HBO Go Now Available On Xbox 360

HBO Go is finally available for the Xbox 360. Here is a release trailer for the Xbox's newest application:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2-K0oHnGTQ&nomobile=1

Microsoft Apologizes To Wrongfully Banned, Compensates

Rolling bans were felt all across the network for Xbox Live users between August 29th, and Stepember 9th. This affected only a small fraction of people, but is still inconvenient, nonetheless. Microsoft has issued an apology, and will be compensating the people who were affected with a modest gift. The people who were affected will receive 3 months of Xbox Live for free, as well as 1600MP to spend as they choose. 

Chances are, I can see some hard core nerd rage went on over a few weeks of COD Black Ops gaming being lost, and I don't think the gift will appease the angst of a 15 year old. It is generous of Microsoft though, since the total value of the gift is around $45-50 for just a few days of lost online gaming. 

Source: Joystiq

Xbox Live To Come To Windows 8

According to Major Nelsons blog, Xbox Live is coming to Windows 8. What exactly the cross-over is, and what this all means has yet to be announced. Speculation is that Microsoft is ridding themselves of the angst-ridden Games For Windows Live platform, and pushing the integration of all their services (Windows Mobile 7-8, Windows 8, and Xbox Live). Hopefully this means more cross-platform games for PC and Xbox 360. 

Here is a screenshot that shows Xbox LIVE on Windows 8

We are confirming that we will be bringing Xbox LIVE to the PC with Xbox LIVE on Windows. We are very excited about Xbox LIVE coming to Windows 8.  Xbox LIVE brings your games, music, movies, and TV shows to your favorite Microsoft and Windows devices.  Bringing Xbox LIVE to Windows 8 is part of our vision to bring you all the entertainment you want, shared with the people you care about, made easy.  At BUILD we are showing that it is easy for developers to create games for Windows 8 that take advantage of the power of Xbox LIVE.  We have much more detail to share about the capabilities of Xbox LIVE on Windows and look forward to the opportunity to do so in the near future.

Source: Major Nelsons Blog

Modern Warfare 3 Themed Xbox 360 Exposed

MjolnirX - Major Nelson has announced a new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3-themed Xbox 360. It will, of course, be the super-sized 320GB model, and will come with two themed wireless controllers. The Xbox also has custom sounds for powering on and opening the disc tray, like the now-delayed Star Wars-themed Xbox 360. If having a gun-metal gray console is going to clash with your carefully-selected TV stand in your Feng Shui-arranged house, fear not. The controllers will be available separately for $60, and will include download codes for in-game content not yet announced. 

Microsoft also announced an Xbox 360-themed Bluetooth headset which will be $70, and will also come with an exclusive download code for DLC. This may be to compete with Turtle Beach's themed headsets. The bundle also includes, of course, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and a month of free Xbox Live Gold. 

This monster bundle will cost $399, which isn't too bad of a deal, but it seems like a long way to go for a new, probably unnecessary console. It is due out on November 8th, 2011.  

Source: Major Nelson

Batman: Arkham City On PC Using Shitty Games For Windows Live

Castrum - Well it seems the GFWL curse is still with us, as Square/Eidos have signed a deal with Microsoft to include their draconian, buggy DRM service with every copy of Arkham City sold on PC. As for DLC, that may be an issue, given Steam's stance on forcing developers to sell DLC through Steam.

The only good thing that can come from this is that PC gamers can get Live Achievements instead of Steam Achievements, though that's a dubious benefit at best.

Source: Joystiq

Xbox Live - Deals Of The Week: 08/30/11 - 09/06/11

MjolnirX - The Xbox Live Deals Of The Week for August 30th - September 6th. Enjoy!

1. 

   Gatling Gears

   4,692

   • RELEASE DATE: 6/20/2011
   • GAME RATING: E10 (Everyone 10+)
   • GENRE: Action & Adventure, Strategy & Simulation
     400
   • 800
2. 

   Full Game - Metal Arms™: Glitch in the System

   5,886

   • ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: 11/1/2003
   • GAME RATING: T (Teen)
   • GENRE: Action & Adventure
   • 800
   • 1200
3. 

   BioShock 2

   Minerva's Den

   1,170

   • RELEASE DATE: 8/31/2010
   • GAME RATING: M (Mature)
   • GENRE: Action & Adventure, Shooter
   • 400
   • 800

   
   
4. 

   Borderlands

   New Revolution

   1,922

   • RELEASE DATE: 9/28/2010
   • GAME RATING: M (Mature)
   • GENRE: Shooter
   • 400
   • 800

   
   

   
   

Gears Of War 3 Getting $30 Season Pass, First DLC In November

Castrum - Gears of War 3 will be getting an L.A. Noire-like Season Pass, available for $30 on Xbox Live, which grants access to the first four of GoW3's DLC from launch onwards. According to Microsoft, this will equate to a 33% discount compared to buying all four individually (which means each will cost 800 Points/$10 on their own, meaning you will save the cost of one entire DLC).

