Red Octane: Guitars are fixed

Red Octane have issued a patch for Guitar Hero II, and I myself can vouch for this, and what's more, it has fixed the problem. Many people are still reporting other problems that weren't as widespread, but it doesn't seem like they'll be fixed by a patch.

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Halo 3 NPC Dialogue Contest

Games in Action recently began a Halo 3 NPC Dialogue Competition. The contest is now over but you can head over there and read all the entries and if you are a member you will even be able to vote for who think should be the winner. So have a visit over to GiA and catch up on the tournament.

Halo 3 Beta Date Confirmed

Microsoft officially announced this morning that the release date of the Halo 3 Beta will be on May 16th. It will begin at 5 a.m. PDT on May 16 and run for three weeks, until June 6. In the beta there will be three maps which you can play on. "Snowbound," "High Ground" and "Valhalla," which "represent a mixture of large- and medium-scale combat environments." Also you will be able to try out new vehicles, like the Mongoose ATV, and weapons like the new and improved Assault Rifle, Brute Spiker, Spartan Laser and the new Spike Grenades. So hopefully you have done the whole "Rule of Three" thing or purchased your specially-marked copy of Crackdown, because those are the only ways to get your hands on the Halo 3 Beta. Bungie reminds fans that even though it's "somewhat" close to what the game will be like, there will still be a few "rough edges".

Faulty Guitar Hero II Controller Fix

For all of you with a faulty X-plorer guitars who are too lazy to go to the store and return you guitar for a new one, like Red Octane suggests, or for those of you who are do it yourself kind of people, All About the Games has posted a detailed, and very easy step by step way to fix your guitar. The best part is that it seems to not void your warranty, but remember not to open your X-plorer guitar while it's plugged in.

Halo 2 Vista Achievements

The list for Halo 2 Vista Achievements is out. The list is 41 achievements long, and there is some surprising ones. I don't like some of the points imbalance between similar achievements (beating Halo 2 on Normal is 100GS and Heroic and Legendary are only worth 50GS each), but that's just me. Well, what do you think?

Gears of War Auto-update, Annex Gametype Today

Microsoft finally confirmed that the Gears of War auto-update with the Annex gametype will be available today at 4:00 p.m. PDT on Xbox Live. The official Annex details are the same as those released by Epic last week (check it out here at Joystiq). Also here are the additional update features and tweaks:

• VGA cable support: monitor resolution widths greater than or equal to 1280 now render as letterbox; VGA users running at 1280x1024 will now see the game in full 720p (1280x720) resolution in letterboxed form.
• Adjusted Assassination gametype: leader no longer has to unlock weapons and now has to be executed to die
• Adjusted Boomshot: splash damage to be more effective rendering targets down-but-not-out
• Adjusted Hammer of Dawn: aiming will be more forgiving of moving targets
• Adjusted Roadie Run: reduced frequency of accidentally grabbing cover while running
• Kill message ticker: ticker can now be seen while down-but-not-out and spectating
• General: addressed a number of possible exploits in multiplayer

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Xbox 360 Controller Keyboard

Many people were wondering with the new Xbox Live Dashboard update how they were suppose to send messages on Windows Live Messenger on Xbox Live without spending a whole hour to write one simple sentence. Well, Microsoft announced that this summer they'll be releasing a new QWERTY text-input peripheral that attaches to the Xbox 360 controller. It will attach via the head set port, but don't worry because it is said the keyboard will include a headset of its own that can be attached to the device. The keyboard fits snugly, is very light, and hardly noticeable. Gamerscore Blog posted more pictures of the keyboard, just click the link.

Spring Dashboard Update Confirmed

The leaked video of the May 7th dashboard update has now been confirmed by Microsoft. Here's a recap on the new features that will be available.

