for download sometime next week, with the other seasons following soon after. New episodes will be added to the Video Marketplace the day after they premeire.

Freaking sweet.

UPDATO MAGNIFICO:
160 MS ($2) Points per episode? Considering each Family Guy DVD collection runs roughly $50 ($1.75 per episode), it’s not that big of a price increase. However, if you go to Amazon.com, you can get these DVD sets for $35, meaning each episode would cost you between $0.60 - $1.25 an episode.

[Variety]

Microsoft, Xbox 360, Fox, Family Guy, Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace

If you are one of the many people who have purchased the newest entry in the Tiger Woods PGA franchise, you may already have experienced the bug that locks your game up. It’s on the “Henriette Brockway” event in the Tiger Challenge, where the game will lock up while loading the third hole.

EA has sent the patch to Microsoft for certification, but if you can’t wait for Microsoft to approve the patch, EA has posted a run-around to get past the bug. When launching the game from the dashboard, hold down the A button. That should allow you to bypass the bug in the Tiger Challenge event.

Microsoft, Xbox 360, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08, EA Sports

It only took you guys eight minutes to reserve all the Call of Duty 4 Beta Tokens. Eight minutes. You go to the page now, and this is what you get:

Although Charlie Oscar Delta’s Token Codes have been reserved, there will be many more opportunities to get into the Beta! Check back into SITREP often, as we’ll be updating the site with information as soon as it’s finalized.

In the United States and Canada, we are working with GameSpot and GameStop on two new ways to reserve a spot in the Beta. Our International users will be excited to learn that plans to get into the Beta are moving along quickly, and we’ll have updates for all the countries listed in the FAQ soon!

WAI 2 GO!!11!!!!!1! First y’all crash the site over, and over again for two days, then you vultures suck up ALL the tokens in freaking EIGHT MINUTES!

…I’m impressed. I would post a screenshot, but alas, I can’t get on the page.

UPDATO MAGNIFICO!
NEW HOPE! If you go to FourZeroTwo, you can learn how to get back in on the BETA goodness! There will be an open registration for twenty-four hours starting today, and everyone who signs up will have an equal chance at a token!

Oh, happy day!

[CoD4 Forums]

Microsoft, Xbox 360, Infinity Ward, Call of Duty 4

Ensemble Studios Exec. Producer Harter Ryan has revealed in an interview with Gamespot that a demo for Halo Wars will be available tomorrow (Monday)!

Even though I am not a big fan of console-based RTS titles, there have been a notable few that haven’t completely fallen flat: Command & Conquer 3, Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth and Starcraft 64 immediately come to mind. If Ensemble is able to do with Halo Wars what they have been able to do with their Age of Empires franchise for a long time, I will be happy.

UPDATO MAGNIFICO!
Guess what, people! We have reason to believe that it is a video of the E3 demo, not a playable demo. Sorry for the mix-up… and on a personal note… clarify next time, Mr. Ryan. Or I’ll slap you. With a trout. Covered in tobasco.

You may not think much of that now… but have you ever felt a tobasco-covered trout slap your face? It scars a man… scars ‘em…

Microsoft, Xbox 360, Halo 3, Ensemble Studios

The Xbox LIVE Marketplace is a true cornucopia of stuff. Whether it be classic arcade games like Paperboy, Time Pilot and Contra, or downloadable content for your favorite games, like Santa Claus outfits for Saints Row and expansions for Oblivion, Xbox LIVE is chock full o’ stuff for just about everyone. If you have the MS Points, you can open the door to all the world’s delight and joy.

But what if you’re broke? Are you just left outside in the snow, to stare in the window from behind the bushes to see all the joyous boys and girls playing with their horse armor and their extra Crackdown skins? Of course not! There’s stuff for you, too, cheap ass!

In fact, there is a LOT of free stuff for you. Whether it be extra content for your favorite game, or the most worthless of things (*coughgamerpicscough*), there is a surprisingly large amount of free stuff for your downloading delight on Xbox LIVE.

Read the whole list after the break!

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I haven’t played a single Ace Combat game since the original AIR Combat on the PS-X back in ‘95. So in short, my knowledge of the franchise is very limited. However, Namco Bandai today revealed four different online modes for their upcoming Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation.

Battle Royale: Basically, “Battle Royale” (with cheese) mode is a giant all-on-all battle to the death. Up to sixteen pilots will be able to blow each other out of the sky as each vies for the high score.

Team Battle: Two teams of eight face off in an epic squadron-based air battle to determine who is truly the “roxxorz”.

Seige Battle: Two teams of four alternate between offense and defense, as one team attacks a particular target, and the other defends said target.

Co-Op: Four-player co-op will allow you and three of your friends to team up to complete whatever the mission may be.

If you’re a long time fan of the franchise, this is sure to make you a very happy guy. If you’re not… well, then you probably just sit here, referencing Gordon Lightfoot in photoshopped screenshots.

Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, Namco Bandai, Ace Combat 6

Mid-September. That is the date Sega has given as a release date for their demo to their upcoming uber-sexy Sega Rally Revo.

This news is taken from a video on YouTube, curtesy of the British Gaming Blog, that you can see after the break. However, I am going to warn you here and now that the way the video is edited, it is very easy to get confused and think that they’re referring to another of their upcoming games, The Club.

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