This pass goes up on Live on September 20th, and comes with a "Liquid Metal" weapon set. The first DLC in this pack will be released sometime in November.

Source: Joystiq

Castle Crashers Pink Knight DLC Out Now

MjolnirX - The Pink Knight, once a vicious rumor, is now reality! With all-new weapons in tow, The Pink Knight makes its debut on The Behemoth's smash hit Castle Crashers today! The DLC is free, and The Behemoth pledges to donate $1 for the first 50,000 to the Keep A Breast Foundation:

Download the Pink Knight (complete with new weapons!) in the Xbox LIVE Marketplace, FOR FREE!!!!!!! ($1.00 donated to Keep A Breast Foundation with each of the first 50,000 downloads)

The mysterious Blacksmith is also now available for download, for just 160MP:

Download the Blacksmith Pack for 160 Microsoft Points. Once shrouded in mystery, the legend of the Blacksmith becomes a reality. Wielding miniature antlered frogs, burning hammers of justice and springboard contraptions, this warrior is much like William Wallace (ala Braveheart), but purple and definitely not Mel Gibson.

As well, other various updates and add-ons are included with the title update:

- Added a Team vs Team feature to Player Match Arena (as opposed to the current free-for-all).
- Earn two new Avatar Awards—Cardinal Animal Orb and Knight Helmet!
- Ability to check Player’s Gamer Cards in Xbox LIVE matches.
- Main menu News Ticker for all of your latest Castle Crashers and Behemoth Updates!

Source: The Behemoth Blog

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive To Have Cross-Platform Play (Except For 360)

Castrum - CS: GO will feature cross-platform online play (as in, PC gamers can play against PS3 gamers) at launch. To counteract the advantage PC gamers would have over console gamers, PS3 players can use a Keyboard/Mouse setup instead of the DualShock 3 controller.

However, the 360 is being left out of this equation, partly because of Microsoft's asinine restrictions on Xbox Live, and partly because Gabe Newell is a Sony sell-out.

Source: Joystiq

Kinect Star Wars Delayed Indefinitely

MjolnirX - It appears that Kinect Star Wars has been suspended indefinitely. The troubled game has been put on hiatus due to the developer's dissatisfaction with the product thus far. Because the game has been put on the back burner, so too has the limited edition Star Wars themed Xbox 360.

Microsoft to Kotaku:
Microsoft and LucasArts have elected to move the launch of Kinect Star Wars beyond holiday 2011 to ensure the full potential of this title is realized. This move applies to both the Kinect Star Wars stand-alone game and the Kinect Star Wars Limited Edition Console. We will communicate additional timing information at a later date.

Nooooooooooooooo

Source: Kotaku

New Xbox 360 Bundle To Come With 5 Games (Canada Only)

MjolnirX - Microsoft has announced a new 250GB Xbox 360 bundle. It will be $299.00 and come with download codes for 5 of some of the Xbox 360's biggest hits: Alan Wake, Gears of War 2, Halo 3, Fable 3 and Halo Wars. This is an amazing deal, and available for a limited time.

Be warned, though. The games will take up nearly 30GB of hard drive space. Better delete some of those Rock Band songs.

Source

Guy With Asperger's Sues Microsoft For $500 Billion

Castrum - Lulz:

Some cletus down in Arkansas opines that Microsoft has to pay him $500 billion because it didn't answer, in writing, a mailing designed to not get a written response to his demands for $500 billion.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is your source for all the fun, courtesy of a federal civil complaint filed Monday by one David Stebbins. His grounds for suing is a technicality about the nature of the Xbox Live terms of service. He argues that he is allowed to unilaterally amend the TOS unless Microsoft rejects his terms in writing.

The new terms? Something about he gets paid $500 billion if they don't like the old terms.

Stebbins actually admits to the P-I that his notice to Microsoft was designed to not attract their attention and to go unanswered. "When I mail these documents to Microsoft, they won't go to any legal division; I arranged for the mailings to be picked up by the employee that just collects regular mail! It's quite possible that these employees won't understand the legal significance of these documents, and know that they're required to respond."

... 

It's enough to know he's tried this bullshit in other venues, too. And, also, that he claims to have Asperger's syndrome, which is the go-to punchline for many an internet troll. I'm sure his agoraphobia will keep him from showing up in court, too.

http://kotaku.com/5832918/xbox-live-trolled-for-625000000000-microsoft-points-in-federal-court

Review: Silent Hill - Homecoming

Presentation

MjolnirX - Silent Hill: Homecoming is the story of Alex Shepard, a veteran who has been discharged, returning to his hometown only to find it in ruins. The townsfolk are rash and mostly incomprehensible. Some are catatonic at best. Upon your arrival, you come to realize that your little brother has gone missing and no one seems to be doing anything to find him. It is up to you to find out what happened to your town, and to find your brother.