• Windows Live Messenger IM integration.
• More informative achievement notifications.
• A brand new Marketplace blade with updated organization.
• Upgraded XBLA friend interaction functionality.
• Auto-off downloading functionality featuring low power mode.
• Enhanced family settings for chatting.
• Ability to watch videos while downloading off the XBLM.
• Hundreds of other random fixes and tweaks.

Gamespot Leaks Xbox 360's New Dashboard?

Reportedly Gamespot accidentally leaked this video showing the information they received about a "May 7 update for the Xbox 360's dashboard". The movie shows that many new features are coming to the dashboard:

• 600 Windows Live Messenger contacts for your friends list
• Contact list will integrate Windows Live Messenger and show joinable session status
• Messenger contacts see what game you're playing and gamer tag
• Marketplace has own blade, skin will change independent from theme
• Users will now see what achievement they've unlocked on screen
• Low-power download mode followed by auto-shutdown
• You can watch partially downloaded video files

Hopefully this is official, and not a cruel, oh so cruel, joke. Microsoft has yet to say anything.

Microsoft Xbox Live® 4000 Points Cards!

Finally so all you Xbox Live Market addicts can get your fix, Microsoft now offers a 4000 points card at $49.99. This card gives you 4000 points to spend in the Xbox Live Marketplace, and in Xbox live Arcade. You can download games, demos, trailers, skins, extra game content, and more. So does anyone see themselves picking one of these up in the near future?

Tilt Sensitive Xbox 360 Controller

Many 360 users were and still are sad that the Xbox 360 controllers were not motion/or even tilt sensitive. Well then, today is their lucky day. The tiltBoard, seen here in this demonstration video is soon to be produced by Talismoon and available to the public. It will allow you to control the d-pad and left thumb stick just by tilting the controller in a direction of your choice. I don't see myself using this a lot, but then again I have no racing games.

New Lost Planet Maps Available

The two latest maps for Lost Planet are now available for download from the Xbox Live Marketplace for 400 MS points. The two maps are Hive Complex and Trial Point and are about 161.7 MB to download, so it won't take too long. If you have Lost Planet and liked the previous two new maps you will most likely want to get these. Enjoy.

Guitar Hero II X-plorer Guitar

As we all know there have been a lot of complaints about the whammy bar not functioning properly on the X-plorer Guitar for the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II. Well, the people at Joystiq have found out more info on the faulty guitars. Apparently the majority of whammy bar problems are being reported by owners of the X-plorer guitar with the pedal jack near the power chord, model 95055. The other guitar, model 95065, with the pedal jack near the headset jack and shoulder strap, seems to not be getting as many complaints. If you still want to buy Guitar Hero II for the 360 before this problem has been solved and fixed, look for a box with the Part No. 95065. This number is located above the ESRB rating on the back of the box.

Red Octane has yet to make any official announcements about this matter.

Guitar Hero II for 360 Not Wireless?

When I first opened up my Guitar Hero I noticed a big bundled cord in the box, that was attached to my X-plorer guitar. To my disappointment, and I'm sure to many others who purchased Guitar Hero II for the Xbox 360, the X-plorer guitar is wired. We all wished the rumor of a wireless guitar was true, but in the end we were let down. The boys at Ctrl+Alt+Del got to the bottom of it, and turns out Microsoft product developers are unwilling to share the wireless technology.

So instead of being mad at Activision, Red Octane, and other Guitar Hero II game developers, we should all be dissapointed with Microsoft. Unfortunately I can't hold a grudge against a company that has brought me so much fun.

PS3 and Xbox 360 Prices Cut in UK

WHSmith and Play.co.uk have both dropped the price of the PS3 down to £399.99 from £424.99. Maybe they just want to get people to buy one at Easter for loved ones or maybe they aren't selling at the higher price but whatever the case both retailers have cut the price by £25, Play is even throwing in a HDMI cable and a Blu-Ray movie. Not bad at all.