The game's box art immediately sets the tone for the game. An uneasy, awkward portrait of your father and your little brother, whose stare is almost paralyzing. The character art is definitely in-sync with the rest of the series, improved in its high definition.

Graphics

The graphics, like all Silent Hill games, are not its strongest point. There are times where models seem jaggy or without texture. As well, the facial features have the same lack of emotion some of the voice actors do (picture Rocky Balboa). Aside from that, the gritty, dark, mysterious, hellish settings are improved this time around. There's a lot more variation in environments, from something that closely resembles Hell, to catacombs to the town of Shepard Glen itself. Each environment is carefully crafted to make you as uncomfortable as possible, including being in your own home. There's a lot of fine environmental details, like awkward portraits on walls and deteriorating furniture and walls that can really set the tone for what will happen. The enemies are as detailed as ever, especially the bosses; the amazing amount of detail in the bosses goes to show the effort that was put into the game.

Detailed.

Sound

Silent Hill's music has always been kind of an awkward spot for me. The game wouldn't be the same without it, yet I find there are moments when I actually notice the music isn't really the most appropriate for the area or situation I'm in. Specifically, the moments I dislike the most are the conversations. The music seems like something you'd hear in a PS1 Fantasy game (ex. Legend Of Legaia). Don't let that fool you for a minute about the power of the music elsewhere though. The quiet, almost non-existent ambient music in many of the game's areas creates an atmosphere that always leaves you wondering if it's the quiet before the storm.

Gameplay

It wasn't overly difficult to play through the game, though as expected there are frustrating-as-hell moments that make you want to quit. When you beat the game on the hardest difficulty, you unlock the Alien Gun, which makes going back for all the other achievements a breeze. Beating the game on the hardest difficulty definitely still has its work cut out for you. There's almost no ammo or health packs and the enemies are way stronger and do more damage. The controls are also Survival Horror-awkward, but that is more of a benefit than a hindrance to the genre. More often than not, you can avoid enemy encounters and run past the them to continue on your morbidly-merry way, but if you're trying to clear achievements on your way like I did, well, things get a little tricky. I ended up dying more times than I care to admit while trying to collect certain things. The hardest part is the lack of ammunition on the first playthrough; keeping enemies at a distance always has its advantages. Overall, I'd say the game was a 6/10 for difficulty.

Everything Else

At its worst, Silent Hill: Homecoming is replayable, if only for its alternative endings; the game has 5 endings. Though there is a so-called "good ending", they are all right in their own way. I won't spoil the endings here (that's not what this site is about). However, they consist of the obligatory "UFO Ending" where you will get your alien gun for your next playthrough, the "Bogeyman Ending", the "Downing Ending", the "Good Ending" and the "Hospital Ending". I recommend playing through to see them all. I say that on the basis that a few key decisions you make in the game will trigger these specific endings, and it's worth going back to make those decisions to see the consequences of them. After all, isn't that what Silent Hill is about?

Silent Hill: Homecoming didn't leave me wanting. It was overall a very decently put-together game. I would recommend this game to anyone who likes Survival Horror games. They don't get much better than this.

My Rating - 82 (Buy)

Achievements - 1000/1000

Hours Played - Over 30

Game Completed - Yes

Skyrim On PC Won't Use Windows Live

Castrum - Not that I'll be getting it on PC (prefer these on console, ever since I first played Morrowind on Xbox), but it's good to know that Microsoft's terrible DRM and what-not will not be plaguing Skyrim like it did Fallout 3:

A recently released packshot of the PC version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim carried a Games for Windows masthead, leaving some of the gaming community worried that it would also use the Games for Windows Live DRM system. Apparently, that's not the case: Bethesda's Pete Hines confirmed to PC Gamer that it wouldn't use GFWL, and the company's official Twitter account double confirmed that it would instead implement Steamworks. That is, like, so much confirmation.

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/18/skyrim-will-feature-steamworks-support-also-an-adorable-dog/

Xbox Live Now Has 35 Million Users

Castrum - I remember when 3 million was an achievement for them:

Since last January, Xbox Live has grown by another five million users. That's what Xbox Live marketing manager for EMEA Robin Burrowes told me in a meeting this morning where he showed off the new Windows Phone 7 UI-inspired dashboard for the Xbox 360. "Our audience growth is up to 35 million people globally across those 35 countries on Xbox Live itself," he said, explaining that the growth was spurred by the addition of nine new countries at the tail end of 2010.