Play.co.uk has also cut the Xbox 360 Core package down to £149.99 and the Premium Package down to £249.99. Both prices are lower than the RRP but you'll have to hurry to get these low prices as the offer is only available till the 10th of April.

Motorstorm Tops European Charts

After topping the charts in both Japan and the US Motorstorm has now climbed its way to the number one spot in Europe. Insomniac's Resistance: Fall of Man was knocked down to second in place of the UK based Evolution Studios' game.

Martin Kenwright, CEO Evolution Studios had this to say: “To see MotorStorm top the European, the Japanese and the US PlayStation 3 charts is just fantastic. Developing MotorStorm to a standard we were all happy with was certainly a challenge – but the team here really delivered. We’re delighted that the public has agreed with the press and made MotorStorm a worldwide number one PlayStation 3 title.”

Prominence announced by Digital Media Workshop

Digital Media Workshop, an Indie studio, has just announced that they are creating a new game called Prominence. A 3d sci-fi adventure combining puzzles and a story based plot with multiple endings. The game will feature a completely origional soundtrack and voice acting.

It's good to see Indie Sudios taking on big projects but we'll have ot wait to see if all these ambitious features make it into the game.

US Developers Make the Most in the UK

American developers made a massive $600+ million in the UK during 2006 with the UK developers coming in second with $450 million. Unsuprisingly the EA Canada did well but they do make the FIFA series and the Need for Speed series and they sell like wildfire over here in the UK.

Traveller's Tales came out on top out of all the UK developers. The company, recently purchased by Warner Bros. are responsible for bringing you LEGO Star Wars which has made a nice profit of $12 million so far.

Forza 2 on May 15th

Thats right, on May 15th Forza 2 will be hitting shelves. The game has been hyped up as "hyper-realistic" so lets hope it can deliver. Microsoft aslo let it known that a demo of the game will be arriving on the Xbox 360 Marketplace soon but no exact date has been given yet. Until then we just have screenshots.

Guitar Hero II Recall Rumors False!

Clarifying Internet rumors, publisher RedOctane tells Next-Gen that there never was a "recall" at stores for the new Xbox 360 Guitar Hero II controller, but the company is examining faulty controller claims. They also offered some information for those who think they might be having trouble with the guitar; "Don't press any of the buttons and unplug the controller then replug it and everything should work fine."

New Halo 2 maps are revealed.

Bungie have finally announced the eagerly awaited new maps for Halo 2. Due to be released over Xbox Live on April the 17th, these two maps are available for both Xbox and 360 owners, and are re-makes of two old favourites from Halo: CE.


Desolation is a remake of Derelict from the original Halo. This map has featured a substantial make over, with major parts of the map being changed to make the gameplay faster and better. The graphical overhaul is equally impressive, with the change in setting tieing it in better with the Halo universe.


Tombstone is the remake of the Halo classic Hang 'em High. Fans of the original Halo will be weeping tears of joy right now as the fan favourite is finally brought to Halo 2. Changes had to be made to the overall map in order to better suit the Halo 2 gameplay; with no fall damage and high jumps, the vertical arrangement of the map neded to be altered, as well as gametype considerations such as CTF games. Likewise, the map was brought into the realms of Halo with a brand new art direction. All of which looks very nice indeed.

These two maps will cost $4 together. However, because they are to be implemented for the original Xbox, you will be unable to purchase them using marketplace points on your 360. Instead, you will have to use a credit card via the in-game content browser. A small hardship for all those Halo fans, and seems a reasonable price, especially considering how late these maps have appeared in relation to the games lifespan.

So, if you're like me and an avid Halo fan, look out for these maps when they're released on the 17th. Happy gaming!

Avast!

Ahoy, pirate Pete be comandeering this here blog.

Pirates be the under-stated champions of games. Master Chief? You take off his helmet and you'll be finding a skull and crossbones tatooed on his forehead. Solid Snake? Shiver me timbers if he 'aint nought but the legendary Captain Salty Snake. Mario? Y'argh, a finer sailor I've never set eyes on; 'twas those mushrooms that led him astray.

There 'aint nothing a pirate likes more than to sail the seven seas, plundering and pillaging and raping and burning and getting the loot stashed away in secret coves. Aye, many's the time that I've swept some pretty young girl away with and had my wicked way (although more often than not, she 'aint been complaining), before setting sail again with gold dubloons filling me treasure chests to the brim.

There 'aint nothing better to while away those hours on deck than some four-player split screen Halo; me and my crew are legit level 35's one and all, and ye won't find a better Gears player across all the high seas. Beeing a pirate isn't easy, and gaming helps keep the boredom away when we 'aint plundering or pillaging or raping or burning or getting the loot stashed away in secret coves.

So there ye have it, me fellow salty sea-dogs. Gaming be a pirates best mate, and don't ye forget it.

Konami: Earth Shattering Announcements on Monday...

Internet: ZOMG MGS4 on t3h 360!!!!11one!1one!11!!

Seriously though, Konami have said that there will be "Earth shattering announcements on Monday". What these announcements are, only Konami know - of course, but of course everyone is speculating. From the Xbox Forums, members have speculated that it will be Metal Gear Solid 4 for 360, others speculate that it'll be a collection of all (incl. 4) the MGS games being ported to 360. One member even goes as far as to speculate that Konami are even coming out with their own next-gen console, however the likely-hood of that is minimal, then again it would be earth shattering.

Original Story

Mass Effect Release Date Slipped?

Xbox.com Australia made a slip up yesterday, they listed a release date for Mass Effect, Bioware's premiere next gen 360 exclusive. Previously listed as 2007, the site shifted to 18 May 2007. Joystiq who reported on the slip contacted Microsoft and received the following reply.

"An incorrect release date for Mass Effect was inadvertently posted on Xbox.com
Australia and has since been removed. We will keep you posted on the ongoing
development of Mass Effect, however, we have no announcements regarding the
game's release date at this time."

Of course now speculation will be at an all time high as to whether or not someone at Microsoft had the info and published it incorrectly or they made a geniune mistake.

Rule of 3 [Update 1]

The Halo 3 Beta test. A subject many have been talking about lately all over the internet. Registration has already concluded and many succeeded in receiving a place, many did not. For those who did not, all is not lost. Crackdown, the sleeping giant of the Xbox 360s Q1 line-up, offers many a chance to participate. Yet that is not the only other way. I am of course speaking about The Rule of Three, the confusing yet secure way to get into the beta, begins at 12AM PST on Feb 1st, that's tomorrow.

Full Details on Bungie.net

Posted by: Halo3.com

Rule of Three Program

The "Rule of Three" program is currently planned for gamers (17 years and older) in the 50 United States (includes District of Columbia) and Canada who have access to an Xbox 360 Pro console or an Xbox 360 Core console with hard drive, a valid Xbox Live Gold subscription and the Halo 2 game.

It is a two-step process:

1. Participate in at least three hours of Halo 2 multiplayer sessions on your Xbox 360 console via Xbox Live during the three (3) day period beginning February 1st at 12:01 am EST and ending February 3rd at 11:59 pm EST.

2. After the three day window is over, head back over to www.halo3.com on February 5th and register.

If you are one of the FIRST 13,333 to do this (and meet the above requirements) you will receive an invite notification in February to participate in the Halo 3 Beta.

Please note that if you registered to participate in the Halo 3 Beta during Phase One and were not selected, that does not preclude you from registering again for during Phase 2.

Update: This has now begun, get gaming!

Saints Row welcoming the PS3 to the Row

THQ have confirmed that Volitions smash hit Saints Row will be cruising onto the PS3 this spring. It is too early to tell whether or not this release will coincide with the European release of the PS3, and no exclusive PS3 goodies have been announced by the publisher. Keep watching this space soon for updates.