Also, an interesting little tidbit:

Though he couldn't speak to the divide in terms of paid Xbox Live members versus unpaid (last we heard, there were over 12 million Gold subscribers), he did note that Microsoft is earning "more revenue from the transaction space than the subscription space."

Why are we paying for Live Gold again?

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/18/xbox-live-now-topping-35-million-users/

Age Of Empires Returns To Form

Castrum - Kotaku's done a great preview of Age Of Empires Online, the new Free-To-Play AoE game: 

While the basic mechanics of Age of Empires Online is fairly reminiscent of previous versions of the game, the overall approach to the game has a component of persistence that changes everything. 

The game's new core is built around a persistent city that is home to both the game's many quest givers and the decorative spoils of war, but also things that allow you to permanently shape and augment your armies. 

... 

The capital is built up by unlocking blueprints for new buildings. These buildings allow you to do things that provide permanent bonuses to your armies, and even new units. It's also where, as you level up through quests, that you will build out your tech tree using earned points. The tech tree does things like giving a bonus to your walls, or making your spearmen a bit more dangerous. Once activated, these all come into play every time you do a quest. There are also advisers that you can assign to your civilization that offer massive bonuses. One, for instance, gives all of my soldiers the ability to slowly heal over time without a priestess.

...

The gameplay, what Age of Empires players will know and love, is all built around competitive matches and quests. I've spent an enormous amount of time playing through the quests. Each is assigned by different folks in your town and they range from traditional, beat-the-bad-guys matches to survival, to having to find missing units and save them. When you drop into a quest it's like dropping into a level in an old Age of Empires game, but with a significant difference. Your overall level, the one tied to your capital, impacts what you have access to. Early on it means very limited troop selection. By level nine I was able to make camel riders, slingers, axe and spear men, as well as a priestess for healing and a defensive tower, walls and gates.

I got in on the Beta for this, but never bothered to try it out. I may just have to give it a spin sometime soon.

http://kotaku.com/5830262/why-you-need-to-play-age-of-empires-online-and-believe-my-lies

Microsoft Getting Sued For Double-Billing

Castrum - Seems MS might have had a hiccup in the system: 

Microsoft must defend its Xbox Live billing policies in a class action lawsuit filed this week in Indiana. Plaintiff Ryan Graves says he was double-charged for a subscription under "vague and onerous terms of use" for the console service membership.

Graves says that his Xbox Live subscription lapsed when he didn't update his credit card information; when he renewed the account later with a new card, Microsoft billed him for a new sub and the one that had expired, reports Gamasutra.

Graves, in his court complaint, says he was told the billing was "not a mistake," and that he would receive a two-year subscription to Xbox Live. Graves said basically, fuck that, he didn't order any two-year subscription. And so now this is going to court.

Smells like opportunism to me.

http://kotaku.com/5830176/class-action-lawsuit-accuses-microsoft-of-double+billing-xbox-live-subscriptions

The Key To Sony's Success

Castrum - Sony's first-party studios (and second-party as well). This has also been the key to Nintendo's success.

If Microsoft had been smart, they would have realized this and begun buying up developers left and right at the dawn of this gen. Instead, they offloaded Ensemble, lost Bungie, gave up on buying BioWare before EA did, and handed the most overrated game developer of all-time, Peter Molyneux, a big fat cheque so he could continue churning out Fable 1 with minor improvements every couple of years.

Also note that FASA Studios, of MechAssault fame, was similarly killed by MS.

http://kotaku.com/5827180/just-how-many-game-studios-does-sony-own-anyway

Microsoft Plans To Release Monthly Kinect Titles

MjolnirX - With Fruit Ninja: Kinect releasing in just a week, Microsoft has announced that they aim to release new Kinect exclusives on a monthly basis, according to an interview between Robin Burrowes and CVG. With a few great titles out already such as Kinect Sports and Child of Eden, plus some amazing games coming out such as (of course) Fruit Ninja: Kinect, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, the reboot of the Steel Battalion franchise titled "Heavy Armor", The Gun Stringer, Minecraft and even Mass Effect 3, there seems to be good reason for the 10 million Kinect owners, such as myself, to be excited.

"Obviously we have Xbox Live Arcade exclusives running through the Summer of Arcade programme, but yes, you can expect far more exclusives coming to the platform in future," Robin Burrowes, Xbox Live product marketing manager for EMEA [Europe, Middle East and Africa], told CVG."

Though he couldn't divulge the name of the titles he was referring to, he did mention that we should "trust the legacy of titles in the past". He also mentioned that they are working on games that will be released on Xbox Live Arcade, as well traditional core games which include sequels to successful titles already on the platform.