First News! 360 Game Advertising PS3!

In an act of desperation, Sony have turned to advertising their lowly acclaimed PS3 in an Xbox 360 game. Seeing how their lowly efforts and pathetic console are drastically inferior to the awesome might of the Xbox 360 and its much bigger fanbase, they place adverts in our games to push this measly PlayStation!

Of course the game is UEFA Champions League 2006/2007, and the ad actually spawns from the fact Sony and their PS3 sponsor the real life sport along with Microsoft and their 360.

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Ghosts Recon: Advanced Warfighter Review

Another Tom Clancy game and once again it is a Tom Clancy game that delivers. I have never really been a fan of the Ghost Recon series. I prefer the close quarters and fast paced to vast open war fields. But I was impressed by G.R.A.W. It was a new experience and I quite enjoyed it.

The main story is that you are in command of a troop of soldiers. These are the soldiers of the future with all the latest weaponry and technology. You are in Mexico and must help stop the hostilities in the country. The campaign does draw you into the plot, making you want to play not only for playing the game but to learn about the next part of the story.

The graphics are very impressive, probably only beaten by Oblivion. The realism is superb. The little things like smoke grenades look brilliant and everything is very nicely detailed. Some things look a little risqué but mostly excellent. Not really a lot more I can say about the graphics except that I was impressed by but I still think that the game is definitely not using the full capabilities the 360 can offer.

Game play is very intuitive, and can be very unforgiving. If you make a mistake the odds are you will have to pay for it and that normally means starting from that last checkpoint again. I love some of the little things like if you’re running and suddenly need to crouch, you skid into position. The reticule is a little different that you might be used to, its more of a sweeping action when moving it which may take a little getting used to. Leaning and standing against walls has been added for this latest instalment of Ghost Recon and altogether G.R.A.W plays quite well.

Multiplayer wise it is pretty fun to play. You can either play ranked matches or unranked on Xbox LIVE. Either way games can sometimes take a short time to be found. Some of the features from single player have been removed and the graphics have been slightly downgraded to cater for the more action packed and faster paced multiplayer. It can be quite fun, but there are some problems. Such as that spawn points are sometimes very messy, several people can re-spawn in the same place or it is very easy to spawn camp. To combat this Ubisoft made it so that you cannot shoot or be shout for a short time, but that way the other player just waits and still kills you. Overall it is good to play online, but definitely not the best.

Sound is at its best during intense fire fights. The gunfire sounds realistic and when trapped behind little cover, with bullets being sprayed all around you, the sound effects are in their element. The music is once again pretty first rate, as in most Tom Clancy games.

Altogether an impressive game. If you are a fan of the Ghost Recon series then you will have to have this, if your not then I suggest renting it out first. But while Halo 2 is still going strong all other shooters will be second best unfortunately. I’m personally waiting for Rainbow Six: Vegas, look awesome.

Score: 8/10

FIFA 06 Road to the World Cup Review

Reviewer: Maximum Fear

Game: FIFA 06 Road to the World Cup

Gameplay: The gameplay in football games is normally very simple but fun. FIFA keeps this formulae but adds some more elements which lead to more competition and a little more skill needed to play. You can choose between a wide selection of international teams to play as, change the difficulty, which in my opinion is quite hard and all the options such as injuries and offsides. The controls are pretty easy to learn but take time and effort to master. Special skill moves are hard to pull off and free kicks and corners take a lot of time to get use to but it is mostly a fun and entertaining experience.

Graphics: The graphics are beautiful, all sports games from EA are generally good but this is defiantly next generation. The players look superb, with awesome detail and individual blades of grass can be seen. In fact if a person walked in while you were playing they may think they are watching a real football game.

Sound: The sound on this game is as good as you could expect from a football game. The commentary is “ok” I suppose but can get slightly repetitive after a while playing the game. It sounds pretty good when the crowd is singing and cheering when your team is winning though. There are very little special effects but the ones that are there sound realistic.

Xbox Live: The online multiplayer is pretty well designed and executed. Games can be found pretty easily and lag is kept to a minimum normally. Many measures have been taken by EA to prevent any cheating and I haven’t experienced any at all (on any Xbox 360 games). You can play matches that last between 2 to 45 minutes a half, ranked or unranked. You can change most of the setting in unranked but the ranked games are pretty much set out for you. Same as single player you pick from a wide variety of international teams, which gives the both players opportunities of having equal sides.

Replay: Well as it is a football game you are doing basically the same thing every game. There is variety, with the different tournaments and the many different teams. You can play for a long time before you get bored if you like sports games.

Achievements: The achievements are given out for winning so many games in a row, beating certain teams or winning certain tournaments. They do enhance the gaming experience, giving people more of a challenge and something to achieve. They are distributed evenly throughout the game, but some are quite hard to unlock. It may take a while for even skilled players to unlock all the achievements.

Leader boards: The leader boards are well set out fair. Basically the more games you win, the less games you lose, the more you goals you score and the less you concede the better your score will be therefore, the better your rank will be. They make playing Xbox Live rewarding and meaningful and allow players to find other gamers who are as equally skilled as themselves.

Score: 73/100

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Reviews

Well I have had this game for over just over a week no, and I have been trying to write a review for it for the past few days, with not a lot of success. The main reason being that the game keeps evolving and changing as I am playing it. I even started with a completely new character after 30 hours of game play and erased the old one. So now after a while of playing with my new guy and completing a fair amount of the game I’m finally getting round to writing this review.

The game begins with you in a prison cell. The Emperor enters the cell with some Blade bodyguards and recognises you from a dream he has had. As the first part of the game progresses it teaches you the basics of playing and you begin to customise your character. After about minutes you finish this part of the game and you finish the creation of your character.

After that you are free to do what you wish. You can choose to follow the main story or just explore Cyrodil. The scale of this game is immense; you are free to do as you wish. Depending on how you advance through the skills and levels the game will play very differently. You might play Oblivion and it could look like you were playing Thief, sneaking and killing stealthily or look like a FPS casting spells and firing bow. That’s one of the best things about this game, the diversity between every character.

The graphics for this game are simply unbelievable. Everything is rich in detail, from each individual blade of grass to the immaculate and stunning buildings. I recently was on a very high mountain that looked down on Imperial City, and the view was beautiful. I often just sit for a few moments and take in what I am seeing, realising how much hard work must have gone into making this game look so good.

The game play is easy to get to grips with but hard to master. Some of the mini games that you have to do, such as persuading people or picking lock (which annoys me far too much) may not be everybody’s cup of tea. And unfortunately the combat system leaves something to be desired. But do not let that put you off, it’s still first-class game play, it just has its faults. If the combat was just a little less random and more complicated then game play would be incredible.

Sound in this game is quality. The music scores are dramatic and striking, also identifying trouble or battle scenes. The sound effects are very pleasing to the ear, each weapon making a different thud when it makes contact, everything is unique and styles. And no expense was spared, even Sean Bean is in the game, as the voice-over of brother Martyn (the Emperor’s only remaining heir).

Yes there are problems with Oblivion, it isn’t perfect. The AI isn’t always perfect, the combat system isn’t as well thought out as it might have been and in my opinion none of the NPC’s look attractive. By which I mean it doesn’t look like when the developers looked at people to sculpt their characters they didn’t take what makes human faces attractive. But that’s just my personal opinion. Apart from that and the very slow loading times from time to time there isn’t much wrong with this game. But considering the pure size and scale of the game, defaults are expected.

With downloadable content on its way and with plenty of room for expansions this game is well worth the £42.99 price tag. I seriously suggest that if you have an Xbox 360 you buy this game. In my humble opinion it is the first “must have” out for this console, and my word what a game it is.

Score: 9.5/10